UNITED NATIONS PAKISTAN Newsletter September-October 2015
Focus on 70th anniversary of the United Nations
PEOPLE WE SERVE
UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM
OUR PARTNERS
70TH ANNIVERSARY
Page 8
Page 23
Page 78
Page 101
PHOTO ALBUM Page 122
The United Nations Pakistan Newsletter is produced by the United Nations Communications Group
Editor in Chief: Vittorio Cammarota, Director, United Nations Information Centre Sub Editors: Leena Nishtar, Maha Mussadaq, Basia Heath Producers (content): Maha Mussadaq and Leena Nishtar Graphic Designer: Mirko Neri Photographers: Huma Choudhary
Index United Nations Pakistan / Newsletter / September-October 2015 |4|
Note from the editor
FOCUS ON | 5 | 70th anniversary of the United Nations
PEOPLE WE SERVE
|8|
Opening new horizons
|10| Helping people living with HIV |11| Bridges to the future: connecting communities and building livelihoods |12| “I was in child labour. Now I’m getting my MBA.” |13| Women Friendly Health Space |14| Facilitating access to reproductive health care
OUR PARTNERS
|23| The Government of Pakistan |33| Member States |63| Observers |65| Development organizations |67| Non-governmental organizations |69| Academia |75| Media |77| Corporate sector
70TH
ANNIVERSARY
|101| Announcing the United Nations 70: partnering for people’s development festival to the media |102| United Nations 70: partnering for people’s development -The opening event |104| The UN Wall campaign, Pakistani youth promoting UN values |106| The United Nations, a committed partner in promoting technical regional cooperation |107| Pakistan Sey Paris: On the road to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference
|15| Story of a bewildered neighborhood |16| Ms. Aqeela Asifi, a pioneer in educating Afghan refugee girls
UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM
|17| Good Morning Teacher!
|80| ILO
|18| Innovators of clean technologies in Pakistan
|81| IOM
|109| UNIDO fostering clean technology, entrepreneurship and trade
|82| UNAIDS
|110| Youth of the World: a Flag Parade
|83| UNDP
|111| Youth voices for climate change
|84| ESCAP
|112| Workshop: The United Nations as seen by Pakistani youth
|19| Nutrition: Improving the Odds with PHPF funding |20| Women in Elections “I believe in voting” |21| The World Cup’s Invisible Players: Sialkot’s Female Football Stitchers |22| Sakeena’s story
|78| FAO
|84| UNESCO |85| UNFPA |86| UNHABITAT |87| UNHCR |90| UNIC |91| UNICEF |92| UNIDO |94| UNOCHA |95| UNODC |97| UNWOMEN |99| WFP |100| WHO
|108| Peacekeeping: partnering for global peace and development
|113| Movie Screening: Freedom Bus |114| World Food Day |115| Setting an example of development: the Republic of Korea |116| Official opening of the new office of the UN Information Centre |118| Communications for development: women in the media, photojournalism, documentary-making |119| Afghan refugees in Pakistan: challenges, opportunities and the way forward |120| UNMOGIP celebrates the 70th anniversary of the United Nations |121| Staff members of the United Nations System celebrate UN Day
PHOTO ALBUM
|42| We the people
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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
A special anniversary deserves a special issue of our United Nations Pakistan newsletter. The 70th anniversary of the United Nations offers an opportunity for highlighting the role the many partners play in the daily work of the 19 agencies, funds and programmes currently operating in Pakistan. The real celebration is the true, real and heart-warming stories of the people whose lives have been transformed by the work of the United Nations in Pakistan, a very few of which have been published in this newsletter. This issue gives voice to our stakeholders. We have also collected the views of representatives from the Government of Pakistan, of a few Member States with diplomatic missions in Pakistan, of development organizations, civil society and media. Last but not least, we have given the word to colleagues who are contributing to the United Nations System in different roles, in their daily lives: in other words, the human capital of the United Nations family. In this special issue, we are also sharing information on the “United Nations 70: partnering for people’s development�, the festival organized to celebrate by the United Nation System in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several Member States and with the financial support of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Republic of Korea, European Union and Serena Hotels.
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Some 16 events were held from 12 to 22 October 2015 in several locations across Islamabad and Lahore and included concerts, photo exhibitions, panel discussions, ad-hoc events for youth and movie screenings. My gratitude goes to all our partners for their great support to the campaign of the 70th anniversary: all together we have succeeded with highlighting Pakistan and the work the United Nations System and its partners do together in the county. As we embark on a new era full of opportunities I trust many new successful development stories are yet to come. Vittorio Cammarota, Director, United Nations Information Centre
FOCUS ON: 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS
National flags are a mark of pride and patriotism in every country around the world. But there is only one flag that belongs to all of us. The blue flag of the United Nations was a banner of hope for me growing up in wartime Korea. Seven decades after its founding, the United Nations remains a beacon for all humanity. Every day, the United Nations feeds the hungry and shelters those driven from their homes. The United Nations vaccinates children who would otherwise die from preventable diseases. The United Nations defends human rights for all, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender or sexual orientation. Our peacekeepers are on the frontlines
of conflict; our mediators bring warriors to the peace table; our relief workers brave treacherous environments to deliver life-saving assistance. The United Nations works for the entire human family of seven billion people, and cares for the earth, our one and only home. It is the diverse and talented staff of the United Nations who help bring the Charter to life. The 70th anniversary is a moment to recognize their dedication – and to honour the many who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The world faces many crises, and the limits of collective international action are painfully clear. Yet no single country or organization can
address today’s challenges alone. The timeless values of the UN Charter must remain our guide. Our shared duty is to “unite our strength” to serve “we the peoples”. To mark this anniversary, monuments and buildings across the world are being illuminated in UN blue. As we shine a light on this milestone anniversary, let us reaffirm our commitment to a better and brighter future for all! Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations
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FOCUS ON: 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS
development for our people. Pakistan has already initiated action on national goals to promote the Post2015 Development Agenda. We are also creating a robust mechanism for the monitoring and implementation of these goals and targets. Despite emerging challenges, Pakistan is dedicated and committed to mobilize political will and resources to ensure the comprehensive implementation of the agenda we have solemnly endorsed.
On the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations, I would like to congratulate the UN system working in Pakistan for the development and prosperity of the country. Pakistan has always re-
mained committed to the mandate of the United Nations charter. We should strive to adapt this world organization so as to respond effectively to the current and emerging challenges that confront us all. Pakistan supports the comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including that of the Security Council. Amongst key responsibilities of the United Nations, peace and security remain a top priority. Pakistan is proud to be the 4th largest major troop contributor of military and police oďŹƒcers as peacekeepers. We consider it our obligation to uphold international peace and security. Pakistan today, remains committed to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to promote equitable and inclusive
opportunity to convey my special greetings to all the members of the United Nations!
I wish to extend my heartiest congratulations to the United Nations on the occasion of its 70th anniversary. The diplomatic corps is happy to celebrate the role the United Nations System plays in the devel-
opment and humanitarian work in Pakistan, together with its partners: the Government of Pakistan, member states, donor agencies, civil society and the media. The UN is known and appreciated for its valuable involvement in peacekeeping, development and humanitarian aid. I firmly believe that the UN is an immensely powerful catalyst for change. In my capacity, as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, I extend my deepest support for the purposes and principles that inspired the creation of the United Nations, both in terms of an organization that actively participates in the promotion of peace as well as improves the development of mankind’s social and economic development. On this special occasion, I take the
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Mr. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan
H.E. Mr. Rodolfo Martin Saravia, Ambassador of Argentina and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps
FOCUS ON: 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS
As we celebrate 70 years of the UN, this is a time for all of us not only to look back and celebrate, but also to draw lessons, look forward and to see how the UN can help meet the real needs of people and the planet in the next 70 years. It is a time to determine the world we want and what the UN can do to help bring about that world. The Global Goals for Sustainable Development adopted on 25 September at the UN General Assembly provide a vision on how to do this, for at least the next 15 years. It is also a time to determine how the UN can best contribute to realize such a vision in Pakistan. The coming years will present Pakistan with critical challenges in environmental sustainability, disaster risk management and how to prepare a young, expanding and rapidly urbanizing population with the education and skills training they will need to compete in an increasingly competitive global economy. If these challenges are not met, however, the hard-earned development gains of the last years could be dissipated and the youth of Pakistan will not have the opportunities they need and have the right to. The founding of the UN gathered the world’s collective energy to end the ‘scourge of war’, define and defend human rights, safeguard the dignity of
all and ‘promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom’. These remain as relevant as ever but for the Global Goals to be met we must gather todays ‘collective energy’ to work for youth, gender equality and environmental sustainability, and to promote and protect the rights of all peoples. From its start 70 years ago, with a charter in which Governments first agreed to ‘establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations’, the UN has been uniquely placed to work with Governments to take action on issues like peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, and food production. This includes extensive and effective work with the Government of Pakistan to help meet such past, present and future challenges, and as importantly to build on the opportunities such action presents for human development. A good example is the action taken on mitigating the effects of Pakistan’s high level of exposure to recurring natural disasters and the effects of climate change. Work by Government, supported by UN agencies and partners, is becoming a ‘best practice’ for coordinated humanitarian assistance and disaster risk reduction techniques. In Sindh, flood affected communities are gaining the knowledge and skills required to rebuild their communities, both physically and socially, making them safer and more resilient in the face of repeated natural disasters. Communities in Gilgit Baltistan are working together to monitor glaciers to provide the earliest possible warnings to those in the path of flooding. For the last 70 years the UN agencies, funds and programmes have been Pakistan’s
partner in development and humanitarian assistance, while the UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan has been in operation since January 1949. This unique relationship between Pakistan and the UN is embodied in the number of Pakistani troops deployed globally in peacekeeping operations. Pakistan is one of the world’s leading and most stalwart providers of troops, police and military experts. More than 8,000 of Pakistan’s soldiers, men and women, serve in complex and challenging missions – from Darfur to Haiti to Liberia, from Western Sahara to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. A Pakistani General, Lieutenant Colonel Maqsood Ahmed, serves as the Military Advisor to the UN Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping. In everything we do, in partnership with the people and Government of Pakistan, the UN family works together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. We work to expand peoples’ options and opportunities and empower them with the ability to make their own choices. We work to protect those who cannot speak out for themselves. We work to assist communities to unite and work toward common goals. We will work together to meet the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. We will continue to strive to enable the people of Pakistan to create the world they want for themselves and for their children. Mr. Neil Buhne, Resident Coordinator, United Nations Pakistan
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PEOPLE WE SERVE
Opening new horizons
“Women should help their husbands earn money so that their families can live a better life,” says Hamdi Maojee. Hamdi is one of the beneficiaries under the FAO project entitled, ‘Livelihood restoration and protection and sustainable empowerment of vulnerable peasant communities in the Sindh Province’. She used FAO support to start a small business and boost her family’s earnings. Hamdi lives with her husband and
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two sons, 7 and 11, in the small village of Sanjar Khaskheli in Mirpurkhas District, Sindh Province. “My husband is a labourer; he barely makes enough living for the most essential needs,” says Hamdi. “Our life is very poor.” One day, Hamdi heard that FAO is launching a Women’s Open School to help women in her community learn about kitchen gardening and joined it. “Our landlord was upset about my decision. He said
women should spend their time working in the fields rather than attend training courses,” said Hamdi. “But my husband supported me.” FAO organized a group of 25 women to work together on a communal kitchen garden to learn and test best practices on growing vegetables. The women met once a week to prepare the soil, plant the seeds and conduct other gardening chores while comparing the traditional
PEOPLE WE SERVE
ways with new methods suggested by FAO. The school discussed the nutritional value of the vegetables, harmful and beneficial insects, and a variety of other topics related to gardening. Hamdi became one of the most active participants of the group, eagerly
tive plot at the Women’s Open School cannot produce enough vegetables to meet demand. The couple spoke to other villagers and offered to sell vegetables on their behalf. Hamdi and Maojee started collecting 700-800 Rupees worth of vegetables a day from their
and dreams about opening a vegetable shop in the nearby town as soon as they save enough money. Most of their earnings pay for the family’s daily living, but part of the money is set aside for a rainy day. “We also use this money to send our sons to school,” says Hamdi.
following all the techniques discussed. “I even learned to write my name during these sessions,” says Hamdi. She also set up a small kitchen garden near her home where she applied all the methods learned. Soon, Hamdi’s garden began producing vegetables, and she started selling them with her husband’s support. As the sales kept increasing, they realized that their small plot of land and a share of the collec-
neighbours and rented a push-cart for 50 Rupees a day to transport the produce to the nearest communities. At first, profits were low, but over time, their business started picking up, and income became better and better. “We now earn some 500 Rupees per day,” says Hamdi, “but we want to be selling more vegetables. There’s a lot of demand for them,” she adds. The couple plans to purchase their own push-cart
“The FAO project has taught me that education is key to a better life for the family”.
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PEOPLE WE SERVE
Helping people living with HIV
“HIV is a problem of human beings and it is not an issue of any particular religion or nation. That is why hurdles and threats cannot deter me from the path of helping those in need and will not stop me, come what may, because this is what I have been made for.” Nazir Masih, Chief Executive Officer of the New Lights AIDS Control Society, a non¬profit organization dedicated to providing treatment, care and support for people living with HIV. UNAIDS supports national and provincial AIDS Control Programmes to generate strategic information for
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evidence-based planning, preparation of AIDS strategies and reporting on national and international commitments. UNAIDS focuses on targeted advocacy at policy and decision-making levels, with media and religious leaders, and increasing overall awareness on HIV and AIDS among the general population. UNAIDS addresses human rights issues and stigma and discrimination of key populations and people living with HIV.
PEOPLE WE SERVE
Bridges to the future: connecting communities and building livelihoods
In 2010, catastrophic floods swept down the length of Pakistan, bringing devastation to millions. As they ebbed, the 3,400 residents of Bharat Khas and Dil Nawaz Bharat, both in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, faced an altered landscape. The two villages now stood on either bank of a brand new stream. On one side of the torrent was Bharat Khas, which hosted the local health centre. On the other, Dil Nawaz Bharat was the site of a primary school for girls. The simplest daily journeys became a chore. Children had to ford the stream every morning, even in the area’s severe winter, simply to attend school. Families split by the
stream didn’t meet for months at a time. As the waters receded, a new kind of flood engulfed Bannu. In 2014, thousands of people displaced by military operations from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) flowed into the impoverished district. The local residents struggled to cope. With help from UNDP, a 90 foot long suspension bridge was built to link the two villages. Villagers now walk eagerly across its distinctive blue arch to meet family and friends, and to access basic services. Community members have taken ownership of this infrastructure project, monitoring its construction and committing to building roads
from the villages to the bridge. Usman, who crosses the watercourse every day for his school, had to wait for his clothes and shoes to dry off before he could enter his class. The bridge will help many other children like Usman to easily move between the villages. The bridge benefited more than 3,400 individuals and enabled access to basic services in both the villages. This new connectivity has been accompanied by new opportunities in Bannu. We have helped the Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority turn its once-derelict centre in Bannu into a thriving vocational institute. Now, women and men from Bannu, as well as from displaced communities, learn employable skills such as tailoring, plumbing and electrical work. Vocational training for the females included stitching and embroidery and 100 women benefited from the training. Following the completion of the training, the students get a sewing machine and other equipment for embroidery. “We didn’t know anything before but this centre taught us well, we are very satisfied. If someone gives me work, I will do it and it will be a good source of income for me even when I go back to my village,” one female student said.
