Supporting Human Rights Due Diligence and Labour Rights Implementation in Pakistan

Background

Under the broader Huqooq-e-Pakistan II (HeP-II) Programme, the ILO Country Office for Pakistan, in collaboration with UNDP and in coordination with federal and provincial stakeholders, is supporting implementation of labour-related commitments under Pakistan’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP-BHR) project. The project also contributes towards strengthening compliance with International Labour Standards (ILS), Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW), Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) observations and GSP+ related commitments.

The project builds upon previous initiatives such as the International Labour and Environmental Standards (ILES) Project and seeks to strengthen labour governance systems through legislative reform, institutional capacity-building, social dialogue, awareness raising and stakeholder engagement.

Objective

To support ILO constituents and Business and Human Rights stakeholders in strengthening Pakistan’s legal, institutional and regulatory frameworks for implementing labour-related commitments under the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. The project also promotes responsible business conduct, compliance with International Labour Standards and protection of labour rights.

Main activities

• Legislative and policy reforms: Finalizing and revising labour codes to align with ILO Conventions and GSP+ requirements.
• Capacity building and training: Supporting government officials, employer associations, and workers’ organisations on CEACR compliance, human rights due diligence, and social dialogue frameworks
• Multi-stakeholder dialogue: Strengthening platforms like WEBCOP (Workers-Employers Bilateral Cooperation) to improve policy engagement, dispute resolution, and private sector accountability
• Legal harmonization across provinces: Addressing provincial disparities to promote alignment with international human rights and labour standards.

Partners

Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD), Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR), provincial Labour Departments, Employers’ and Workers’ Organizations, National Human Rights Institutions, National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), UNDP, business associations, academia, and civil society organizations.

Target Beneficiaries

Human rights institutions, ILO tripartite constituents including workers’ organizations and employers’ organizations, federal and provincial labour, human rights and law departments, civil society organizations, private sector and business associations, labour inspectors, and labour administration officials.

Geographical Focus

Pakistan

For further information please contact
Ehsan Gilani
National Project Coordinator
Email: [email protected]