International Commitments

As a member of the United Nations, Pakistan is a party to the Universal declaration of Human Rights. In 1985 the country became a party to the ‘Forward looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women’, adopted at the UN conference in Nairobi.

The signing of these and other conventions has become a powerful tool in advancing the cause of women in Pakistan as they provide a universally agreed set of reforms and actions that can be referred to. 

Some of the gender-related international conventions that Pakistan has committed itself to are:

• Undersigned work (women) convention 1935 (No. 045)
• Labour Inspection Convention 1947 (No. 081)
• Free-Charging Employment Agencies Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 096)
• Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100)
• Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111)
• Tripartie Consulation (Internationa Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144)
• Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No.159)

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Bejing Platform for Action. Beijing Declaration (12+1 areas of Concern), Fourth World Conference on Women. Action for Equality, Development and Peace
• Forward Looking Strategy For The Advancement Of Women.
• Convention On The Rights Of The Child.
• Vienna Declaration.
• Convention For The Elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women.
• Habitat II, Istanbul, 1996
• World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen,1995
• International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 1994
• UN Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 1993
• UN Conference on Environment (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro,1992
• ILO Convention 100, Equal Remuneration Convention was ratified by Pakistan in 2001.

The spirit of these agreements has been affirmed by the Millennium Declaration and the eight Millennium Development Goals for 2015, combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and gender inequality, and building partnerships for development. In addition, UN Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, and 1820 (2008) on sexual violence in conflict are crucial references.