National Child Policy, 2080 (2023–2024).

The National Children Policy, 2080 (2023–2024) establishes a comprehensive national framework for the respect, protection, fulfilment and promotion of children’s rights, with the overarching vision of creating a child-friendly nation in which the best interests and holistic development of every child are safeguarded. The Policy seeks to strengthen the legal, policy and institutional arrangements for children’s rights at federal, provincial and local levels; promote meaningful child participation in families, communities and public decision-making; and create conditions for children’s nutrition, early childhood development, education, health, sport and overall personal development. It places particular emphasis on eliminating all forms of violence, discrimination, abuse, exploitation and neglect affecting children and on ensuring protection and alternative care for children at risk or requiring special protection.
The Policy sets out measures to strengthen child-protection and juvenile-justice institutions, prevent child labour, child trafficking, child marriage, corporal punishment, harmful traditional practices and online abuse, and improve rescue, rehabilitation, alternative care and social protection services. It also seeks to expand access to compulsory and free education, healthcare, vaccination, nutrition programmes and child-friendly infrastructure, while addressing malnutrition through nutrition planning, regulation of the quality of food products consumed by children and expansion of school meal programmes. Implementation is coordinated by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, in cooperation with the National Child Rights Council, sectoral ministries, provincial governments and local authorities. The Policy provides for evaluation of its implementation every five years and expressly repeals the previous National Children Policy, 2069, while preserving actions already undertaken under that policy.