The subject workshop was held under the Chairmanship of Senior Chief Health, Planning and Development Department (P&DD)

_{Coordinator SUN Unit welcomed the participants and Officers from Planning Commission Islamabad, Provincial Government and UNICEF. Assistant Chief RD/SUN Focal Person explained the importance of ECD, highlighted the agenda and presented the objective of the workshop. She stated that the aim of the consultative workshop is to orient the departments on the ECD policy framework and frame comments/recommendations so that consolidated report/comments be forwarded to the Federal Government.}

In Keynote address, Mr. Sher Gul, Senior Chief Health, P&D Department welcomed the participants and said that ECD is high on the international agenda and national goals as forty-three percent of children under five who survive are thriving. ECD policy framework will guide the development of Provincial/Area policies in Pakistan that will transform ECD in the country by building a unified and comprehensive environment conducive to the development of all children from conception to eight years of age across all sectors in a manner that is universal and equitable. He urged that the participants may review the ECD policy framework document in detail and frame their comments/recommendations for submission to the Federal Government.

Dr. Nazeer Ahmad Chief Nutrition Planning Commission Islamabad presented the ECD program updates and informed that Pakistan is signatory to various global conventions and is committed foster ECD as key area. In this regard, a high-level Task Force on ECD has been formed in 2017 at Planning Commission under the Chairmanship of Minister PD&SI with representation from all relevant sectors. It aims to provide guidance and stewardship for development of a holistic ECD framework and programing. A letter of Intent (LoI) was signed between Planning Commission and UNICEF to undertake the initiative including development of comprehensive ECD Policy Framework defining institutional and administrative mechanisms & strategies and program in partnership.

Dr. Saba Shuja Nutrition Officer UNICEF and ECD Focal Person, At the outset  she orients the participants on ECD and stated that Early Childhood Development is a maturational process resulting in an ordered progression of physical, motor, cognitive, linguistic, socio-emotional & self-regulation skills. The acquisition of skills through the life cycle builds on the foundational capacities established in early childhood and has 3 distinct phases [conception- birth, birth – 3 years with emphasis on the first 1,000 days, pre-school + pre-primary years (3 -8 years)]