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PEOPLE WE SERVE
“I was in child labour. Now I’m getting my MBA.”
When I was young, I lived in my village in Pakistan with my father, mother, three brothers and four sisters. My father was a carpenter and he worked hard to build a bright future for his family, but his income was too low to make this possible. So, in 2001, when I was just ten, my parents sent me far away, to my maternal uncle’s workshop in the village of Bhagwal Awan, in the district of Sialkot, to make surgical instruments. I didn’t want to go, I wanted to stay in school and study, but I had no choice. I earned 500 Pakistan Rupees a month (about US$ 5.00) and I knew that made a real difference to my parents. But the work was hard. I got painful cuts on my hands every day. My spirit was broken
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and I felt my future had been snatched away. All I could do was pray to God for a miracle. Then, after about a year, someone from the ILO came to my uncle’s workshop. He persuaded my uncle to send me, and some of the others, to the Non-Formal Basic Education Centre. The ILO was starting a project for child workers, offering them free education. So every day, I went to work from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and then I went to study at the Centre for three hours. The teacher was very kind and the classes were good. When the time came for my first primary level exam, I came out at the top of my class. As a result of this success, the ILO
talked to my parents and persuaded them to let me return to formal schooling. In addition to pursuing my education, I began to work as a social activist with the ILO and the Bunyad Literacy Community Council. I never missed a meeting on child labour and children’s rights! In 2004, I was invited to be a child delegate at the first World Congress on Child Labour in Florence, Italy. I also took part in the Global March against Child Labour. The next year I went to the second Congress, in New Delhi, India. People started to notice my work against child labour. I received awards, including a Student of the Year Award from the Education Minister of Pakistan, and a Leadership Award from the Prime Minister of Pakistan. None of these achievements would have been possible without the ILO and its work fighting child labour. It changed my life forever. I know I still have a lot to do, because there are many more children like me out there, waiting for help. The ILO has been a light in the dark for me. I’m proud to be a part of its work.
PEOPLE WE SERVE
Women Friendly Health Space
Riffat Bibi, a 40 year old widow from the village of Meer Ali resides in an IDP camp in Bannu. Riffat was married to a 55 year old man when she was 17 years old. She continuously faced abuse in her marriage as a child bride. Although she developed hope in life when her son was born, Riffat faced life threatening challenges related to her early child marriage and teen pregnancy. When her son died, in a suicide blast in North Waziristan, she lost all hope. For many, displacement
comes with the concept of a dark uncertain future, but for Riffat displacement brought about a change which has led to hope. Upon reaching the camp, which was set up to accommodate displaced populations in Sero Bada Khel, Bannu, Riffat came across the Women Friendly Health Space setup by UNFPA in collaboration with its partner SRSP. She started attending the Women Friendly Health Space to seek psychosocial support and to engage in group counseling. During her
visits she further enrolled into the vocational trainings offered as part of the programme activities. Riffat is now optimistic about the future and hopes to learn enough skills to be able to live independently. “I hope that this training will give me a chance to relax and have enough courage to live my life further as a self-made woman”.
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PEOPLE WE SERVE
Facilitating access to reproductive health care
Shahnaz Jaana, a 23 year old female, had to leave her house in Tirah valley, North Waziristan, due to the army operations. Shahnaz was 6 months pregnant at the time of displacement. Her husband, who used to work as a shopkeeper, is extremely poor and was not able to find work in Bannu. These days, both of them are living with relatives in Bannu along with their three
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children and other family members. Shahnaz Jaana previously had three deliveries, in North Waziristan, two of which were stillbirths. Despite her medical history, she had never visited a health facility before or received appropriate services until the day she came into contact with field staff of a UNFPA supported reproductive health project in Bannu. The team, upon knowing
that she had been suffering from hot flushes in her last trimester, referred her to the Zanana Hospital for an antenatal visit. In fear of the potential loss of another baby, Shahnaz Jaana took the advice and visited the health facility accompanied by her mother-in-Law. At the Zanana facility she was diagnosed with Eclampsia. The visit to the health facility gave Shahnaz an early warning which facilitated prompt action and support by her family to seek immediate health care when she developed further symptoms of early labour. She was brought to the hospital by her mother-inlaw in emergency, where she safely delivered a baby boy. UNFPA supports the displaced populations in Bannu through its project “Provision of Basic Reproductive Health Services through Implementation of Minimum Initial Services Package”. UNFPA supports the Zanana hospital in Bannu, in collaboration with its implementing partner Muslim Aid. On average, with support from UNFPA activities, over 120 complicated deliveries have been provided with appropriate care and life-saving case management.
PEOPLE WE SERVE
Story of a bewildered neighborhood Gadaap Town is a large slum town of Karachi and Union Council 4 (Gujjro). This union council is located in the surroundings of Sohrab Goth and Super Highway and is marked as volatile and insecure area by the government authorities. The union council has numerous poliomyelitis cases diagnosed by the World Health Organization and many other dierent serious diseases are common there in peoples of all ages, especially in children. Before the interventions by UN-Habitat, the town was not using hygienic techniques, the children barely washed their hands and almost never with soap as they were
totally oblivious to hand washing. Leaking sewerage lines were also common, with sewerage water gathered into ponds that the children would bathe in. Safe drinking water was very diďŹƒcult to find and if found it was very expensive. UN-Habitat has been working in the area to promote health and hygiene and to eradicate polio. UN-Habitat established WASH clubs in schools and madrassas and taught the children how to live a healthy life. They were trained and their behaviors were changed: they now know how to clean the streets and houses and themselves and how to get safe drinking water. They were
made aware of the advantages of these habits and practices. Moreover, UN-Habitat promoted safe drinking water through the installation of three reverse osmosis water purification plants, one overhead water reservoir and water cooler with water purification system in the schools and madrassas. Additionally, a new water supply scheme was installed in Junejo Colony UC4, water supply line leakages were repaired and new sewage system, sewerage manholes, ablution places and latrines were constructed in the mosques, schools and madrasas.
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PEOPLE WE SERVE
Ms. Aqeela Asifi, a pioneer in educating Afghan refugee girls
Aqeela Asifi, an Afghan Refugee escaped from Kabul, Afghanistan with her husband and two children during the Mujahedeen siege in 1992. She was 26 years old when she arrived at the stifling, remote Kot Chandana refugee village in Mianwali in the South-eastern Punjab province of Pakistan. She was one of the three million exiled Afghans in the country and Kot Chandana was then home to nearly 180,000 people. At that time, she had no idea she would spend most of her life as a refugee. Instead she focused on daily survival and maintaining her family’s dignity and independence. As a former teacher she was immediately struck by the lack of schools in the refugee village and a total absence of learning opportunities for
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girls. She felt deeply about helping girls get access to education. Confronted by challenges of a refugee in a conservative community, she realised there would be no simple solution. While trying to strike a balance between her personal life and wanting to progress, She was determined to bring education to the refugee girls of Kot Chandana. From gaining confidence of village elders to bravely going door-to-door to convince reluctant parents, Asifi did all that she can to convince them to educate their children. Starting with just 20 pupils in the back room of her brotherin-law’s tent, She was eventually granted permission to set up a formal tentschool for girls. She carefully planned her course of study to reflect Afghan
cultural traditions as well as literacy and practical home management lessons. Her aim was to equip students with essential life skills to help them thrive while living in the limited confinement of the refugee settlement. Over the course of the following two years her tiny school has blossomed and her accomplishments led to much-needed funding from the Pakistani government. This has allowed Asifi to earn a small salary and to employ two female teachers. She expanded into six tents and was able to include girls from the local Pakistani community in her classrooms. Today, 23 years after Asifi arrived, her tent-school is a permanent building. Asifi’s efforts encouraged more schools to open in the village and now another 1,500 young people (900 girls, 650 boys) are enrolled in six schools throughout the refugee village today. This year, Asifi has won the UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award has been recognized for her indefatigable efforts to help girl refugees access education in Pakistan. “My education mission continues even if I return [to Afghanistan], because I consider every child as my own. If I am concerned about the education of my children, I am equally mindful of all the children’s education,” she says. “When you have educated mothers, you will almost certainly have educated future generations. So if you educate girls, you educate an entire generation.
PEOPLE WE SERVE
Good Morning Teacher!
In order to provide safe drinking water to the residents of village Kili Kateer in Quetta district, the provincial capital of Balochistan, UNICEF has rehabilitated a water filtration plant as part of its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene initiative for which women of the village have taken the lead in ending open defecation from their village by constructing latrines within their houses to provide a more clean and safe environment. Under UNICEF’s Polio Plus initiative funded by the Government of Canada, a number of activities that compliment eradication of the polio virus are also being carried out in urban and rural communities of Balochistan, such as door-to-door awareness raising campaigns and integrated messaging on polio, typhoid and diarrhoea. These activities have drawn active participation of the communities, especially
women and children. Bibi Palwasha, 24 year old, a resident of village Kili Kateer in Quetta district and a member of the sanitation committee said she was very happy with the progress made so far. While speaking to Ms Hulshof, on her visit to the village, Palwasha said that there is a need for proper mechanism for solid waste management and also a vocational training centre for girls so that they could become income generating members of their families. “I think this should continue and with UNICEF’s support we should also establish vocational training centres for young girls who cannot go out of their villages to work due to cultural barriers.” said Palwasha. Paving the way for improved health services for children, UNICEF with funding from Gavi - the Vaccine Alliance is constructing eight warehous-
es in Balochistan for better vaccine stockpiling and supply management to improve routine immunisation services. It is also enhancing the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) for reduction in preventable diseases in far-flung districts of Balochistan. UNICEF’s Accelerated Learning Programme Centres, has supported the Education Department of the GoB to establish 188 centres under an Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP). The programme is funded by the Government of the Netherlands, nearly 11,000 children between the ages of 9 to 13 years have been enrolled in schools. These are children who had either dropped out or were never enrolled in a school ever before. Most of the children at ALPs attend a madrassa (religious seminary) in the morning and come to the ALP in the afternoon. ALP introduces science subjects and the English language, broadening their vision about the world and enhancing their interest in acquiring knowledge. “Mathematics is my favourite subject,” says Amanullah, a ten year old student at one of the UNICEF-supported ALP centres in village Killi Nasirabad. “When the teacher comes to our classroom, we greet him by saying ‘Good Morning Teacher’. Very few people in our community can speak English and I am one of them!”, he added.
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PEOPLE WE SERVE
Innovators of clean technologies in Pakistan The United Nations Industrial Development Organization is managing a global programme called Global Cleantech Innovation Programme: a global competition aimed at promotion of Innovations in the area of Clean Technologies. This competition is simultaneously been carried out in seven countries around the world and aims to foster innovations in renewable energy, energy efficiency, water efficiency and waste to energy. This programme involves extensive mentoring, training, access to investors and opportunities to showcase their innovations. Entrepreneurs progressively “de-risk” their businesses, with the aim of making them more attractive to prospective investors and customers. This year, 450 entrepreneurs and innovators in Pakistan applied for the Cleantech Competition and 55 made it to the semi-finals who will be getting incubation, mentorship and trainings. The very best startups from each country will be brought together for the finals in Silicon Valley, USA, where they will compete for the Global Prize and will have the chance to connect with potential partners, customers and investors from around the world. Dr. Afzal’s team, semi-finalist of 2014 has worked on floating treatments wetlands (10,000 sq ft) in
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one of the sewage stabilization ponds located in Faisalabad. It has been applied in Pakistan for the very first time. This technology can be applied for the remediation of both domestic and industrial effluent. They have a contract with one of the biggest textile unit of Pakistan for treatment of industrial waste water. ROTEC, another project for this year aims to provide clean water by cleaning polluted water using cheaper methods i.e. low-cost solar reverse osmosis. They are using solar energy in this process thus bringing the costs down. The technical expertise led them to generate enough funding that now they already have acquired a prototype. The team includes highly-qualified members, including PhD and Masters level professionals currently working at NUST Environment Engineering School, are a pivotal factor in ROTEC’s success so far. Project RASAAI, brainchild of a group of highly motivated young engineers of NUST, brings forth a novel idea to use a hemcrete, an extensively available plant in Pakistan, as an insulation material for building construction. The use of hemcrete brings down costs significantly and provides up to ten times better insulation as compared to conventionally used bricks yet is much lighter in weight. The
team of young businessmen have already acquired contracts to build model houses in Rawalpindi. The team accredited their will to pursue their dreams as the driving force behind this already successful venture. They also advised young self-employers to build their social networks in order to be able to successfully get through different phases of their start-ups & business ventures. A team of young professionals from Peshawar, have introduced new design of Biogas Plant which can solve many problems of existing traditional biogas plants like smell and few others. This activity of UNIDO is expected to promote entrepreneurship in the area of Cleantech, thereby creating more job opportunities for youth, increased research in the area of Clean technologies, and reducing carbon emissions.
