ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has welcomed the decision of the United Nations Secretary-General to Remove References to Pakistan from the Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict.
“This significant outcome is a testament to the Government of Pakistan’s constructive, sustained, and intensive engagement with the United Nations, including close cooperation with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG‑CAAC),” the Foreign Office said in a statement on Friday.
It added that the decision reflects international recognition of the strong institutional, legislative, and policy measures implemented by Pakistan to protect and advance the rights and well‑being of children.
“It is an affirmation of Pakistan’s firm commitment to aligning its national legal and institutional frameworks with international norms and best practices for safeguarding children affected by conflict and violence,” the statement said.
Foreign Office reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to collaborate closely with the United Nations to enhance and strengthen efforts for protecting and promoting children’s rights, ensuring a safer and brighter future for generations to come.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad on Thursday told the UN Security Council that youths living under foreign occupation are particularly vulnerable to widespread abuses, and called for steps to ensure their safety and protection.
Speaking in the 15-member Council’s debate on ‘Children and Armed Conflict’, he said that record-high child rights violations were leaving “countless young lives maimed, starved, burned, frozen to death, or weakened by severe malnutrition.”
In this regard, he drew attention to, among others, hotspots, the suffering of children in war-shattered Gaza and Indian-occupied Kashmir.
“The Security Council has the solemn responsibility to address this disturbing state of affairs, ensure the protection of children and prevent their suffering, and ensure accountability of the perpetrators without any discrimination or political considerations,” he said.
