Islamabad, January 30, 2026: The Parliamentary Caucus of the National Assembly on Child Rights (PCCR) and the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a structured, results-oriented framework for collaboration aimed at strengthening child protection legislation, parliamentary oversight, and policy action across Pakistan.
The MoU was signed by Acting Secretary National Assembly Mr. Saeed Ahmed on behalf of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights and Mr. Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director of SSDO. The signing ceremony was led by PCCR Convenor Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, MNA, and attended by Parliamentary Secretary for the Economic Affairs Division Ms. Zeb Jaffar, Parliamentary Secretary for Water Resources Ms. Rana Ansar, MNA Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Parliamentary Secretary for Federal Education and Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, SSDO Programs Director Ms. Maryam Jawad, along with officers and officials of the National Assembly Secretariat.
Under the agreement, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to Pakistan’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), emphasizing that the best interests of the child will remain central to all legislative, policy, and oversight actions. The partnership aims to promote research-based legislation and strengthen parliamentary engagement on key child rights issues, including child protection, trafficking, juvenile justice, child labor, early marriage, and child abuse.
The MoU also envisages joint efforts to conduct Child Rights Budget Analyses, present evidence-based recommendations to relevant Standing Committees, and facilitate engagement with concerned ministries and national child rights institutions.
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, stressing that robust data collection is essential for effective legislation and meaningful parliamentary oversight. They called for enhanced institutional support and closer cooperation with SSDO to strengthen research and evidence generation aimed at preventing child rights violations.
Acting Secretary National Assembly Mr. Saeed Ahmed highlighted the importance of research-driven lawmaking and emphasized the need to fully leverage data and analytical reports produced through the collaboration to formulate effective laws for the welfare and protection of children across the country.