PEOPLE WE SERVE
Nutrition: Improving the Odds with PHPF funding
Seven month old Ibrahim lives in Zangali Nehar village of the Mashogagar area of Peshawar District. Halima, Ibrahim’s mother, gave birth to her first child when she was 17 years old. Since then, five of her seven children have died before they were 7 months old due to malnutrition. The odds were not in Ibrahim’s favour, with multiple factors putting him at high risk of developing malnutrition. While there is a Basic Health Unit in the area, people of the village cannot access it due to the security situation. There have also been problems with sanitation in the village due to the lack of a proper drainage system. Ibrahim’s situation is further compounded by his father being a daily labourer earning less than US$3 per day. Ibrahim was born premature and underweight. His
mother, Halima, suffered from poor nutrition exacerbated by tuberculosis both before and during her pregnancy. Immediately after birth, rather than being fed with breast milk, Ibrahim was fed with a few drops of honey according to the traditional practice of “Ghutti”. The honey did not provide the nutrients that Ibrahim’s premature and weak body desperately needed. Unaware of the benefits of starting him on a combination of semi-solid food and breastmilk (complementary feeding) after six months, Halima continued with just bottle feeding.The OCHA managed Pakistan Humanitarian Pooled Fund (PHPF), formerly the Emergency Response Fund, has funded multiple nutrition projects with partner NGOs to improve the odds of children suffering
from malnutrition. One such project allowed Relief Pakistan staff to identify Ibrahim as being severely acute malnourished during an active screening. He was frail, sickly and irritable; his parents were eager for any assistance that might help save their son. Ibrahim was admitted to the Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) for children with severe acute malnutrition. Under the PHPF funded programme, Ibrahim was fed with Ready to Use Therapeutic Food, while his mother was counselled about the importance of home cooked meals and proper hygiene practices. Special emphasis was placed on ensuring that all the water Ibrahim consumed was clean to minimize the risk of diarrhoea. Ibrahim’s weight increased steadily, while the measure of his Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) increased from 8.3 cm indicating severe acute malnutrition to 12.6 cm indicating normal nutrition status. His mother noted that while he was once lethargic, he is now able to sit up and play. She added, “I can never thank Relief Pakistan enough for what they have done for me and for my son. I had lost hope. I expected to lose another child, but now I have a ray of hope.” After completing the OTP treatment, Ibrahim was transferred to a Supplementary Feeding Programme for further care. The staff are keeping a close eye on him to make sure his progress continues.
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PEOPLE WE SERVE
Women in Elections “I believe in voting” UN Women is promoting gender equality and women’s political empowerment work to enhance women and girl’s participation in the electoral process as voters, as political candidates and as electoral administrators. There are several challenges for women’s political participation such as state institutions, including political parties, belonging to a male-dominated political culture whereby structures and policies restrict women’s complete political participation, patriarchal tribal values, customary practices and social norms that resist and prohibit and discourage women from exercising their right to cast a vote or from standing as political candidates. Often confronted with threats, women are not aware of their voting rights. A large number of women and girls over 18 years of age still do not possess Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) which is a proof of their identity required at the time of voting. Danjyani is one woman who benefited from UN Women’s engagement with and education of citizens, particularly women and youth, on their voting rights, registration as voters and the voting process. A young educated girl from Sindh Province, Danjyani did not go to school and was married off in her early teens. However, she believed in using her right to vote and was encouraged to cast her vote after attending a number of community-based interactive events that were aimed at
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raising awareness on women’s right to vote and the voting procedure. Through civic and voter education sessions, performances and mock polling sessions, Danjyani learned how to fill in and fold her ballot papers through a local theater performance. Since then, Danjyani and her friends made a promise to themselves that during the 2013 Elections they would be the first to casting their vote. With such a simple voting procedure, Danjyani shared, “I will educate my peers in the community who are uneducated like me. I had never seen my mother vote so I did not know much about voting but today I have learned all there is to know about the procedure” she said.
In honoring the promise she made to herself ‘to be a first-time voter’, not only did Danjyani cast her vote on Election Day, but she also took her family members to cast their vote and she is very sure that she will be voting again in future elections.
PEOPLE WE SERVE
The World Cup’s Invisible Players: Sialkot’s Female Football Stitchers
In the late 1990s and 2000s, 70 percent of the world’s hand-sewn footballs were made in Sialkot, Pakistan, by female home based workers. A decade later more than 16,000 female football hand stitchers from Sialkot (Punjab) who used to gather at their homes to stitch balls were rendered jobless with a shift in international trend and demand for machine-made thermally bonded balls. Pakistan is home to 11.6 million or so female home-based workers who make up a large chunk of the country’s informal work force in different industrial and commercial sectors (including sports goods, garments, leather, embroidery, shoe making, glass bangles and many other sectors). They face a multitude of challenges where many are rooted in
gender discrimination. With their mobility often restricted along with their education and skills training, these women have less access to, or ownership of resources and assets, or access to credit and social services, and as such have few opportunities to advance. Their lack of involvement in decision-making - at home and in the public realm secures their low social and economic status across the country. UN Women, along with its partners, in working to socio-economically re-habilitate some of these jobless female football stitchers supported a number of model pilots to move these women out of informal work and into formal and decent employment, including developing of new skills. Five years ago, the death of Sha-
hida Parveen’s husband left her facing a frightening future. Unsure of how best to support herself and her four children, she began to stitch footballs at her home in the small rural village of Mehat Pur, in Pakistan’s Punjab Province. The work was unstable, unregulated, and her monthly income approximately PKR 2,500 (USD 27.98) did not meet the rising price of food. She started to borrow money for groceries and the tuition of her children, leaving her in debt and vulnerable to exploitation. Shahida’s situation is far from unique. When Baidarie, a UN Women partnering NGO, visited Mehat Pur, Shahida was one of 100 women trained on the legal rights of formal workers. With support from Baidarie, she enrolled in a four-month training programme at the nearby Leather Products Development Institute. The training helped her get a factory job that pays almost three times her original salary, with health facilities, and health and security benefits. As the income of Shahida’s home has soared, she says, so has her confidence in herself, and the future of her family.
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PEOPLE WE SERVE
Sakeena’s story In mid-June 2014, operation “Zarb-eAzb” in North Waziristan Agency (NWA), the second largest agency in FATA covering 4,707 square kilometers, led to a mass exodus of affected families fleeing their homes with minimal possessions. These displaced families had limited or no means to provide for their basic food needs and were forced to take refuge in off-camp locations in the neighboring districts of Bannu, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, D.I. Khan and Tank. Sakeena, is a single mother of four from a minority Christian community from Miranshah, North Waziristan. Like thousands of other families, hers also had no choice but to escape with next to nothing. Having no family members in the bigger cities, Sakeena and her children had to settle for a shelter at a school in Bannu. Without the most basic of amenities such as food, every day was a struggle for survival. When asked about her harrowing experience, 47 year old Sakeena said “I felt helpless, everyone was crying and I didn’t know where we would go. I followed my Christian community and finally, after a difficult journey on foot that lasted a whole day and a night, we reached Bannu. Fortunately, our Father provided us with a shelter in this school.” At the request from the Government of Pakistan, WFP initiated its relief response for the NWA displacement on 22 June 2014. WFP activated its standby agreement with its cooperating part-
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ners and coordinated with the relevant authorities to identify distribution points and ensure access for WFP and partner staff. Distributions were conducted by selected NGO partners on the basis of IDP lists compiled by the FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) and subsequently verified. With substantial in-kind contributions of wheat from the Government of Pakistan and generous donations from key international donors, WFP has been able to distribute food commodities to the IDPs from a number of distribution hubs in the region. Family rations include 80 kg of fortified wheat flour, 8 kg of peas, 4.5 kg of oil, and 1 kg of iodized salt. In addition to the food basket, WFP also distributes 2.5 kg of specialized nutrient enriched food per child, for two children per family, to prevent acute malnutrition in children 6-59 months old.
“Thanks to WFP’s food assistance, I am able to cook food for my children. I cannot change what has happened but it brings joy to a mother’s heart to know that her children are well fed and safe” said Sakeena. As a result of WFP’s relief intervention, timely and sustained provision of life-saving food assistance in FATA, WFP and partners have been successful in ensuring that over 80 percent of the target population maintains adequate food consumption. “WFP was here for me and my family when we came and now, as we have returned to our homes a year later, they are still just as supportive. I feel less alone knowing that we have people looking out for us,” added Sakeena.
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The Government of Pakistan
Ms. Marvi Memon Minister of State/ Chairperson, Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) At the onset I would like to congratulate The United Nations on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the UN System and express my profound appreciation to the UN agencies for their continuous support to the people of Pakistan. The United Nations has been instrumental in achieving our common development goals and provided a strong platform for various initiatives to advance the welfare of the people of Pakistan, which the present government is committed to serve. The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and United Nations agencies in Pakistan have been jointly striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals which include the eradication of extreme and chronic poverty, empowerment
of women and achievement of universal primary education. The Benazir Income Support Programme is Pakistan’s largest social safety net and it provides quarterly stipends to over 5 million of the most vulnerable families of Pakistan. The Benazir Income Support Programme is the only organisation in Pakistan that maintains a national socio-economic registry, which comprises of in-depth scientifically collected database of the socio-economic status of the population including the poorest of the poor in Pakistan. Its primary objective is to empower women, spread a message of hope and add to the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable families through provision of unconditional cash transfer of Rs. 4500/ quarter. So far, the Benazir Income Support Programme has disbursed more than Rs.330 billion amongst the most deserving segment of society. In addition to its core initiative of unconditional cash transfers, the Benazir Income Support Programme is undertaking programs for condition-
al educational cash transfers, vocational and technical trainings, micro finance opportunities and health & life insurance. However, these initiatives would not have possible without the support of international financial institutions and donor agencies, who have bestowed their full trust on Benazir Income Support Programme due to its transparency and absolute commitment towards its objective to bring about a positive change into the lives of millions of Pakistanis. I take this opportunity to urge all the existing and potential development partners to support the Benazir Income Support Programme in achieving our common goals. We at BISP wish to make the Benazir Income Support Programme the pride of Pakistan by giving dignity; empowerment and meaning of life to the most vulnerable segments of society. Finally, I will again applaud the United Nations for its unfettered commitment for the welfare and wellbeing of the people of Pakistan. Thank you.
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Mr. Arif Ahmed Khan Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change Pakistan joined the United Nations on September 30, 1947, just over a month after its independence. Over the last 68 years, Pakistan has put this vision into practice by making significant contributions to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. It has been an ardent advocate of multilateralism and the primacy of the United Nations in international affairs. Pakistan’s commitment and participation in the United Nations is across-the-board. It has actively participated in discussions at the United Nations on a host of issues including human rights, development, environment and climate change and interna-
Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar Federal Minister for Ministry of Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatization I am pleased to learn that the United Nations Information Office is organising activities to commemorate the
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tional law. With reference to Climate Change and Environment, Pakistan is a party to various Conventions and Protocols under the umbrella of the United Nations System. Pakistan is amongst the founding members of UN-Habitat. The role of Pakistan in Rio-20 remained central. The Government of Pakistan has established a dedicated Ministry of Climate Change for implementation and international cooperation on climate change and multilateral environmental agreements. Ministry of Climate Change is holistically participating in the United Nations’ climate change and environment regime. The most recent initiatives of the Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations include the development of a national MRV system of GHGs, INDCs, and REDD+, phasing
out of ODS, POPs, and protection of biodiversity, wildlife, fauna and flora. Ministry of Climate Change is streamlining climate change and sustainable development in the national developmental process. The Ministry has been effectively participating in Conference of Parties (CoPs), Meeting of Parties (MoPs), international consultative and technical meetings organised by the United Nations system. Ministry of Climate Change appreciates the efforts of the UN system to provide leadership and encourage partnerships in caring for the climate and environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
70th anniversary of the United Nations. The United Nations has historically remained an invaluable development partner of the Government of Pakistan. UN agencies continue to support the Government of Pakistan in achieving national development goals and are contributing significantly towards sustained institutional and social development. They have major contributions in relief work and humanitarian assistance and have played an effective role in providing relief to those affected by recent floods, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of FATA and Afghan refugees. For better alignment of the development assistance with the Government priorities. UN interventions are in mutually agreed Six Priority Areas (SPAs) under One UN Programme (2013-17) which focuses on inclusive economic growth, increased national
resilience to disasters, strengthened governance, gender equality and social justice, food security and equitable access to services. I would like to add here that Pakistan’s economy is on a steady path of recovery due to the Government’s effective economic reform programme aimed at initially stabilising the economy and then bringing about structural reforms to sustain the momentum of economic and social recovery and growth. UN interventions in Pakistan are aligned with national priorities and are programmed to be responsive to provincial development goals and sub-national capacity development needs. Government of Pakistan highly appreciates the role of United Nations in Pakistan through improved coordination in building a better and secure future for its citizens.
THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs I appreciate the initiative of the UN Information Centre to organize a series of programmes and events highlighting the important role of the United Nations in promoting the objectives of peace and security, development and human rights around the world. On the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, Pakistan joins other Member States, in reaffirming our belief in multilateralism and the United Nations as the best means to address the global challenges of today. This conviction is manifest in Pakistan’s strong record of contribution to and engagement with the United Nations, and our deep and abiding commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. As a leading participant in UN Peacekeeping over the decades, Pakistan has made the most concrete contribution to the UN’s efforts in carrying out its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Ever since our first deployment in the UN Mission in Congo in 1960, over 150,000 Pakistani peacekeepers have served with distinction and professionalism in 41 peacekeeping missions in different parts of the world. 142 Pakistani peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of world peace. Pakistan is actively working with the global community and the United Nations in formulating and implementing comprehensive responses to the challenges of
terrorism and extremism. Pakistan is a strong advocate of pacific settlement of disputes. Conflict prevention and resolution are the best means of promoting durable peace and stability. The strength and effectiveness of the United Nations lies in consensus-building and collective action. The United Nations also provides an ideal forum for the promotion and protection of human rights of all in a cooperative and non-politicized manner. Millions of people around the world, subjected to foreign occupation, and struggling for their right to self-determination, still look up to the United Nations to address their plight. The UN also offers the right platform to promote dialogue and understanding between cultures, religions and civilizations, so vital for our overall efforts for global peace and harmony. Transformation is underway in the international development cooperation landscape. UN is leading from the front, from sustainable development to climate change to disaster risk reduction. Agreement on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, including the new Sustainable Development Goals, is a landmark. The UN will have a significant role in promoting its implementation. Over the years, Pakistan has also benefitted from UN’s operational activities in the development field in a number of areas including health, education, population, poverty alleviation, and capacity building in various domains. We also appreciate the assistance in natural disasters, most prominently in the wake of the 2010 floods. There has also been longstanding cooperation on refugees. Pakistan hopes that the UN
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will continue to play its due role in facilitating the return of the remaining Afghan refugees to their homeland. Pakistan will continue to work with the United Nations to advance dialogue, diplomacy and international cooperation to address the existing and emerging international challenges. We are determined to further strengthen this longstanding partnership.
