1. Background
Article 4 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges States parties to “undertake all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures for the implementation of the rights recognized in the present Convention”. Independent National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI’s) are an important mechanism to promote and ensure the implementation of the Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC). The Committee on the Rights of the Child (the Committee) considers the establishment of such bodies to fall within the commitment made by States parties upon ratification to ensure the implementation of the Convention and advance the universal realization of children’s rights.
In its General Comment No. 21, the Committee describes the role and characteristics of independent human rights institutions for children. The Committee encourage States parties to establish specialist independent human rights institutions with the aim to promote and protect rights of the children. The Committee recommends that State parties should seek UN’s assistance including The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which offers expertise and technical cooperation for the establishment and strengthening of independent human rights institutions for children.
In addition, the United Nations General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights already called for the establishment of national human rights institutions, underlining the important role NHRIs play in promoting and protecting human rights and enhancing public awareness of those rights. The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights reaffirmed in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action “... the important and constructive role played by national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights”, and encouraged “... the establishment and strengthening of national institutions”.
Realizing its commitment under CRC, the State of Pakistan has recently established a National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) hrough the Act XXXII of 2017. The preamble of the Act says; “WHEREAS it is expedient to set up a National Commission on the rights ofthe child in accordance with international obligations and for matters connected herewith or incidental thereof.”
2. The Federal Government has constituted the National Commission on the Rights of Child in exercise of powers conferred by Section 3(1) of the National Commission on the Rights of Child Act, 2017 (XXXII 2017). The Commission has an overarching mandate for the promotion, protection and fulfillment of child rights as enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan. The NCRC is expected to prepare a three-year strategic plan 2021-2023 which sets the long term direction for the implementation of its mandate
3. Purpose
The overall objective of this consultancy is to develop a three-year trategic Plan to ensure that the NCRC fulfills its mandate.
4. Scope of Work
The scope of work for the Consultant will include but not be limited to:
I. Inception Meeting
II. Coordinate with relevant stake holders for meetings as per approved by NCRC
III. Review the vision and mission based on NCRC mandate
IV. Undertake stakeholder mapping and analysis
V. Undertake a situation analysis of NCRC tasks to date
VI. Hold consultation meeting(s) in all provinces and ICT to develop the draft Strategic Plan and submit to the commission
VII. Review the legal, policy and institutional framework, institutional capacity, organizational set-up, financial and administrative systems against the NCRC mandate and make recommendations (if any)
VIII. Identify strategic objectives and key results with proposed interventions for NCRC in short and long-term
5. Deliverables
6. Time Span and Work Plan
This assignment is expected to be carried out for a period of 45 days. The work plan will be developed by the consultant in coordination with NCRC within this time frame. All the coordination with stakeholders will be done by the consultant for the meetings and consultations
7. Institutional Arrangements
The Consultant will report directly to chairperson NCRC. The commission will provide relevant background documents necessary for the assignment. The consultant will be responsible to organize the consultation meetings and other activities under the Consultancy.
8. Expertise
a) Academic Qualifications: At least a master’s degree in a relevant field in the area of Human Rights and Social Sciences
b) Experience:
c) Skills and Competencies:
9. Payment: PKR 1,000,000/-
10. Confidentiality
The documents produced during the period of this consultancy will be treated as strictly confidential, and the rights of distribution and/or publication will reside solely with NCRC.
National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) was established in July, 2002 as a federal statutory body. It is a fast-track initiative to improve social sector outcomes at the grass-roots. With a ranking of 144 on the UNDP�s Human Development Index, out of a total of 178 countries, Pakistan faces enormous challenges at the beginning of the new millennium. Poverty, illiteracy, lack of health care facilities and a continuously soaring population have for long hampered the scope of generating improved social sector outcomes for the millions of Pakistanis living at the grassroots. Attempts made in the past to address these issues have often been marred by the lack of political will, economic & political instability and inadequate capacity of the implementing agencies which further exasperated the already dismal state of human development in the country. A Task Force on Human Development was established in June 2001. It was designed to find innovative solutions to improve and fill implementation gaps in social service delivery at the grassroots in the sector of Education, Health and Poverty Alleviation.