EU-Funded Child Rights Action Hub Launched to Strengthen Human Rights Due Diligence in Pakistan’s Leather & Textile Sector

PRESS RELEASE

Karachi, September 25, 2025 – The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) and The Centre for Child Rights and Business (The Centre) today launched the Child Rights Action Hub in Karachi, with funding from the European Union. The Action Hub aims to support companies in strengthening their human rights due diligence and impact on children and youth in Pakistan’s textile and leather supply chains. A second Action Hub will be inaugurated in Multan in October.

The Action Hub is designed to help businesses address some of the most complex challenges in global sourcing, ensuring that supply chains are transparent, compliant and resilient. By providing practical solutions and collective platforms for action, the Action Hub will support companies in identifying risks, building capacity and strengthening accountability throughout their operations.

At the launch event, stakeholders from government, industry associations, civil society and the private sector came together to discuss the role of responsible business in driving sustainable change. 

Speaking at the event, Mr Rajvir Singh Sodha, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Sindh on Human Rights, appreciated the efforts taken by SPARC and The Centre to work with the textile and leather sector, a priority economic sector for Pakistan. He stated:

“We are happy to support the Hub initiative, which contributes to the efforts taken by the Government of Sindh to reduce risks to children.” Mr Rajvir Singh Sodha, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Sindh on Human Rights 

Mr. Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan, noted:  

“The EU has been the largest buyer of Pakistan's products. This is thanks to the GSP+, the unilateral trade scheme through which the EU gives Pakistan an exemption from tariffs on the majority of products. What we expect in return is for Pakistan to ratify and implement 27 international conventions on human and labour rights as well as environmental and governance standards. And we will continue to support Pakistan for this purpose.” 

Ms. Asiya Arif, Executive Director of SPARC, added:

"Pakistan has come a long way in decent work and adherence to European Union Human Rights Due Diligence. The Child Rights Action Hub is an effort to consolidate the work and bridge gaps among the demand and supply chain, ultimately benefiting children and the formal sector in competing with the global market.” 

The Child Rights Action Hub builds on a proven model already operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malaysia and Bangladesh, where businesses have joined forces with civil society and governments to improve visibility across supply chains, strengthen protections and establish remediation mechanisms.

Pakistan’s textile and leather sectors account for more than 40% of industrial employment and play a key role in global trade. Yet challenges in informal and lower-tier production, including a lack of visibility, weak compliance systems, and limited opportunities for young workers, pose risks for brands and suppliers striving to meet international due diligence standards.

The Action Hub will provide:

• Capacity-building for suppliers to integrate human rights safeguards into operations

• Structured dialogue between businesses, government and civil society to enhance accountability

• Remediation pathways and case management for rights violations

• Vocational training and youth employment initiatives, ensuring supply chains also deliver positive social outcomes

Dr. Ines Kaempfer, CEO of The Centre for Child Rights and Business, emphasised the importance of collaboration: 

"To bring about long-term, sustainable people-centric development in the textile and leather sector, it is important for stakeholders to collaboratively implement tangible actions on the ground. This is the essence of the Child Rights Action Hub that we have launched today.” 

Mr. Junaid Ur Rehman, Senior Vice Chairman of Towel Manufacturers Association, during the panel discussion on stakeholder perspectives on multi-stakeholder collaboration, stated that: 

“We need to move towards the culture of facilitation and move away from traditional approaches of penalisation to create an enabling environment for positive change.” 

Mr. Kausar Eijaz Tata, Chairman Exports and Special Economic Zones, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, when asked about women’s participation in the workforce, mentioned that: 

"Women generally prefer to work from home in the cottage industry because of the lack of an enabling work environment. Steps taken by the industry to improve working conditions in factories would help to improve women’s participation in the labour force.” 

Mr Abdul Samad Soomro, Joint Director Labour, Government of Sindh, stated: 

"Such initiatives, like the Hub initiative, are handy for solid outcomes. The Sindh Government is committed to eliminating child labour from all sectors. We are progressing towards a strong partnership with our partners for a common goal.”

By pooling resources through the Child Rights Action Hub, companies can collectively address high-risk, informal supply chain contexts that are often beyond the reach of individual compliance programmes. This not only reduces exposure to risks such as child and forced labour, but also builds stronger, more sustainable supply chains that meet evolving international standards.

Companies are invited to join as Child Rights Action Hub participants by investing in the initiative, nominating suppliers, and helping extend its impact across Pakistan’s sourcing landscape.

Pakistan today marked a significant step forward in protecting children and youth in supply chains with the launch of the Child Rights Action Hub. 

For more information, please contact:

ali.nizami@childrights-business.org | programkhi@sparcpk.org

Photo: A panel discussion took place during the launch event with speakers (from left to right): Ms. Asiya Arif, Executive Director, SPARC; Mr Abdul Samad Soomro, Joint Director Labour East Division Karachi, Labour and Human Resources Department Government of Sindh; Mr Junaid Ur Rehman, Senior Vice President, Towel Manufacturing Association of Pakistan (TMA); Mr Kausar Eijaz Tata, Chairman Exports/ Special economic zones, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI); Dr. Ines Kaempfer, CEO, The Centre of Child Rights and Business