The Government of Pakistan together with the European Union (EU) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Pakistan launched the second phase of the Huqooq-e-Pakistan project on December 9, 2024.
The project, funded by the EU, aims to bolster human rights in the country by collaborating with multiple stakeholders across various sectors.
EU Ambassador to Pakistan, Riina Kionka, and UNDP Resident Representative, Samuel Rizk, underscored the importance of reinforcing human rights protections in Pakistan. Ambassador Kionka, speaking at the event, emphasized the crucial role that rights such as peaceful assembly, freedom of association, and freedom of expression play in ensuring a vibrant democracy. “Governments that ignore these rights do so at their peril,” she remarked.
“Governments that ignore the rights to peaceful assembly, to freedom of association and to freedom of expression do so at their peril,” said EU Ambassador Riina Kionka at the launch event held in Islamabad.
The project’s launch was also attended by Minister for Human Rights, Azam Nazeer Tarar, who reiterated the Pakistani government’s commitment to fulfilling its human rights obligations. He highlighted the country’s ongoing efforts in digitizing treaty body reporting and promoting responsible business practices.
Senator Tarar acknowledged the the role of human rights champions in Pakistan and the support of international partners such as European Union’s critical role in fostering human rights, trade, and mutual understanding. He commended the success of the first phase of the Huqooq-e-Pakistan program, which saw the training of over 700 judicial and law enforcement officials, the introduction of human rights education into judicial curricula, and the establishment of Pakistan’s first Human Rights Information Resource Portal.
Huqooq-e-Pakistan II project
During the launch event, held in Islamabad to commemorate Human Rights Day, key officials from the EU and UNDP highlighted the project’s objectives, which focus on four strategic pillars:
- Partnering with the government to enhance human rights implementation and reporting mechanisms.
- Supporting human rights institutions in strengthening their role as independent watchdog bodies.
- Collaborating with universities to embed human rights education into academic curricula.
- Engaging the private sector to promote responsible business practices in line with human rights principles.
The Huqooq-e-Pakistan II project seeks to create a comprehensive framework for human rights that involves collaboration across the government, civil society, academia, and the private sector, with the goal of protecting the rights of all citizens in Pakistan.