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Ms. Tasneem Aslam Additional Secretary UN and EU, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Seven decades ago, the international community stood unified in realizing the common dream of establishing a unique multilateral institution for the promotion of peace, development and human rights for all. Since its inception, the United Nations has done a commendable job. There are clear signposts of progress. Nation-states are committed to resolve their differences peacefully and solve their common problems collectively within the frame-
H.E. Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to United Nations, New York Pakistan’s engagement with the United Nations is dynamic, robust and multifaceted. We place a great value on the role of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security, development and human rights. These reflect and converge with our own national priorities. Pakistan’s participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations is one of our most visible and substantive contributions to
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work of the UN Charter. Pakistan has been an ardent advocate of multilateral cooperation, and of the vital role of the United Nations in international affairs. Since its membership on 30 September 1947, Pakistan has been an active participant in the United Nations and its specialized agencies and other bodies. Pakistan’s participation as one of the top troop contributors in 42 different UN peacekeeping missions is the most concrete manifestation of our commitment to the maintenance of international peace and security. Pakistan has also actively contributed to the international counterterrorism efforts and discourse in the framework of United Nations, including
its Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Pakistan has also greatly benefitted from UN’s operational activities in the development field in a number of areas including health, education, population, poverty alleviation, and capacity building. There has been long-standing cooperation on refugees. The United Nations has also assisted Pakistan in natural disasters, most prominently in the wake of the 2010 floods. Pakistan considers a renewed commitment by the international community to a democratic, inclusive and cohesive United Nations as the best means to address the myriad challenges of today.
the maintenance of international peace and security. We are among the top countries, both in all-time troop contributions and in terms of current deployments. Since 1960, over 150,000 of our personnel have served with professionalism and distinction in 41 UN missions in 23 countries of the world. Pakistan considers arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation as vital tools to promote the goals of peace and security at the global and regional levels. At the United Nations, we advocate the need for cooperative multilateralism, inclusivity and consensus based approaches to deal with these issues, taking into account the legitimate security interests of all States. Our stand on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute at the United Nations is principled. We seek implementation of Security Council resolutions, adopted in 1950, which call for a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to ascertain the wishes of its people. The United Nations, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people all want the implementation of Security Council
resolutions and the holding of a long promised plebiscite but India continues to oppose a negotiated settlement of this outstanding dispute. In various forums of the United Nations, we seek the adoption of a comprehensive approach to counter terrorism, especially by addressing its root causes. Instead of relying primarily on military and kinetic means, we advocate a holistic strategy that includes aspects of development and dialogue as well as the creation of job opportunities to lure the young away from violence. We continue to highlight the consistent efforts and sacrifices rendered by Pakistan as a frontline state in the fight against terrorism, and the Government’s priority in implementing the National Action Plan to counter this threat. We also regularly update UN member states on the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azb and Pakistan’s National Action Plan on counter-violent extremism. We actively participate in the Security Council reform process. We support expansion only of non-permanent members of Council and not in the perma-
THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
nent membership, as we do not favour the creation of new centres of power and privilege. We coordinate our position with a group of like-minded countries, called ‘Uniting for Consensus’. Pakistan supports the promotion and protection of universal human rights and effectively contributes in further development of relevant norms and frameworks at the United Nations. We also engage vigorously on humanitarian issues. We took the lead in highlighting the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and Africa as a consequence of conflicts, persecution and poverty, which has led to displacement and forced migration on an unprece-
H.E. Ms. Tehmina Janjua, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to United Nations, Geneva Our Mission in Geneva is accredited to the United Nations and 22 other international organizations. We also liaise with NGOs, think tanks and the academia. Pakistan was one of the founding members of the Human Rights Council (HRC). We continue to work closely with all our partners to ensure the centrality of the human being in all of Council’s work. We strive for a cooperative attitude in addressing human rights issues instead of politically-mo-
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dented scale. We organised an event at the United Nations in New York to draw international attention to the need for urgent and collective action to deal with this humanitarian catastrophe. We maintain proactive engagement in economic and development issues at the United Nations. Our role has been significant in finalising the bold, ambitious and transformative Post 2015 Development Agenda. Poverty eradication and ensuring inclusive and sustained economic growth has been our primary considerations. We have also joined other countries in insisting children should be at the heart of this agenda. Pakistan serves as a member of the
Economic and Social Council, which is the central mechanism for coordination and integration of the activities of the UN system in the economic, social, environmental and related fields. In 2015 we also held the Chair of the Executive Board of UNICEF. We attach great importance to the Climate Change negotiations and remain actively involved in working towards a fair and equitable agreement in Paris. Pakistan will continue with its efforts to strengthen the central role of the United Nations in dealing with the new and emerging global challenges.
tivated targeting of countries. We value HRC’s Universal Periodic Review Mechanism. We support all human rights mechanisms established by the Council and regularly interact with them in addition to reporting to treaty monitoring bodies as we are signatories to core 7 human rights conventions/ covenants. As the OIC coordinator on human rights and humanitarian issues, Pakistan is a bridge-builder for consensus in the HRC. We also raise issues of concern to the Muslim world, including Kashmir and Palestine. We led the adoption of the first HRC resolution on the use of armed drones in counter-terrorism and military operations. Its adoption was an endorsement of Pakistan’s principled position that use of drones should in accordance with International Law. At the Conference on Disarmament (CD), Pakistan works constructively with all member states in addressing the CD’s core agenda items in a bal-
nity of around 3 million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees and their sustainable reintegration in Afghanistan. We work with ILO on social dialogue, economic growth and better and decent work programmes. We are also working with partners to promote the interest of Pakistani migrant workers. WHO is a valuable partner in our fight to eradicate polio as well as for hepatitis control, TB and other non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes. As ITU Council members, we participate in decision making related to telecommunications. Intellectual property has emerged as a crosscutting field with significant impact on diverse areas including economy, health and education. We continue to work with member states to ensure a balanced global IP system that protects the interests of right holders and society at large. Pakistan believes in multilateralism. We always support consensus building. This has been repeatedly demonstrated by us.
anced and comprehensive manner. With UNHCR, the emphasis is on early voluntary repatriation in safety and dig-
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H.E. Ms. Ayesha Riyaz Ambassador and Permanent Representative United Nations Vienna It gives me immense pleasure to congratulate the United Nations on the eve of its seventieth anniversary. This landmark year not only commemorates our collective achievements but also reminds us of the complex and multifaceted challenges that continue to confront the international community. The Pakistan Permanent Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna seeks to foster close synergies on a variety of cross-cutting issues such as crime prevention and criminal justice, counter-narcotics, transnational organized crime, anti-corruption, peaceful uses of outer space, industrial development, and international trade law, as well as matters related to the IAEA. Our priorities include effectively articulating Pakistan’s perspective on key issues; contributing to international standard-setting and policy-making; seeking global partnerships; and expanding technical cooperation with the relevant UN bodies, notably UNODC, UNOOSA, UNIDO and UNCITRAL. Pakistan has served frequently on the Commission on Narcotics Drugs and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Pakistan participated actively in the mid-term review of the ‘2009 Political Declaration’ and the ‘Plan of Action’ on the World Drug Problem. We also made substantive
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contributions to the deliberations at the 13th UN Crime Congress (Doha, April 2015), on integrating crime prevention and criminal justice into the wider UN sustainable socioeconomic agenda. Pakistan is also preparing for the UNGA Special Session to address the World Drug Problem scheduled for April, 2016. UNIDO has been actively involved in Pakistan, implementing several projects over the past three decades. Pakistan supports UNIDO’s mandate for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, which has the potential to not only bring about structural transformation of economies but also to create job opportunities. Pakistan, as an elected member of UNCITRAL, participates in the deliberations on progressive harmonization and modernization of international trade law in key areas such as dispute resolution, international contract practices, electronic commerce and secured transactions. Pakistan also contributes to the promotion of international cooperation on the peaceful uses of outer space. We take active part in various initiatives of UNOOSA, especially the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. I would like to conclude by congratulating the UN entities working in Pakistan for their commendable work in fulfilling their respective mandates.
Senator Pervaiz Rashid Federal Minister of Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage As the world celebrates the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations (UN) it is important to recall Pakistan’s commitment to promoting international peace and prosperity which stems from the vision of its founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who outlined the following goals of Pakistan’s foreign policy: “Our foreign policy is one of friendliness and goodwill towards all the nations of the world. We do not cherish aggressive designs against any country or nation. We believe in the principle of honesty and fair play in national and international dealings and are prepared to make our utmost contribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the nations of the world. Pakistan will never be found lacking in extending its material and moral support to the oppressed and suppressed peoples of the world, and
THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
in upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter.” Pakistan joined the United Nations on September 30, 1947, just over a month after its independence. Over the last 66 years, Pakistan has put this vision into practice by making significant contributions to the principles and purposes of UN charter, in particular the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security. It has been an ardent advocate of multilateralism and the primacy of the United Nations in international affairs. As one of the largest troop contributing country to the UN peacekeeping operations, Pakistan’s commitment to international peace and security is well established. Pakistan has since participated in 42 peacekeeping missions in 24 countries, with over 150,000 peacekeepers, some deployed in most difficult and trying conditions. A total of 137 Pakistani peacekeepers have embraced martyrdom. Currently, Pakistan is one of the largest troop contributors, with 8,230 peacekeepers, constituting over 9% of UN’s total deployment. Pakistan is also the sixth largest police contributor. “The importance of the work of the United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) around the world cannot be overemphasised. As a vital source of information, these 63 centres greatly help to bridge the gap between the development and developing countries in terms of access to information and communication technologies. We, therefore, urge the United Nations to allocate adequate resources for UNICs to ensure their effective functioning,
particularly in the developing countries. Pakistan welcomes the appointment of new Director for UNIC Islamabad but at the same time also urge UN to restore full services for its centre in Islamabad. The signing of memorandum of understanding between United Nations Information Centre, UNIC, Islamabad with PTV World would go a long way in spreading UN messages to the public. Pakistan is closely working with The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) which has enlisted six Pakistani sites as ‘world heritage sites’ and18 other sites, including the Baltit fort in Hunza and the tomb of Shah Rukne Alam in Multan, have been classified as ‘tentative sites’. The present democratic government under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is committed to Pakistan’s Socio-economic development and a peaceful and a secure neighbourhood remains our top most priority. Pakistan today is a confident, responsible and well integrated member of the international community. It continues to support the need for dialogue, diplomacy and international cooperation to address existing and emerging international challenges, in an effective and credible manner on the basis of consensus and concerted collective actions.
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Dr. Fouzia Saeed Executive Director, Lok Virsa This year we celebrate the completion of 70 years of United Nations working in the world. It remains the only international platform with such broad based representation and ownership. On behalf of the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa), Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Government of Pakistan, I would like to congratulate all the nation states and the United Nations itself for making such a meaningful contribution to the world in terms of peace, development and the protection of rights. The initiative of United Nations Information Centre of organizing a Photo Exhibition at Lok Virsa and compiling the stunning visuals in a book form, to document areas of functioning of the United Nations in Pakistan is commendable. This will certainly enhance exposure of the people about the objectives and contribution of the United Nations towards the development of Pakistan. Among other themes, the exhibition
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also displayed work targeting youth, which makes up more than half of Pakistan’s population in current times. The work related to children, women, economy, the education system and other important sectors shows the link of the UN’s work and the priorities of our country. Lok Virsa, the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage, is geared to document and promote the traditional heritage of our country with a view to reinforce creativity, strong relationships among people, esthetics and other cultural aspects necessary to continuously define our people’s identity in the changing times. It also focuses on the livelihoods of folk singers, musicians, craft persons and other such key actors who facilitate the traditional culture to be carried into the next generations. Lok Virsa conducts cultural research in Pakistan. It also studies and promotes traditional culture through photographic and audio visual documentation of both tangible and intangible culture. It has two museums to display the wide array of the diverse culture of Pakistan and its deep roots that are over 8000 years old. Over the years, Lok Virsa’s programs have been able to contribute towards building peaceful co-existence among a diverse nation and inculcate appreciation and respect for each other. It has contributed to development in the cultural sector by supporting the folk artists and artisans by giving them opportunities to display their art and promote them in the society. It has supported women and youth through its programs and given them visibility and
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support highlighting the folk wisdom that encourages progress of all sectors of the society. This is done through programs like festivals, music shows, classes for Pakistani languages, musical instrument playing and folk craft making. At the same time more intellectual activities like seminars, conferences and publication of substantive research gives us the opportunity to influence policy and the larger framework of culture in the country. We believe that in the current times when Pakistan and the world in general is facing far more complex challenges, it is imperative for institutions like ours to cooperate with larger platforms like the United Nations. Teamwork and cooperation was never more important and essential than it is in the current times. Therefore, keeping up with our past tradition of providing full support to initiatives of culture and development Lok Virsa is pleased to host the exhibition of visual documentation of the United Nations contribution to the lives of the people of Pakistan.
Mr. Sikandar Hayat Bosan Federal Minister for Ministry of National Food Security & Research The United Nations (UN) is celebrating its 70th Anniversary this year. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) extends its well wishes and congratulates the UN and its allied institutions and agencies. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been a member of the UN since September 1947. The UN has a long history of engagement with Pakistan and its role in over-all development assistance to Pakistan is significant. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is one of the important institutions of the United Nations. During the early years of its operations in Pakistan, FAO assisted the Government of Pakistan in building and strengthening the national agriculture infrastructure with emphasis on irrigation – the lifeline of the country’s agriculture system. In the decades to follow, FAO focused its efforts on poverty reduction, food security, sustainable livelihoods and rural development. It has collaborated with the Government of Pakistan on research and development, training, extension services and strengthening of country’s capacity in planning and policy making. FAO has supported improvements in agricultural policy analysis, strengthened institutions, enhanced integrated area development and expanded participation of marginalized and vulnerable communities in sustain-
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able development. Over the past decade alone, FAO has implemented projects worth US$ 293 million in Pakistan, as well as carried out regional projects worth US$ 82.41 million that have benefited Pakistan. Besides FAO, the World Food Program (WFP) has been present in the country since 1968. WFP assistance in the country aims to complement the Government’s efforts in en-
hancing food security and nutrition amongst vulnerable population and provides technical support in developing relevant national strategies. World Food Program with the support from the Government of Pakistan is providing food assistance for vulnerable populations across the country. The Government of Pakistan has donated 45500 MT of wheat for the temporarily dislocated
population of FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2013 to date. The UNs assistance in this regard has brought about peace, prosperity, food security and improvement in quality of life through mutual collaboration especially in the wake of natural disasters and climate change.
Prof. Ahsan Iqbal Federal Minister for Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms
the UN peace-keeping efforts in unstable regions, and it has sent the highest number of troops to these missions. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, being a custodian of the indigenous development process, has always looked up to the UN as a trustable partner. It is hugely satisfying that the organisation has always extended enormous support for our various initiatives in different areas. Only last year, a three-year financial plan worth $1 billion was started to bring the total global investment in education when UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown launched the campaign in Pakistan. This plan is to educate five million out-of-school children by 2015. Now, through a partnership with the Ministry, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will help ensure that Pakistan develops essential structures for sustained and strategic governance reform under the Governance Reforms and Innovation project. We are also working on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the UN is supporting us in establishing the Pakistan SDG Centre. It is a matter of immense satisfaction that the world organisation is commemorating its 70th
anniversary, and is making strides in ameliorating people problems sans any considerations. I endorse Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s observation that it is ‘an opportunity to reflect – to look back on the UN’s history and take stock of its enduring achievements’. While emphasizing the need for actualizing the unfinished agenda, I think that the Secretary General of the UN has rightly pointed out that there is a need ‘to redouble its efforts to meet current and future challenges….’ For fulfilling the dream of ‘Strong UN Better World’, the comity of nations must be on one page for resolving all the issues, including the outstanding ones.
