KP Government, UNICEF Strengthen Partnership to Advance Child Protection Initiatives

By Dr. Ansab Ali, Lahore, Pakistan

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government and UNICEF have agreed to further strengthen their strategic partnership to advance child protection initiatives and enhance welfare services for vulnerable children and communities across the province.

The commitment was reaffirmed during a high-level meeting held at the Civil Secretariat between Adviser to the Chief Minister for Social Welfare, Special Education and Women Empowerment Malik Liaqat Ali Khan and a UNICEF delegation led by Radoslaw Radek, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Peshawar.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Social Welfare, Special Education and Women Empowerment Sharif Hussain, along with representatives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission (KPCPWC), including Chief Ijaz Muhammad Khan, Assistant Chief Zafar Ali, and Program Manager Salma Sohail.

During the meeting, KPCPWC Chief Ijaz Muhammad Khan briefed participants on the progress achieved under the longstanding collaboration between the Commission and UNICEF. He acknowledged UNICEF’s continued technical support in strengthening the provincial child protection system, particularly its assistance in drafting the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection Policy and the Regulatory Framework for Child Care Institutions.

He expressed confidence that both policy instruments would soon receive approval from the provincial cabinet and be formally notified under the leadership of Adviser Malik Liaqat Ali Khan. He also sought UNICEF’s continued technical support for the effective implementation of these frameworks following their approval.

The discussions focused on identifying future areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening the provincial child protection and welfare system. Key priorities included expanding community-based child protection mechanisms, enhancing preventive and responsive social support services, promoting family-based care initiatives, and developing integrated interventions for vulnerable and at-risk children and families.

Speaking on the occasion, Malik Liaqat Ali Khan appreciated UNICEF’s longstanding partnership and its continued technical and financial support to the provincial government. He noted that while significant progress had been made in recent years, further efforts were needed to address the growing protection and welfare needs of vulnerable children.

The adviser reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality child protection services and emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration to strengthen institutional capacity, community-based prevention mechanisms, and long-term social support systems.

The UNICEF delegation reiterated its commitment to supporting an integrated child protection and social welfare framework centered on families and communities to improve prevention, care and protection services.

Both sides agreed on several priority areas for future cooperation, including piloting strengthened family and community support initiatives, expanding community-based child protection structures, establishing additional District Child Protection Units across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, strengthening the social service workforce, and improving integrated service delivery for vulnerable children.

Participants also discussed the possibility of organizing a donor conference in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to mobilize additional financial and technical resources for child protection, social welfare and broader social development initiatives.

The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to deepening cooperation and building a stronger, more inclusive and responsive child protection system for children and families across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.