A delegation from the National Commission for Human Rights, Pakistan, is visiting the University of Warwick to take part in a dialogue on the role of National Human Rights Institutions and a capacity building programme co-ordinated by Warwick Law School.

The delegation is led by Justice (Retd.) Ali Nawaz Chowhan, Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) Pakistan, and includes Members of the NCHR and provincial representatives responsible for rule of law and human rights legislations. They will meet experts from Warwick Law School and representatives from other organisations during their 4-day visit.

The visit is centred on a dialogue and capacity building workshop, taking place from 11^th March 2019 to 14^th March 2019 at the University of Warwick.  The workshop has given experts on all sides the chance to talk about various human rights issues including children’s rights, international trade and the rights regime, rights-based investigations and reporting, gender justice, the right to health, and the changes in global rights regimes.

The NCHR was established in 2015 and is mandated to protect, promote, monitor and fulfil human rights in Pakistan. It also carries out investigations on issues of concern, conducts research and advises the national Parliament on policy considerations.

The delegation’s visit has been made possible by a grant awarded to Dr Raza Saeed, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Warwick, under the University of Warwick’s Global Challenges Research Fund.  Dr Saeed is an expert on governance, international law and fundamental rights in the context of postcolonial and developing countries.

Welcoming the delegation, Dr Saeed said: “NCHR is one of the key state institutions with responsibility to ensure that Pakistan’s constitutional and international legal responsibilities with regards to fundamental rights are met.

“We hope that this initiative will serve to strengthen the institutional linkages between NCHR and the University of Warwick, and will pave the way for more sustained conversations and engagements.”

Professor Andrew Sanders, Head of the School of Law, added: “The School of Law is delighted to welcome Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan and the members of his delegation

“Warwick Law School has been a trailblazer for studying and facilitating the role of law in assisting development. This is particularly in relation to the way human rights actually operate, as distinct from simply putting human rights onto the statute book.

“This visit builds on our engagement with countries in the global south. Such engagement has been a central feature of the School’s teaching and research since it was founded in the late 1960s.”