Pakistan is perhaps the only country to have joined the United Nations on September 30, 1947 within the shortest possible span of less than seven weeks into its birth, amply depicting its confidence in the world body. The United Nations and Pakistan have collaborated for making this world liveable and raising standards of living and betterment of life across the globe. The United Nations through its global partnerships and extensive working, have always helped Pakistan in promoting democratic governance, population control, poverty alleviation, social capital, health and education, and enhancing effectiveness of building resilience against natural calamities. On the other hand, Pakistan has made tangible contributions to the principles and objectives of the UN Charter, equitable development, promoting and maintaining peace and security. Over a period, Pakistan has played an important role in
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Major General Asghar Nawaz Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) I would like to extend my sincere felicitations to United Nations for its enduring achievements in the last seventy years. Pakistan and the United Nations have enjoyed an illustrious and mutually-beneficial partnership. The fact remains that Pakistan, owing to its geographic diversities and geo-strategic positioning, is vulnerable alike to multiple natural calamities and manmade disasters. The United Nations, through its key subordinate organizations has always rendered a forthcoming support to Pakistan in the hour of trial. I would particularly like to highlight the leading role of the United Nations in the worst disasters of the country’s history, such as Earthquake 2005 and Super Floods of 2010. The prompt visit of Pakistan by UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon during the Super Floods of 2010 and his heartfelt words of solace, “This has been a heart-wrenching day for me, I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this” are still fresh in our minds. The UN’s predominate support in management of the extraordinary influx of Afghan Refugees and later the temporary displaced persons of Pakistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA is an acknowledged fact about
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UN’s well aligned priorities towards Pakistan. UN also played an enviable role in rendering quantum support, during various disasters since the independence of the country, through generous relief and rehabilitation activities of protracted nature. The Disaster Management System in Pakistan was institutionalized after the Earthquake of 2005. The UN agencies worked hand in glove with Pakistani counterparts to strengthen the system. The significant financial support, alongside much valued technical support, strengthened the capacity building of disaster management institutions thus resulting in their transformation into professional entities of repute. Today, I am proud to report that the country’s response mechanism has become robust to a great extent. We are following some of the best practices in disaster management with the profound assistance of our development partners, mainly the UN’s elite agencies in Pakistan. I would also like to highlight the fact that the UN has always stood by us in surmounting the challenges of Disaster Risk Management of a wide array of natural disasters faced by the country. Pakistan’s entry into Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) and later Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) had been a well guided advice which has benefited the country in much the needed domain of Disaster Risk Reduction. Our awareness level has grown manifold and so has the shift in thinking from “reactive to a proactive approach”, UN’s spearhead Global maneuvers for DRR was very well timed and considered a much needed relief especially for disaster prone countries.
At the end, I would like to pay my profound gratitude to United Nations for its achievements, as it marks its 70th Anniversary. I also wish to express our profound gratitude to all UN Agencies and its development partners for their collective efforts in helping Government of Pakistan in general and NDMA in particular to effectively manage the past disasters, the integrated work towards risk reduction and the development of risk resilience culture in the country. I firmly hope that we will continue to cement our partnership towards “the objective of a safe and a resilient Pakistan”.
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H.E. Ms. Margaret Adamson High Commissioner, Australia Australia is a founding member of the United Nations and the 12th largest contributor to the United Nations regular and peacekeeping budgets. Australia has provided more than 65,000 personnel to more than 50 UN and other multilateral peace and security operations since 1947. In our most recent term on the United Nations Security Council (2013-14), Australia put the need to protect civilians and establish robust humanitarian responses to conflicts at the forefront of the Council’s decision making, and worked to make peacekeeping operations more effective. Australia actively supports the UN’s mandate to promote human rights, protect refugees, win equality of opportunity for women and girls, and more recently in mobilising efforts to counter violent extremism. In Pakistan, Australia partners with the
UN to support economic prosperity and promote sustainable, equitable development to assist Pakistan to reach its full potential. Australia supports the World Food Programme (AU$85 million since 2009) to help the Pakistan Government reach its goal of a hunger free Pakistan by 2025. Australia’s current support is going to IDPs displaced from North Waziristan and to food fortification initiatives for improved nutrition for women and children. Similarly, Australia’s support (AU$13 million) through the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation is contributing to a more sustainable agriculture industry in six western border districts of Balochistan, reducing poverty and addressing economic inequities. As a result, date farmers in Kech and Panjgoor are producing higher quality dates and have linked up with export companies in Karachi. Through the UN Children’s Fund Australia has worked to support Balochistan develop its Education Sector Plan 2013-18 to improve education service delivery and help more children access school. Australia congratulates the UN on its 70th anniversary. We look forward to continuing to work with the UN to strengthen international responses to global challenges, including our collective response to conflict through improved peacekeeping, peace-building and the protection of civilians.
H.E. Dr. Brigitta Blaha Ambassador, Austria This year, Austria is celebrating both the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations as well as 60 years of its membership of the UN. Since 1955, Austria has been advocating a strong and efficient UN and has actively participated in its tasks. So far, Austria has served three times as a non-permanent member in the UN-Security Council, most recently from 2009 to 2010. Austria’s priorities within the UN range from peace and security to the strengthening of human rights, the rule of law, the protection of civilians in armed conflict as well as the fight against impunity. Since 1979 Austria’s capital, Vienna, has served as one of the four headquarters of the UN worldwide and is the only UN-headquarters within the European Union. Vienna has developed this international hub into a vibrant
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venue for multilateral diplomacy and dialogue, dealing with issues ranging from security, disarmament and human rights to development and energy. Austria also has a longstanding history of peacekeeping. By participating in peacekeeping operations, Austria provides an essential and visible contribution to the UN’s efforts to maintain peace and international security. Since 1960, more than 90,000 Austrian soldiers and civilian helpers served in over 50 international peace support and humanitarian missions. Austria fully supports the efforts by the UN to plan peacekeeping operations more efficiently and to be able to respond more effectively to crisis situations through more rapid deployment. On October 26, Austria’s National Day, the Austrian Foreign Ministry and the United Nations Office in Vienna will present the Vienna based UN-agencies to the general public. By doing so, we will not only celebrate the 70th anniversary of the UN as well as the 60th anniversary of Austria’s UN membership, but we also want to show our commitment to further actively participate in the UN’s work and to advocate its values and goals.
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H.E. Mr. Dashgin Shikarov Ambassador, Azerbaijan
H.E. Mr. Frédéric Verheyden Ambassador, Belgium
Azerbaijan joined the United Nations on 2nd March in 1992 and has been closely collaborating with this most prestigious international organisation. The successful completion of a two-year non-permanent membership in United Nations Security Council demonstrated vividly the high prestige of Azerbaijan in the international arena. During its two presidencies at the United Nations Security Council in May 2012 and October 2013 Azerbaijan focused on key challenges facing the international community. Since the very first day of establishment of the cooperation with United Nations, Azerbaijan focused to use the potential of this organisation to reach the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Unfortunately, the four resolutions of the UN Security demanding full, unconditional and complete liberation of all occupied Azerbaijani lands still remain unimplemented. We expect the international community and the international organisations, including the UNO to urge ensure durable peace in the region.
It is a privilege for me to contribute to this special edition of “United Nations Pakistan” newsletter on the auspicious occasion of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. The Embassy of Belgium in Islamabad enjoys a close collaboration with the representatives of the United Nations system in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although Belgium’s bilateral development cooperation has recently been mainstreamed to essentially benefit the poorest countries in Africa, Belgium remains a solid contributor to the core budget of the United Nations and to fund specific agencies such as UN Women and the FAO in this region as well. A recent illustration of this strong commitment has been provided by the completion of the project “ Emergency support to protect the livestock affected by the North Waziristan crisis through provision of critical veterinary supplies and feed” funded by Belgium through the FAO. The overall objective of the project was to protect and restore main livelihood assets and
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food production of conflict-affected small-scale livestock holders through preservation of animal health and productivity in a region where access remains difficult for the humanitarian community. As a founding member country of the United Nations, Belgium remains a strong proponent of multilateralism and of the promotion of international peace and cooperation. Belgium hopes to further contribute to the efficiency of the United Nations systems by seeking election to the United Nations Human Rights Council from 2016, as well as to the United Nations Security Council from 2018. I wish all UN colleagues in Islamabad a happy 70th anniversary.
H.E. Mr. Nedim Makarevic Ambassador, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina became a Member State of the United Nations on May 22, 1992 (Resolution 757). As a successor of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), Bosnia and Herzegovina became the State Party in all conventions and agreements ratified by SFRJ. Bosnia and Herzegovina participates in the work of the United Nations through the Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, as well as through the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Paris (UNESCO) and Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Rome (UNFAO). Relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations are predetermined by up-to-date international political and economical situation and are developing through monitoring and active participation in resolving international crises, taking part in the work of UN bodies in which Bosnia and Herzegovina is a member, through election process in the bodies for which Bosnia and Herzegovina is running as a candidate, as well as,
political issues mostly related to the monitoring of work of the UN General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC, and other UN bodies. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, these following issues are of particular concern: Participation of police and military officers from Bosnia and Herzegovina in peacekeeping operations in the UN; Elections for the UN bodies; Global security and stability, prevention of conflicts in the world, and disarmament Peacekeeping and Peace building; Good neighborly relations, regional stability, security, and development in South Eastern Europe; Fight against terrorism; Human rights, humanitarian issues, and gender equality; International law, International Criminal Court, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, International Court of Justice, conventions, and other multilateral treaties; Fight against AIDS; UN financing: the issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina debts toward the UN after acquiring independence; and the Situation in the Middle East – Iraq, Syria, Israel and Palestine.
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H.E. Mr. Claudio Lins Ambassador, Brazil Brazil has engaged with the United Nations since its creation in 1945. As one of the 51 founding members of the organization, Brazil has a long history of cooperation with the UN system. Since 1948, Brazil has participated in more than 40 peacekeeping operations, having deployed over 33 thousand soldiers and police officers. Presently, we provide the largest military contingent for MINUSTAH, in Haiti, and the flagship vessel of UNIFIL, in Lebanon. We have the honor to provide leadership for the missions in Haiti and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as for the Maritime Task Force of UNIFIL. As of today, 1,300 Brazilian peacekeepers are on the ground serving the United Nations. Our longstanding commitment stems from the firm belief that there is no substitute for the United Nations in the promotion of peace, development and human rights. The frequent presence of Brazil in the Security Council, as well as its efforts for enlargement and correction of current imbalances, are unambiguous evidence of the Bra-
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zilian commitment to the role of multilateralism as a tool to promote peace and security. Brazil contributes to 2.934% of the regular annual budget of the UN (US$74.76 million out of US$5.15 billion), being the 10th largest contributor. This increase reflects recent economic growth of the country and the success of socially inclusive policies adopted by the Brazilian government. Brazil is the largest contributor from Latin America; the second largest from BRICS (only China is ahead) and the largest from IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa Forum). Strengthening multilateralism is the path we have chosen, the only one that is fair, appropriate and viable to us. This is an unequivocal commitment for Brazil. We believe that respect for internationally agreed norms plays a most important role in the harmonious relationship between states. The United Nations is the universal organization with legitimacy to help us in this journey.
H.E. Ms. Heather Cruden High Commissioner, Canada On behalf of the Government of Canada, I extend congratulations to the entire United Nations Country Team in Pakistan on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The High Commission of Canada is pleased to celebrate with you to mark our ongoing cooperation in Pakistan. Canada has been active in the United Nations since its foundation in 1945 and played a key role in drafting the UN Charter. The UN is an indispensable multinational organization for a globalizing world. Through treaties, dialogue, negotiation, relationships and the capacity to implement decisions, the UN helps to preserve our sovereignty, protect our key interests and defend our values. It also helps us to develop the mutual understanding we need to resolve our differences and it helps us to forge compromises and agreements, and to combine our energies for the common good. Today, Canada continues its commitment to the UN by actively participating in the organization’s activi-
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ties and providing financial support. We look back on a long history of bringing pragmatic ideas and solutions to the table, from peacekeeping proposals in the 1950s to assisting war-affected children and supporting efforts to improve the UN’s management. The UN serves to bring together all nations of the world to address shared objectives and pressing challenges related to global peace and security, as well as socio-economic prosperity and well-being. In Pakistan, Canada supports the Polio Plus Initiative with UNICEF ($20 million) and the ILO’s work to improve income earning opportunities and employment conditions of women ($8 million). In 2015-16, Canada will contribute approximately $12 million for humanitarian assistance in Pakistan, including $6 million to the WFP and $2.5 million for UNHCR’s work with refugees and displaced populations. My best wishes to one and all as we celebrate this special anniversary.
H.E. Mr. Jesus Zenen Buergo Concepcion Ambassador, Cuba On the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations, Cuba proclaims that the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations have full force in Cuba. Complying with these principles Cuba has permanently defended the values that are important in achieving the full development of human being and for safeguard world peace. As said recently by our President Raul Castro “Only the respect for these can ensure peace and international security increasingly threatened. The existence of nuclear weapons is a threat for the survival of the human beings and an affront to moral and ethical principles that should govern the relations between nations. Its use would mean the disappearance of the human civilisation. Advocate for disarmament, particularly by the nuclear disarmament is not only a duty but a right of all peoples of the world”. The Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, signed by the Heads of State and Government during the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean
States, held in Havana in January 2014, establishes a set of commitments of vital importance, such as the peaceful settlement of disputes in order to banish forever the threat and use of the strength of our region; not to intervene, directly or indirectly, in the internal affairs of any other State and observe the principles of national sovereignty, the equal rights and self-determination of peoples; promote friendly relations and cooperation among themselves and with other nations; and Fully respect the inalienable right of every State to choose its political, economic, social and cultural system, as an essential condition to ensure the peaceful coexistence between nations. The solidarity among individuals and peoples is the only viable way to confront the major challenges facing mankind today. Cuba, despite its scarce resources has not failed to extend a helping hand every time it has been necessary to every people in the world. Millions of people have recovered their health thanks the Cuban cooperation: until today 325,710 Cuban health workers have collaborated in 158 countries; today, 50,281 Cuban workers of health provide services in 68 nations. Thanks to a program called “Yo sí puedo”, 9,376,000 people have been made literate in 30 states; and more than 68 000 foreign students, from 157 countries, have graduated in Cuba. In Pakistan, Cuba offered 1,000 completely free scholarships to study medicine in our country: a solidarity gesture directed to contribute to the formation of its human resources. This scholarship program was made between the years 2005-2007 and
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was successfully achieved with the cooperation of the authorities from the Governments in Pakistan. Also, Cuba joined the international community to lend their support and solidarity to the people of Pakistan when the sad tragedy of the earthquake of 8 October, 2005. On this occasion, the medical brigade, composed of 2,600 doctors and paramedic staff, spent 7 months establishing 32 field hospitals, and transporting tons of medical equipment and medicine. These actions that fulfilled the objectives proposed by the United Nations are an outstanding example that demonstrates the validity of these values and principles and which together constitute with the struggle for peace, the only way possible to achieve a better world for all.
