KP Govt, UNICEF strengthen partnership to advance child protection initiatives

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jun, 2026) The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) have agreed to strengthen their strategic partnership to advance child protection initiatives and improve welfare services for vulnerable children and communities across the province.

A high-level meeting was 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 Resolwe Redech, 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 progress made under the longstanding partnership between KPCPWC and UNICEF.

He acknowledged UNICEF’s continued technical support in strengthening the child protection system in the province, particularly 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 receive provincial cabinet approval and notification under the leadership of the Adviser to the Chief Minister and requested continued technical support for implementation after approval.

Discussions focused on identifying future areas of collaboration to strengthen the provincial child protection and welfare system.

Key areas included expanding community-based child protection mechanisms, enhancing preventive and responsive social support services, strengthening family-based care initiatives, and developing integrated interventions for vulnerable and at-risk children and families.

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Speaking on the occasion, Malik Liaqat Ali Khan appreciated UNICEF’s longstanding partnership and continued technical and financial support to the provincial government.

He noted that while considerable progress had been achieved, additional efforts were required to meet the growing protection and social welfare needs of vulnerable children.

The adviser reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality child protection services and stressed 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 system centered on families and communities to enhance prevention, care, and protection services.

Both sides agreed on 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 the province, 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 other social development priorities.

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