President Pervez Musharraf has reaffirmed the pledge for the welfare, protection and development of children to help them become useful citizens and productive members of the society.
The President, in a message on the occasion of Universal Children Day, being observed on Monday (Novr 20), said Pakistan joins the international community to celebrate the Day with a firm commitment and determination to safeguard the rights of children.
President Musharraf said that as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Pakistan always remained the forefront advocate of the child rights agenda and played a key role at the regional and international levels to protect the rights of the child.
"As an Islamic Republic, we are under obligation to observe the best interest of children and provide them access to development opportunities without any discrimination," he said.
The President said our tradition of commitment to children causes, continues to reflect the state policies and the government is continuously carrying forward the child rights agenda for substantial reforms.
The President, however, underscored the need for making concerted efforts by all the stakeholders to make the society tolerant and concerned about the healthy growth and development of the country's children and future.
"The task of child protection requires partnerships between all public and private agencies, and I call upon civil society, the NGOs, the voluntary indigenous philanthropy sector, international development partners, the media and the corporate sector to come forward and play their effective role for ending violence against children," Musharraf said.
He appreciated the efforts of Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education for strengthening child protection mechanisms in the country.
The President also urged the federal and provincial governments to undertake all necessary legislative protection and development rights of children.
He lauded the UN agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for their efforts for continuously advocating and highlighting the child rights and related issues.
The President expressed the hope they will continue pursuing this important mission with the same zeal and spirit and prayed for success in this noble cause.
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