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Mr. Lukas Musil Chargé d’Affaires, Czech Republic Not only the United Nations has a reason to celebrate in 2015. The Czech Republic also commemorates 65th anniversary of its relations with Pakistan this year. Despite being a relatively small mission in Islamabad, we are convinced that about the important is to be presentce of giving our support. We have a solid base of former cooperation to build on. The Czech Republic and formerly Czechoslovakia have always been committed to maintaining peace in the region and resolve the disputes. A former Czechoslovak diplomat, Josef Korbel, was the first chairman of the established (1948) UN Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP), which helped to stop the conflict in Kashmir and create the Line of Control. Not every Pakistani knows that the omnipresent Bata company, which founded its branch in the 1930´s of 20th century also in Pakistan, comes came from the then Czechoslovakia. Besides the commercial diplomacy, development aid and humanitarian aid has been the core of our activities in Pakistan. After more than 20
years of democratic development, the Czech Republic is among the 35 richest countries in the world, making it morally obliged to help less prosperous regions. The main instrument for the development activities in Pakistan have been the so called “small scale local projects“, which focus on developing infrastructure, schools and hospitals in inhabited as well as remote areas of Pakistan. Not only Czech mountain climbers are coming to this natural paradise. The Czech Embassy wants to enhance cooperation with Pakistan and the UN missions to make the stay of tourists here are safe – so they keep visiting and on the other hand, to improvinge the living conditions of local residents – so they have no reason to leave Pakistan.
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Ms. Helle Nielsen Chargé d’Affaires, Denmark The United Nations plays a significant role in Danish foreign policy, as Denmark attaches particular importance to the UN’s role in the areas of promotion of democracy and human rights, economic and social development, common security and peacekeeping, and protection of the environment worldwide. Denmark has been a member of the UN since 1949 and has always been active. Denmark is also among one of the few countries that are contributing more than the UN goal of 0.7% of GNI in development aid. Approximately, 45% of Danish assistance is channeled through multilateral institutions, including the UN system, which is why Denmark’s partnership with UN agencies remains important as we jointly work towards providing effective and much needed support to the most vulnerable communities and peoples around the world. Since 2010 Denmark has contributed USD 78 million in development assistance (2010-2016) and around USD 56 million in humanitarian assistance (2010-2014) to Pakistan. Danish assistance to Pa-
kistan focuses on the conflict affected areas in KP and FATA and supports education, democracy, human rights, gender, media and peace and stabilization. I also feel proud in sharing that since 2014, Denmark is supporting UNICEF’s Country Programme, which is providing 1.2 million children with clean water, critical nutrition, immunizations and quality education. Our collaboration with UNODOC in 2010-2013 has supported efforts in enhancing the effectiveness of the justice system in Pakistan, while our partnership with UN Women aims to promote women leadership during social reconstruction. The UN’s 70th anniversary is a great occasion for Denmark to thank all of its UN partners for doing such a commendable job in providing social and economic justice to vulnerable communities and peoples. As some of you will know, Denmark holds the Presidency of the UN General Assembly for 2015-2016 with Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, Denmark’s former parliament speaker being the President of the General Assembly and will preside the UN’s 70th anniversary session. Denmark would like to thank each and every UN staff and worker who come to work every day because they believe in making a difference in the lives of other people.
H.E Ms. Martine Dorance Ambassador, France We are halfway through a year, 2015, during which the focus is on development and climate. These battles can only be won if fought together: to tackle poverty and enable development, we must win the battle against climate change. France is engaged in numerous ways and historically with the United Nations since its creation; I will focus in this message on this topic, climate change, which will shape the future of our planet, in terms of development and security. In December 2015, France will host the 21st United Nations Climate Conference, otherwise known as COP21. The aim is crucial with higher stakes than ever before: to reach a new universal agreement that will limit the rise in global temperatures and preserve our planet as a liveable place for future generations. In Pakistan, the French Embassy has been working proactively in close collaboration with the Pakistani government, the United Nations and many partners to create a “COP21 momentum” and raise awareness about climate change throughout the year.
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The “Pakistan Sey Paris: on the road to 2015 Paris Conference” Forum which was organised in Lahore on October 13th and 14th 2015, and formed part of the UN70 Events in Pakistan, was a milestone among these events: it offered an unprecedented opportunity to all Pakistani stakeholders to coordinate their action. The event, a success, aimed at reaching one of the goals of the “Solutions Agenda”: to create a sustainable partnership between civil society, local authorities and private sector together with the government in order to find and implement solutions to mitigate or adapt to climate change. In this context, the Forum showcased “made in Pakistan” solutions to tackle climate change. The great premises of Alhamra in Lahore, where the forum took place, hosted a large number of representatives public from all provinces, and was the perfect resonance box event to spread the message that climate change is definitely everyone’s concern.
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H.E. Ms. Ina Lepel Ambassador, Germany On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, I am glad to see how active the United Nations is in shaping the future of mankind. Global challenges are our common challenges. We can meet them together, as partners and as an international community of shared responsibility. Germany understands this common responsibility and acts accordingly. Germany joined the United Nations in 1973, and has therefore been a reliable partner. We have continuously increased our contribution. Today, Germany is the third largest financial contributor. 2500 soldiers and more than 150 policemen are currently serving in UN-led or mandated missions. We are also working to find answers to the urgent questions of the time: be it climate change, the financial crisis, the challenge of renewable energies, sustainable development, the global fight against hunger or the support for disarmament and non-proliferation – Germany plays an active role in virtually all working areas of the United Nations. One thing is clear to us: peace, human rights
and development go hand in hand. Our support to the crisis regions of the world reflects this conviction. Germany is, through dialogue, direct support and various projects, actively supporting the strengthening of civil society –in Pakistan. We will continue to strengthen economic development, rule of law and human rights – which belong together and are crucial factors for all human societies. Let us work together to make our world a fair and peaceful place.
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ty and accountability, Hungary supports ensuring criminal justice for atrocity crimes.
H.E. Mr. Istvan Szabo Ambassador, Hungary Our world, our future, our responsibility. While Hungary is fully committed to fulfilling all obligations and goals of the United Nations, it puts particular emphasis to the following foreign policy priorities: Strengthening preventive diplomacy as well as building trust and reconciliation. Hungary supports further strengthening prevention, dispute resolution, early warning capacities, including through the implementation of the Responsibility to Protect principle. Actively participating in the maintenance of peace and security. Hungary, with 93 troops on the field, is a significant troop contributor for UN operations, such as in Lebanon, Cyprus, Western Sahara, Kosovo and the Central African Republic. Hungary supports the peacekeeping reform efforts, including its better linkage with peace building, with special focus on building inclusive societies, education, protection of culture and human rights. Hungary fully supports the UN’s counter terrorism efforts. Ensuring accountability. Understanding the mutually reinforcing correlation between peace, securi-
Promoting and protecting human rights. Lasting economic prosperity can only be achieved for the people and by the people, through full economic, social and political inclusion. This requires the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups, women, children and religious, ethnic, linguistic minorities and all persons with disabilities. Strengthening human rights mechanisms. Hungary supports initiatives ensuring the independence of the Human Rights Council and its special procedures, and preventing all forms of reprisals against human rights defenders. Championing gender equality. Hungary is a strong supporter of efforts aimed at providing equal rights and empowerment of women in all educational, economic, financial, judicial and social processes, as an important key to global progress. Supporting and renewing humanitarian activities. Hungary actively participates in the multi-stakeholder consultations leading up to the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, including by hosting the Europe and Others regional consultations in Budapest. Working for a better United Nations. Hungary seeks to create a more responsive, effective, efficient United Nations and supports better reflection of the current economic realities when financing its activities. Supporting the Security Council as the ultimate body responsible
for maintaining international peace and security. Hungary supports Security Council reform and enlargement efforts aimed at reflecting the realities of the 21st century. Hungary also focuses on improving the working methods of the Security Council and its interaction with other organs within, and outside of the UN. Hungary is an active participant in the work of different UN trend setting groups. Hungary is Member of the Group of Friends of Financial Inclusion, Friends of Culture, Friends of Sustainable Energy for All, Friends of Sustainable Cities, Friends of Decent Work for All, Friends of MDGs, Friends of LDCs, Friends of R2P, Friends of ICC. Hungary is a founder member of the Group of ACT (Accountability, Coherence, Transparency) on Security Council reform and member of the Humanitarian Liaison Working Group. Water as key to human well-being and sustainable development in general. Hungary as the co-chair of the Steering Committee of the Group of Friends of Water aims to provide added value to water-related decisions and implementation measures. Hungary as a regional center for the United Nations. Hungary takes pride in hosting an increasing number of UN offices (UNHCR, FAO, ILO, IOM, WHO, IMF, UNICEF, IFRC) and will strive to ensure that Budapest becomes a growing regional hub in Europe.
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Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan High Commissioner, India
Mr. Obay AL-TAII Chargé d’Affaires, Iraq
The 70th Anniversary of the United Nations is a moment of celebration in India, as it is all over the world. Since its inception, India has played an active role in the UN. We stand committed to the principles it was founded on and we envisage a future in which the UN will grow to its full potential. From Peacekeeping to Yoga, Universal Education, Human Rights, Status of Women, to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, India stands firmly committed to the spirit of the United Nations. We convey our best wishes to the various UN organizations in Pakistan and our sincerest appreciation for the hard work that the UN personnel put in world wide.
Iraq has a unique experience with United Nations for decades, years of international sanctions, and dozens of United Nations Security Council resolutions under Chapter 7 as well as more than 13 years of international community isolation due to former regime’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Although suffering from a state of war since last three decades in different kinds of political, economic, social and financial factors and measures, whereas, Iraq has always recognised the efforts of United Nations to promote international peace and cooperation. After 2003, with extraordinary changes of the Iraq’s relations with the international community, Iraq has improved its relations with United Nations which states on respect and implement all relevant UNSC resolutions, commitments and obligations as well as within the scope of International Law. Since then, Iraq is working actively with the UN family as an important member in many fields like international peace and security, disarmament, combating terrorism, international law
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and so forth. Iraq has recently 20 different UN teams operating in Iraq since 1955 through a variety of programmes. UN specialised agencies has established their offices in Iraq in early 1990s and others UN entities, like UNAMI, after 2003. Moreover, Iraq is keen to work with other members to maintain the crucial role of the United Nations within the International Community. Keeping the efforts of United Nations’ offices regarding international peace and cooperation, Iraq has always extended its support politically, economically, socially and financially. In this context, the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Islamabad has always stood with United Nations’ efforts regarding return of the Iraqi refugees from all over the world, and from Pakistan in particular, and provided its support through different government offices to fulfil its responsibilities in this regard. The Iraqi people are grateful for the United Nations’ efforts in returning the Iraqi refugees to their homeland.
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H.E. Mr. Stefano Pontecorvo Ambassador, Italy As the United Nations turns 70 years old, Italy celebrates its 60th anniversary of proud membership in the UN. Since 14 December 1955, when it espoused the United Nations Charter to become a member of the Organization, Italy has played a key role in contributing with a strong commitment to the pursuance of the Charter’s objectives. Over these six decades, Italy has contributed with determination to the promotion of human rights and sustainable development and has shared the burden of responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The campaigns for a moratorium on death penalty, rights of women and minors as well as against all forms of religious discrimination and in favor of freedom of expression are a few concrete examples of Italy’s unceasing efforts for the promotion of human rights. Italy is the top troop contributor to UN peacekeeping missions among Western countries and the 7th financial contributor to its budget. Seventy years after its founding, it is difficult to image how it would
have been possible to prevent conflicts and promote human development in all dimensions without the UN. While acknowledging the goals achieved so far, it is crucial to keep the focus on the future and on the challenges that still await us. The UN and all its members must continue to address the complex challenges of our era. Italy stands ready to offer its contribution as it did in the past 60 years and in this spirit it has put forward its candidature for a non-permanent seat in the Security Council for the mandate 201718. 60 years after joining the UN, Italy reaffirms its commitment to the United Nations Charter!
H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Inomata Ambassador, Japan This year marks the momentous 70th anniversary of the U.N. and next year Japan will be commemorating 60 years since its accession to the UN. Therefore, we have decided to make these two years as the ‘’years for taking concrete actions’’ and continue to work even harder than ever to address various global challenges together with UN. Being the second largest financial contributor, Japan has been actively participating in various UN activities. In Pakistan, we have worked closely with the UN to address the pressing issues including TDPs, Disaster Management as well as Polio eradication and poverty reduction. The world today is facing global issues that are unconventional in their nature and extend beyond the framework of individual nations, such as terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation and climate change, wherein the role of the UN is becoming even more vital. To cooperate in promoting the peace and stability of the international community, the Bill for the Development of Legislation for Peace and Security was approved by the
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diet recently. With this legislation, Japan would be able to contribute more proactively to the peace and stability of the international community under the policy of “Proactive Contribution to Peace” based on the principle of international cooperation. However, Japan’s basic posture and orientation as a peace-loving nation for the past 70 years remains unchanged. At the elections held during the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on October 15, 2015, Japan was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 11th time. We think that the result of the election indicate that the international community values highly Japan’s long-standing commitment and enthusiasm regarding the goals of the U.N. To promote women’s active role, the Government of Japan hosted the 2nd World Assembly for Women (WAW!2015) in Tokyo in August, 2015, following the last year. This symposium was held as part of the effort to realise a society where women shine both in Japan and the world. In this symposium, about 100 leaders from all over the world including Japan, active in the field of women participated and discussed women related issues. In addition, Japan has been working to promote disaster management in the global forum. Japan hosted the “Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction” on March, 2015, in collaboration with the U.N. in Sendai city, Japan. The conference culminated successfully in obtaining political commitments from the interna-
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tional community to disaster risk reduction, the “Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 20152030” and the “Sendai Declaration” were also adopted by consensus. Moreover, Japan also announced the contribution plan of Japan, “Sendai Cooperation Initiative for Disaster Risk Reduction” which includes USD 4 billion of financial cooperation and training of 40,000 government officials and local leaders in four years from 2015 to 2018. With regard to the UN Security Council reform, it calls urgently for expansion and reform in a way that reflects the current international situation where the number of UN Member States has significantly increased. Japan will surely continue to strengthen its cooperation with reform-oriented countries to further enhance its efforts towards realising reform. In essence, from today onwards the U.N. is expected to play more important role as a global entity, and we will work harder than ever to address these challenges and bring about the realisation of the principle of the U.N.
