The Parliamentary Caucus of the National Assembly on Child Rights (PCCR) on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) to strengthen evidence-based child protection legislation, parliamentary oversight, and policy action across Pakistan.
The MoU was signed by Acting Secretary National Assembly Saeed Ahmed on behalf of the Parliamentary Caucus and Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director of SSDO. The partnership aims to establish a structured and results-oriented framework for collaboration focused on advancing child rights through research-driven legislative and policy interventions.
The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, MNA and Convenor of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights; Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Affairs Zeb Jaffar; Parliamentary Secretary for Water Resources Rana Ansar; MNA Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro; Parliamentary Secretary for Federal Education and Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture Farah Naz Akbar; SSDO Programs Director Maryam Jawad; along with officers and officials of the National Assembly Secretariat.
Under the agreement, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to upholding Pakistan’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and ensuring that the best interests of the child remain central to all legislative, policy, and oversight initiatives. The collaboration will focus on promoting research-based legislation and strengthening parliamentary engagement on critical child rights issues, including child protection, trafficking, juvenile justice, child labour, early marriage, and child abuse.
The MoU also outlines joint efforts to conduct Child Rights Budget Analyses, develop evidence-based policy recommendations, and present findings to relevant Standing Committees. It further seeks to enhance engagement with concerned ministries and national child rights institutions to improve coordination and accountability.
Speaking on the occasion, Members of the National Assembly underscored the urgent need for reliable, up-to-date, and comprehensive data on child trafficking, abuse, and exploitation. They emphasized that robust data collection and analysis are essential for effective legislation and meaningful parliamentary oversight, calling for stronger institutional cooperation with SSDO to enhance research and evidence-generation mechanisms aimed at preventing child rights violations.
Acting Secretary National Assembly Saeed Ahmed highlighted the importance of research-driven lawmaking and stressed that data and analytical reports produced under this collaboration must be fully utilized to frame effective laws for the welfare and protection of children across the country.
