ISLAMABAD-The Ministry of Human Rights is launching Pakistan’s first Human Rights Information Resource Portal today (Thursday) to serve as a platform for increasing awareness about human rights.
A statement released by the ministry said that the portal has been developed in partnership with the European Union in Pakistan. The portal has been envisioned to serve as a central repository of up-to-date and cutting-edge human rights knowledge for students, academics, practitioners and the citizenry at large.
The portal will serve as a platform for increasing awareness about human rights laws, practices, and gaps, facilitating the development of new initiatives, research, policies, and solutions in the field of human rights in Pakistan.
It will include comprehensive material on Pakistan’s domestic institutional human rights framework and international commitments, as well as relevant reports and publications that have been published by the government, civil society organisations and the UN agencies on critical human rights issues. 
The portal will enable users to learn about rights guaranteed to them through the Constitution as well as federal and provincial legislations. Laws are categorised according to provinces as well as thematic areas including civil, political and economic rights, child rights, women’s rights, and rights of minorities. Information is also available on various institutions and bodies designed to promote and protect human rights at the federal and provincial level including legislative bodies, human rights committees, provincial human rights departments, and statutory bodies. 
Comprehensive training resources and materials will also be available on the portal for the benefit of human rights practitioners and personnel. The training resources cover a range of topics such as Pakistan’s International Human Rights Obligations and Human Rights Data Collection and Documentation. Furthermore, custom training resources will be aimed at enhancing capacity of the judiciary, prosecution, and law enforcement agencies. 
Speaking about the launch of the portal, Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said, “The Human Rights Resource Portal is an important and innovative initiative that increases the availability and accessibility of information that is integral for promulgating greater awareness about human rights in Pakistan. Ultimately, we are hopeful that it will cultivate greater civic engagement and play a part in creating an enabling environment for citizens to exercise their rights in Pakistan.” 
Secretary for Human Rights Mr Inamullah Khan also spoke about the significance of this initiative. “The collaboration between the European Union in Pakistan and the Ministry of Human Rights in establishing this portal is a quintessential step towards ensuring good governance. The platform will ensure that students, academics, practitioners, policy makers and the general public have access to updated and relevant information for the protection and promotion of human rights in Pakistan.”