H.E. Mr. Nawaf Khalifeh Saraireh Ambassador, Jordan Since its admission to the United Nations on the 14th of December 1955, Jordan has remained firmly committed to the organization and to the promotion of the lofty goals enshrined in the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter. Today, Jordan plays an active role within the United Nations and its three main pillars; peace and security, human rights, economic and social development. On the 8th of December 2013, Jordan was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term (2014- 2015). Jordan was previously elected as a non-permanent member for two terms (1965 – 1966) and (1982 – 1983). Jordan is a major troop contributing country in the UN peacekeeping and actively participates in the policy and operational discussions on this matter. Jordan actively supports UN Peacekeeping Operations. Our first contribution to UN Peacekeeping was in Angola in 1989, since then, Jordan has contributed to many missions in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. It currently provides 2,314 (as of Sept. 2014) of Military and Police personnel in Nine missions around the world. The total number of Military and Police personnel participated since 1989 almost
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73,000. Our troops are recognized for their devotion and high professionalism. Jordan has participated in 22 peacekeeping missions in different locations so far. More than two million registered Palestinian refugees live in Jordan. There are ten recognized Palestine refugee camps throughout the country, which accommodate nearly 370,000 Palestinian refugees. Jordan hosts the largest number of Palestine refugees of all of the UNWRA fields. The Agency’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict. UNHCR Jordan provides shelter and asylum for a large number of refugees; Jordan continues to demonstrate hospitality, despite the substantial strain on national systems and infrastructure whereas Jordan considered middle-income country. Today, Jordan hosts approximately 1.4 Million Syrian, of whom 747,360 Syrians are registered with UNHCR! And only 100,000 refugees live in refugee camps! While another 1.3 million are hosted within local communities. In total, Syrian now make up 21% of Jordan’s 6.7 million inhabitants. There are also 58,050 Iraqi Registered refugees and 2,480 from other nationalities. 81.9% of UNHCR’s total population of concern lives in host communities. Despite the huge number of refugees we host - more than 3.5 million - they are still not denied access to the labor market, nor the health and education services which are paid for by the government.
H.E. Mr. Bakhitbek Shabarbayev Ambassador, Kazakhstan On March 2, Kazakhstan celebrated the 23rd anniversary of its acceptance to the United Nations. Kazakhstan soon became a member of almost all UN agencies, two regional commissions (UNECE and UNESCAP), and was periodically elected to a number of the functional commissions of ECOSOC. In addition, Kazakhstan became a member of the Executive Boards of UNICEF, UNESCO and UN-Women. Between 2013 and 2015, Kazakhstan is a member of the UN Human Rights Council. In 2013, Kazakhstan officially announced its candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 20172018. As a regional leader and global partner in matters of energy security, and a valuable contributor to international peacekeeping missions, Kazakhstan intends to bring its experience to bear on some of the most pressing challenges currently facing the UN Security Council. Kazakhstan has actively participated in all major events and hosted
major international forums under the auspices of the UN. This includes the first global UN Conference for landlocked countries in 2003, the 63rd Session of UNESCAP in 2007, the WHO conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration on primary healthcare in 2008, the 18th General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization in 2009, and the 6th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development for Asia and the Pacific in 2010. In a sign of Kazakhstan’s strong contribution to the UN, in 2011, Kazakh representative, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was appointed to the post of UN Deputy Secretary General. He also served as Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva and Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament. In December 2014, Kazakhstan took another important step when President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a draft law establishing the country’s official development aid programme KazAID. This marked Kazakhstan’s transition from being an aid recipient to an aid donor. The country has started implementing the Millennium Development Goals Plus (MDG+) agenda. Kazakhstan has already achieved some of the MDGs, including those on poverty reduction, access to primary education and promotion of women’s rights. President Nazarbayev at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly outlined Kazakhstan’s position on the most pressing international issues and voiced proposed solutions. He proposed the creation of 2045 Global Strategic Initiative Plan, transforming ECOSOC into
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the Global Development Council, establishing, under UN auspices, a global network to counter terrorism and extremism, transferring the UN headquarters to Asia. Kazakhstan is among the countries where it could be relocated. President also put forward the proposal that each state annually transfers 1% of its defense budget to a Special UN Fund for sustainable development, which was highly appraised by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
H.E. Prof. Julius Kibet Bitok High Commissioner, Kenya On behalf of the Government and the People of Kenya, I would like to congratulate the United Nations in Pakistan as it celebrates the 70th Anniversary of the formation of the United Nations. Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate the management and staff of the United Nations in Pakistan as they celebrate this momentous occasion with their peers throughout the world. I wish to also applaud the great work of all UN affiliate organizations working
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throughout Pakistan, sometimes under difficult circumstances while providing humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable in the Pakistani society. Your continued sacrifice to ensure a more peaceful, prosperous and safe world where justice and human rights prevail would never be in vain. Kenya has and continues to work with the United Nations in many areas ranging from Peace and Security, Economic Development and Social and Cultural fields. Indeed Kenya and its people are proud hosts to the largest UN offices outside of New York and Geneva. Nairobi is host to the United Nations Headquarters in Africa from where most UN operations in Africa are coordinated. Most importantly, Kenya has for many years collaborated with the UN in areas of peace and security. Kenya has taken part in several UN peacekeeping missions throughout the world; including Namibia, East Timor, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and many others. Today, Kenya has close to 4500 troops inside Somalia under African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) where we are working closely with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) to bring Peace, Security and state building in Somalia. Finally, Kenya has on several occasions taken part in providing humanitarian assistance in Pakistan most notably during natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. In the future, we hope to work closely with the UN offices in Pakistan in order to respond faster whenever such calamities occur. Happy 70th anniversary!
Mr. Kubanychek Toktorbaev Chargé d’Affaires, Kyrgyz Republic The Kyrgyz Republic has joined the United Nations (UN) in March 2, 1992, in accordance with the General Assembly resolution no. 46/225. The Kyrgyz Republic considers the United Nations as a universal and authoritative international organization. The UN is a centere for solving the problems of peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, the implementation of cooperation in solving problems of development, poverty reduction, promotion of human rights, environmental protection, disease control, and many other challenges and problems of mankind.The Kyrgyz Republic with the UN interacts through the prism of national priority areas – sustainable mountain development, green development, socio-economic issues the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the development of sustainable development goals for the post2015 period, the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and security issues, water-energy issues, reclamation of uranium tailings, and others.The most significant events of the membership of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations is the adoption of the following General Assembly’s Resolutions initiated by the
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Kyrgyz Republic, “The celebration of the millennium of the Kyrgyz national epic” Manas “in 1995”, “the International year of mountains, in 2002” (53rd session), “Preparation for the International Year of Mountains (55th session), Sustainable development in the mountain regions (58th session), Assistance to the poor mountain countries to overcome obstacles in socio-economic and ecological areas (59th session), Sustainable mountain development (60th, 62nd, 64th, 66th, 68th sessions),Celebration of the Year of the Kyrgyz statehood (57th session, World Day of Social Justice (62nd session), On the role of the international community in the prevention of the radiation threat in Central Asia (68th session) The number of resolutions on the zonefree of nuclear weapons in Central Asia, these initiatives have helped to raise awareness of the international community not only to the country as well as to its culture, history and to the problems of mountainous countries in general. The Kyrgyz Republic was elected several times to various elected bodies of the UN and the governing structures of its specialised agencies including,The General Committee of the UN, The UN Council on Human Rights, The UNEP Governing Council, The Committee on Conferences, The Executive Board of UNDP/UNFP, Commission on Drugs, The Commission on the Prevention of Crime and Criminal Justice, Commission on the Status of Women, The Commission on Sustainable Development;The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, International telecommunication Union Radio Regulation Board of the International Telecommunication union.Currently, the Kyrgyz Republic is a member of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding
of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards for Accounting and Reporting. During 2010-2011, the Kyrgyz Republic carried out a vigorous campaign to promote his candidacy for non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the term of 2012-2013. As of the voting results held in October 21, 2011 during the 66th session of the UN General Assembly, Kyrgyz candidacy did not receive the required number of votes and therefore, conceding to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In April 2, 2013, the Kyrgyz Republic has put forward its candidacy to the UN Council on Human Rights for the term 2016-2018, the elections of which will be held in the framework of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in October-November 2015 in New York. Since its interdependence there are various specialized agencies, organizations and programs of the United Nations entities had established their offices in the Kyrgyz Republic -UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNIFEM, The Structure of UNWOME, UNHCR, UNODC and others. The activities of the UN agencies in the Kyrgyz Republic implanting based on periodically adopted by the UN the country program of cooperation – “framework for assisting in the development of the Kyrgyz Republic” (UNDAF). The amount of the actual grant funding by the UNDAF-1 for the period of 20052011 was more than 217 million US dollars. The indicative amount of the planed grant funds by the UN to UNDAF-2 for the period of 2012-2017 is 186.9 million US dollars. In 2002, H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General and twice in 2012 visited the Kyrgyz Republic.
H.E. Ms. Mona Adnan El Tanir Ambassador, Lebanon On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the United Nation, I, as an Ambassador of Lebanon to Islamabad would like to say that Lebanon became a member state of UN on 24 October 1945, almost 70 years ago. From that day till now, the United Nations lawmakers have achieved most of their goals and are still working hard for a glorious future. The organization which started with 51 member states now hosts up to 193 member states. During the last 70 years of its existence it has reached every corner of the world. We want the world’s leaders to commit stronger action for human rights, education, peacekeeping, refugees and displaced people, reproductive health, child labour, youth employment, gender equality, women’s empowerment. Personally, I focus on the reproductive health and rights which are essential to sustainable development and must be at the center of our agenda. This is important because if a woman is able to exercise her reproductive rights she is able to enjoy other freedoms and opportunities. Additionally, we must not forget about the youth of Pakistan, which make up 64% of the total population. UNDP is providing a platform for the empowerment
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and development of youth. Empowering the youth will ensure long term economic growth in the country. What we need urgently from the UN is to deal with the refugees all around the world. Increased efforts are required from UN and member states in this regard. Let us work together to promote peace, justice, basic, civil, political, social and cultural rights that human being should enjoy. Finally we must increase our efforts to stop violence, discrimination, war, drugs, crimes and child labour.
H.E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem High Commissioner, Maldives The 70th anniversary of the United Nations will culminate with a high-level segment of the General Assembly this week. It is a time for reflections on the world body’s many achievements as well as failures. That will include its work to rebuild the world organization in the aftermath of world war, to scores of development and health programs as well as peacekeeping efforts. The Republic of Maldives, which became independent from Britain on 26 July 1965, submitted its application for membership of the UN on 26 August 1965. Just 10 countries sponsored Maldives’ application. They were Australia,
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Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malta, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. It was admitted as the 117th Member of the UN on 21st September 1965, as the ‘smallest’ member state at the time of admission. The population of Maldives then was a mere 97,000 people compared to close to 350,000 now. The Maldives flag was raised at the United Nations in the presence of Mr. U Thant, the then UN Secretary-General, on the day of admission. Present at the ceremony were the first Maldivian delegation, including Permanent Representative Mr. Ahmed Hilmy Didi and delegates, Mr. Abdul Sattar Moosa Didi and Mr. Ahmed Ismail. At a time it was unthinkable that a small country in the Indian Ocean could possibly join the United Nations, the decision-making form of the world. But when it did happen, the significance was not lost on our first Permanent Representative, Mr. Ahmed Hilmy Didi. In his inaugural statement, He said: “We are proud to be the smallest Member of this body of nations. This has proved that whatever the size of a country or its population, a free State can make contribution to the cause of coexistence. A handful though we are, we dedicate ourselves to the principles of this world body and declare our faith in the support of the Charter of the United Nations.” For many of the small countries in the world, the occasion provided an opportunity to recall how Maldives gave them a voice – and an opportunity to help solve some of the biggest challenges of our time, in which they themselves are involved or effected in one way or the other. Indeed, my country’s story well represents this phenomenon. Like so many others after World War II, we were forced to reconcile a history of foreign domination with our desire for self-gov-
ernance. For the Maldives, U.N. membership had special significance during a time increasingly dominated by a tug-ofwar between competing superpowers because we were not a “traditional” colony, but a protectorate. Thus, independence and U.N. membership, gave us not only legitimacy and autonomy, but also, most importantly, security that was indispensable to navigate in a globalising world. In fact, coming as it did, at a time of rapid decolonization, larger countries, some members of the Security Council, expressed skepticism over the ability of so-called ‘microstates’ to engage fully at the world body. This debate persisted, and I guess one could say, left us feeling like we had something to prove. The value of such mutual understanding – and U.N. membership – came to the fore in 1987, when Maldives’ capital, Male’, was struck by unprecedented flooding as a result of tidal waves. In response, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, our president at the time, launched a study and discovered man-made global warming was likely causing sea level rise, which contributed to the tidal surge. He brought the issue to the attention of world leaders at the Commonwealth summit in Vancouver in 1987, the first time the issue was deliberated at such a high level forum. At this summit, President Gayoom spoke about the sea-level rise and the fear that it could cause the ‘death of a nation’. The access afforded by U.N. membership then allowed Maldives to rally support from many other small island states for a global push to take action on global warming. President Gayoom also met with the Commonwealth Secretary General and won support for the first Small Island State Conference on Sea Level rise. Island state ministers and scientists from around the world attended the meeting
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and they issued the ‘Male’ Declaration’, one of the seminal documents in the international effort to address global warming. Maldives would go on to be one of the most vocal advocates for a treaty to reduce the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. In fact, since January this year it is serving as chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), a coalition of low-lying island and coastal nations from around the world. Years of inaction have made many climate impacts unavoidable. But, if not for the leadership of small island states, made possible by their U.N. membership, any solution at all might well already be out of reach. We have taken a similar approach to other challenges, such as the mechanism we proposed to deal with security challenges faced by island states; the risk climate change poses to the enjoyment of human rights; and the inadequacy of the U.N.’s development measurements. The incumbent President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s bold initiatives of economic diversification, youth empowerment, and democratic consolidation have helped build resilience in our fragile islands, which rely heavily on the marine sectors of fisheries and tourism. During the last 50 years, we stood for the voiceless too. We helped to identify the undeniable link between the full enjoyment of human rights. We also championed the cause of Palestine. Maldives remain committed to working with other countries in demonstrating our commitment to the values and principles enshrined in the UN Charter to achieve the noble objectives of the world body. We also renew our commitment to work towards world peace and in making the international system more favourable for the needs of small states.
