We are writing to you ahead of the previous 74th session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (“the Committee”). We hope that this submission will inform the Committee’s preparation of its list of issues aimed at gaining greater clarity on Pakistan’s compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). This proposal focuses on the right to lax and compulsory schooling and the coverage of schooling against attacks.
Right to lax and compulsory schooling (arts. 3, 10, 12 and 13)
Protection against school attacks (arts. 3 and 13)
[1] Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Article 25A.
[2] National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training, Pakistan Education Statistics 2020-2021, November 2022, http://neas.gov.pk/SiteImage/Downloads/PES%202020-21.pdf (accessed November 15, 2023), p. 23.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Federal Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of Pakistan, National Education Policy Framework 2018, November 2018, https://mofept. gov. pk/SiteImage/Policy/National Education Policy Framework 2018 Final . pdf (accessed November 15, 2023), p. 4.
[5] Human Rights Watch, “Should I Feed My Daughter or Educate Her?”: Barriers to Girls’ Education in Pakistan (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2018), https://www. hrw. org/report/2018/ 12/11/should-feed-or-educate my daughter/barriers-education-for-girls-pakistan.
[6] Human Rights Watch, “Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Pakistan Review,” January 10, 2020, https://www. hrw. org/news/2020/01/10/submission-Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against-Women-Review-Pakistan.
[7] World Bank, “Paving the Way to Education and Opportunity in Pakistan,” September 8, 2022, https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/09/08/paving-the-way-to-education-and-opportunity-in-pakistan (accessed November 15, 2023).
[8] Human Rights Watch, “The Years Don’t Wait for Them”: Widening Inequalities in Children’s Right to Education Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2021), https://www. hrw. org/report/2021/05/17/years-dont-wait-them/increased-inequalities-childrens-right-education-due-covid#_ftn109.
[9] Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), Education Under Attack 2022, https://protectingeducation. org/wp-content/uploads/eua_2022. pdf (accessed 14 November 2023), p. 164.
[10] GCPEA, Education Under Attack 2020, https://protectingeducation. org/wp-content/uploads/eua_2020_full. pdf (accessed November 14, 2023), p. 190-194.
[11] Safe Schools Declaration, May 28, 2015, https://www.regjeringen.no/globalassets/departementene/ud/vedlegg/utvikling/safe_schools_declaration.pdf (accessed May 12, 2023).
[12] Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict, March 18, 2014, http://protectingeducation.org/sites/default/files/documents/guidelines_en.pdf (accessed May 12, 2023).
[13] UN Secretary-General, “Children and Armed Conflict,” A/76/871-S/2022/493, June 23, 2022, para. 291.
[14] GCPEA, “Supports for the Safe Schools Declaration” (webpage), 2023, https://ssd. protectingeducation. org/endorsement/ (accessed November 9, 2023).
[15] United Nations Peacekeeping, “Troop and Police Contributors” (webpage), https://peacekeeping. un. org/en/troop-and-police-contributors (accessed November 14, 2023).
[16] GCPEA, Education Under Threat 2022; GCPEA, Education Under Threat 2020.
[17] United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Department of Field Support, and Department of Political Affairs, “Child Protection in UN Peace Operations (Policy),” June 2017.
[18] United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding Observations on the Initial Observations of Pakistan, E/C. 12/PAK/CO/1, 20 July 2017, paras. 79-80.
[19] UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of Pakistan, CRC/C/PAK/CO/5, July 11, 2016, paras. 62(f), 64.