exercise is conducted at both federal and provincial levels and is supplemented by the investigations that have been initiated by the NCHR Team. Finally, to ensure that a consultative process is used we have conducted a consultation session with key stakeholders such as UN agencies, civil society organisations and other human rights organisations to ensure credibility and validity of the assessment made in our report. SCOPE AND ASSESSMENT OF PAKISTAN’S INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS Pakistan is a party to seven of the nine core human rights treaties. We commend the efforts that the Government of Pakistan has made in committing to the International Human Rights framework by submitting all its reports to the UN Treaty Bodies.2 The only outstanding Report this year has been under the Convention on the Rights of the Child which was due on 11th June 2021. We urge the Government to submit the outstanding Report without further delay. The Government has undertaken various efforts to ensure realization of human rights in the State. In 2022, the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 was amended to include men and women alike as potential victims of harassment and expanded the definition of an employee as well.3 Other notable efforts include the inclusion of domestic work as hazardous by proscribing it under the Children Employment Act 1991,4 introduction of the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act 2020,5 to extend protection to missing and abducted children under the age of eighteen and the enactment of the new Anti-Rape (Trial and Investigation) Act 2021 which calls for the establishment of a federal sex offenders register which will help protect vulnerable groups from sex offenders. NATIONAL ACTION PLANS 1. HUMAN RIGHTS Progress has been achieved in relation to the implementation of the National Action Plan on Human Rights under which human rights education and sensitization has been a focal area. Under the NAP, twelve major laws have been introduced with a view to protect the rights of women, children, minorities etc.6 'Reporting Status for Pakistan' (ohchr.org) <https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/countries.aspx?CountryCode=PAK&Lang=EN>. 2 Amendment to the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010, Act No. V of 2022 < https://mohr.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/Women%20H_%20Work_%20Act%202022%20Amendment.pdf> 3 The Reporter, 'Child Domestic Labour Banned in Islamabad' (dawn.com, 2020) <https://www.dawn.com/news/1572655#:~:text=The%20Employment%20of%20Children%20Act,factories%2C% 20carpet%20industries%20and%20mines.> 4 5 Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act, 2020 (Act No. XV of 2020) These laws include: Criminal Law (Offences relating to Rape) Act, 2016, Criminal Law (Offences relating to Honour Killing) Act, 2016, The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Child Protection), National Commission on the Rights of the Child Act, 2017, Hindu Marriage Act, 2017, Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018, National 6 2