Stakeholders Unite For Holistic Child Protection System Consensus

APP

Peshawar: The Social Welfare Minister has emphasised a ‘whole government approach’ to protecting children, urging collaboration and coordination for child protection services.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission (KP CP&WC), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), organized the third round of consultations regarding the draft KP Child Protection Policy.

The draft policy was developed over two years with consistent support from UNICEF and consultants from Oxford Programme Management (OPM). The Child Protection Policy outlines clear objectives for child protection, governance arrangements, and the roles and responsibilities of relevant departments, organizations, and institutions.

The aim of the stakeholders is to thoroughly review and improve the policy draft, vet it with the Minister, before seeking cabinet approval, followed by an action plan for implementation.

Justice Retired Irshad Qaiser highlighted the significance of protecting children from abuse and ensuring the cultural appropriateness of the policy in the context of KP.

UNICEF Pakistan Child Protection Specialist Sohail Ahmad emphasised the need for consensus among stakeholders to establish a holistic child protection system, incorporating diverse perspectives.