Mr. Adam Koodoruth Chargé d’Affaires, Mauritius The Republic of Mauritius, a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) situated in the Southwest Indian Ocean, achieved its independence on 12 March 1968. On 24 April 1968, as a strong proponent of multilateralism, Mauritius joined the UN as its 124th Member. Non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries, territorial integrity, national sovereignty, peaceful co-existence, equality among States, respect for human rights and belongingness to the African Continent are the cardinal elements of the Foreign Policy of Mauritius. The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Mauritius is active on a number of projects. Climate change, protection of bio-diversity and the coastal-marine environment are high on the agenda. The UN and its agencies have been providing Mauritius important assistance and capacity-building programs in order to tackle new threats like human trafficking, narco-trafficking, cyber-crime, money laundering etc. In the field of Human Rights, UN assistance in the implementation
of the core Human Rights Conventions, and the recommendations of the various Treaty Bodies are worth mentioning. The ILO and IOM have been jointly helping Mauritius devise policies on employment and migration. The FAO and the WHO have been supporting the objectives of food security and the prevention of communicable diseases. Our Parliamentarians are also being empowered through the provisions of UN specific country-driven programs, for the uplifting of women and the provision of free universal education from pre-primary to tertiary levels. Mrs. Bibi Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim, GCSK, CSK, PhD, the President of Mauritius and Mrs Santi Bai Hanoomanjee, G.C.SK the Speaker of the National Assembly are also helping in this process. All in all, the UN and its specialized agencies are providing vital assistance to Mauritius. Above all, the UN provides a platform whereby the voice and concerns of Small Island Developing States like Mauritius are heard and solutions agreed regionally/multilaterally.
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H.E. Mr. Win Naing Ambassador Myanmar On the occasion of its 70th anniversary, I am pleased to express my sincere congratulations to the United Nations – sole and single organization composed of the countries of the world for its long-standing endurance and resilience in serving various interests of the people in this planet. After having bitter experiences of the two world wars, the organization emerged mainly to prevent hostility among the countries. In addition to this, we can see the world today is replete with new challenges and opportunities. While gaining the rapid progress in information technology worldwide and maintaining vertical non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, we are encountering the negative impact on the natural environment and climate and uncertainty of global economy which threatening our communities, weakening our families and individuals everywhere, regardless of hemisphere or region and whether they live in developed or developing countries situated in the North, South, East or West. Hence, many need greater support from this organization for these environmental and economic shocks. The agenda of the United Nations has accordingly expanded its operational focus to ad-
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dress the multifaceted challenges of climate change, food security, global pandemics and the economic and financial crisis in its all offices around the world. Like other missions, we, the Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, are cooperating with the United Nations and its agencies and international organizations based in Islamabad at possible maximum extent for further achievements of the goals and objectives of the Organization towards the betterment of our people of all countries.
H.E. Mr. Bharat Raj Paudyal Ambassador, Nepal The United Nations was launched 70 years ago on 24 October 2015. The founding objectives of the world organization were maintenance of international peace and security, and creating of rule-based international order so that no future generations should bear a repeat of the devastation caused by World War II. Nepal has remained both partner and beneficiary in all three pillars of the UN: peace, development and human rights. Nepal subscribes to the ideals of the United Nations, and adheres to its principles and objectives in letter
and spirit. They essentially constitute the core of our foreign policy principles. Ever since Nepal’s entry into the UN in 1955, it has responded enthusiastically to the call of the United Nations for maintaining international peace. Nepalese peace keeping forces, police and civilian personnel have left a distinct mark through their professionalism and dedication to the cause of world peace. Dozens of our brave soldiers have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. For several years, Nepal has stood as one of the major troop contributing countries to the UN peace keeping operations in different parts of the world. Similarly, Nepal has benefited from the UN Mission during 2007-2010 for monitoring of arms and combatants as Nepal transitioned to a peaceful democratic order. Our cooperation and collaboration with the UN human rights mechanism have remained living examples in the field of promotion and protection of human rights. Nepal continues to benefit from United Nations assistance and cooperation in the field of socio-economic development, preservation of culture and heritage, conservation of environment, fighting against diseases and pandemics, improvement of food security and nutrition, welfare of children, women, and working people, protection of refugees, and so forth. On its 70th anniversary, I wish to reiterate Nepal’s commitment to the principles enshrined in the United Nations charter and our resolve to contribute to make a more peaceful and harmonious world.
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H.E. Ms. Jeannette Seppen Ambassador, Netherlands Seventy years ago the world came together to ensure that the ravages and horrors that had been just lived through by much of the world’s population could not be repeated. Seventy years ago the United Nations was created. It came into being as a collective determination to end horrendous suffering and violence. In less than half a century, not once, but twice, much of the world’s population had been subjected to the untold suffering brought on it by total war. As a result of the Second World War, which lasted almost six years, millions of people were killed, murdered and exterminated, and an even greater number of people found themselves dispossessed and displaced. At this time of multiple crises, the UN-spirit of maintaining peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, and achieving international co-operation in solving international problems remains just as imperative. The Kingdom of the Netherlands has been committed to the institution of the UN from its very beginning. The Kingdom of the Netherlands sees the UN as an essential vehicle to achieve a peaceful and just world. Through
its engagement in the UN and elsewhere, the Kingdom of the Netherlands strives to promote justice for all and freedom from fear and want. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is committed to honor the pledges made in the UN Charter. It is committed to respecting “We the People”, to upholding fundamental human rights, supporting the institutions of justice, and promoting social progress and equality. Therefore, on the 24th of October, as a tribute to the 70th year anniversary of the UN, the Peace Palace in The Hague was lit bright blue. In celebrating this moment, let us all come together to commit to supporting the UN and what it represents. And let us do so for the years to come!
H.E. Mr. Tore Nedrebø Ambassador, Norway The United Nations has been very important for Norway since the start. We were one of the 50 countries to sign the UN Charter in June 1945 and are very happy to celebrate 70 years since ratification of the charter on 24 October 1945. The Norwegian lawyer and politician Trygve Lie was the United Nation’s first Secretary General from 1946 to 1953 and famously described it as “the most difficult job in the world”.
Lie sought to make his office a “source for peace”, which is still highly relevant today. Since 1945, Norway has participated in more than twenty-five UN peacekeeping operations. More than 50,000 Norwegian troops have served in these operations. Norway is the sixth largest contributor to the UN system, both through core funding and program support. Norway has a fundamental interest in a well-functioning global legal order in which right prevails over might and where relations between states is governed by binding standards, conventions and legislation. We believe that a stronger UN is the best investment for peace, security, development and promotion of human rights. All member states are owners of the UN and have a common responsibility to make the UN more effective and strengthen the organization’s role as guardian of international peace and security, international law and justice, human rights, humanitarian principles and sustainable development. The Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad is working closely with several UN organizations, especially through our development program. We have a Women Economic Empowerment Program with UN Women. Through UNODC the Norwegian Embassy in Pakistan is supporting the Punjab Police Department to improve training and investigation capacities. In disaster management and capacity building, we are cooperating with the World Food Program (WFP) and UNOCHA. The Embassy will also engage with UNDP in Community Based Disaster Risk Management and other projects. The UN organizations will continue to be our close development partners in the years ahead.
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H.E. Mr. Daniel R. Espiritu Ambassador, Philippines
Dr. Joao Paulo Sabido Costa Chargé d’Affaires, Portugal
The Philippines was one of the founding members of the United Nations. The ideals of the UN, which is to maintain peace and amity among nations, is ingrained in the Filipino spirit. Seventy years after its founding, the Philippines remains an active member of the UN. The Philippines has been very supportive of the UN mission of maintaining international peace and security; it has deployed contingents to various UN peacekeeping missions worldwide, including the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). The country has also been an active partner in promoting sustainable development. Since protection of human rights has always been one of the pillars of Philippine law, the UN has found an ally in the Philippines in advancing this cause. Upholding international law and respect for the rule of law is the cornerstone of Philippine policy and the country has always supported the UN in this field. The Philippines stands ever ready to help in delivering humanitarian aid together with the UN in times of distress. The years may pass, but the UN and the Philippines will remain steadfast to the shared ideals that bind them.
Portugal is a Member of the United Nations since 14th December 1955. After the political events of 25th April 1974, a democratic system was finally installed and a new Constitution was adopted. On 23th March 1976 the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights became fully effective by law and on 9th March 1978 the some occurred with the content of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Our country is fully committed to the objectives of the United Nations Organization, cooperating with distinctive countries and groups of countries in order to achieve a universal compliance with its rules and spirit. Today the Charter of the United Nations remains as relevant as it was decades ago. In order to deal with crises we face today, we must base our search for fair, legal and lasting solutions in the ambitious principles of the Charter. As a Member of the European Union, Portugal plays an active role to promote international peace and cooperation. Our cultural ties with many countries in the world help
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us having a worldwide perspective and spirit of cooperation. The Portuguese language is the link that brings together the States belonging to the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries – Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa/CPLP. The Portuguese language is a vehicle for global communication, spoken by about 250 million people around the world. CPLP has the ambition of having Portuguese as an official language of the United Nations. Portugal is willing to engage in an effort to approach the main problems today faced by the international society today. We continue to witness events which we expected to see eradicated in the XXI century – large scale human rights violations, the deprivation of vast populations of their most elementary dignity and the disregard of basic international principles such as the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of states. As a Member of the Human Rights Council for the term 2015-2017, Portugal intends to keep on submitting a bold set of pledges and commitments that guide the discharge of our mandate, with the purpose of promoting and protecting the universality, indivisibility, inalienability and interdependence of all human rights – civil, cultural, economic, political and social. Peace and stability are an aim we cannot give up to achieve all around the world. Portugal continues to engage with the United Nations and all relevant instances in order to give a contribution to the peaceful and constructive settlement of all conflicts and disputes,
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when and where they occur. Protracted conflicts, like the one in the Middle East, deserve a special attention and the commitment of the international society with a view to a solution to be achieved based on the United Nation resolutions and spirit. Terrorist, extremist and radical groups deserve our most vehement repudiation and condemnation. This menace requires concerted and firm responses from the international community. Portugal is aware of the challenges of the Climate Change and of its implications for mankind. Together with the European Union, we will continue to work tireless towards the achievement, in 2015, of a fair, universal and legally binding climate agreement. We face the enormous challenge of renewing and building upon the Millennium Development Goals, with a view to the adoption of the post2015 Development Agenda. Nevertheless, the universality of the post 2015 agenda should not be synonymous with insensitivity to the specificities of the least developed and most vulnerable countries. Despite all the efforts, the reform of the United Nations Security Council has not yet materialized. Together we must find a solution, making the Security Council a body better representing today’s world. Portugal is, by tradition, a sea-faring nation and has adopted a new National Maritime Strategy focusing on «blue growth». We actively support the United Nations’ efforts on a sustainable management of the oceans and its resources.
I’m proud to mention a Portuguese that so well personifies the spirit and mission of the United Nations: former Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio. In May 2006, Mr. Sampaio was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General as his first Special Envoy for the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis. In April 2007, current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon designated him as High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, a position he held till September 2012. In 2010, he participated in the jury for the Conflict Prevention Prize awarded every year by the Fondation Chirac. In 2015, the selection Committee of the Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize has announced their selection of Dr. Helena Ndume of Namibia and H.E. Mr. Jorge Fernando Branco Sampaio of Portugal as the inaugural laureates of the first ever United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize. Finalizing my message, I take this opportunity to greet the United Nations Representations in Pakistan for the excellent work they perform, as well as the people and Authorities of this beautiful Country that we all learned to love.
H.E. Mr. Song, Jonghwan Ambassador, Republic of Korea On the 70th anniversary of establishment of the United Nations, I would like to congratulate the entire community of nations. The existence of the United Nations is a testament to humankind’s desire and ability to cooperate and improve itself. The United Nations was established in October 1945. Less than three years after its establishment, the United Nations supervised the first election in Korea and a played pivotal role in the establishment of the government of the Republic of Korea in August 1948. At this time the United Nations recognized the Republic of Korea as the only legitimate government on the Korean peninsula. When the Republic of Korea was invaded by North Korea in 1950, the United Nations Security Council unanimously condemned the invasion and sent UN troops to protect Korea. After the signing of the Armistice Agreement in July 1953, UN forces were stationed in the Republic of Korea in an effort to maintain peace on the Korean peninsula. Today, Korea plays its part in sup-
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porting the United Nations as one of the top providers of voluntary contributions by actively participating in peacekeeping operations. His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, is a former Foreign Minister from Korea. As Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Pakistan, it is a matter of honor and pride for me that Korean peacekeeping troops constitute a big part of the United Nations Military Observers Group in India & Pakistan (UNMOGIP). On its 70th anniversary, we appreciate all the good that the United Nations has done for humanity and are thankful for the efforts of its officials, who come from all over the world. It is my hope and prayer that the United Nations will be further strengthened and improved in the future and will play an even greater role in providing peace and progress to humans all over the world.
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H.E. Mr. Alexey Dedov Ambassador, Russian Federation On the eve of the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations, I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to congratulate all employees of the UN stationed in Pakistan with this jubilee. Despite the fact that the formation of the structure and functions of the Organization took place in a principally different international situation, the time has just proved their ultimate importance. Nowadays the activity of its various agencies, inter alia in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is in demand as never before and in some important cases it is simply irreplaceable. The cooperation with the UN structures operating in Pakistan is an integral part of the activities of the Russian Embassy in Islamabad. We have established particularly close interaction with the UNODC Office in Pakistan. The Federal Drug Control Service (FDCS) of the Russian Federation through its official representative accredited within the Russian Embassy regularly participates in the events under the aegis of the UNODC. Regional Anti-narcotics Conference (November 2012, Islamabad) and International
Anti-narcotics Seminar on the issue of Southern route of drug trafficking (January 2015, Islamabad) are the most remarkable in this regard. Over a period of last five years the Russian Embassy diplomats have been cooperating with the UNODC on the issues of drug addiction prevention and international control over precursors. For the discussion of topical issues of international anti-narcotics agenda the official representative of the FDCS in Pakistan maintains regular contacts with his UNODC counterparts and participates in all events organized by this Organization. Our diplomats participate in conferences and seminars held by the UNHCR, WFP, UNDP on a regular basis. It provides an opportunity for more detailed discussion of acute challenges the world is facing. We consider important to strengthen such cooperation as well as through participation in different projects, for example in solving humanitarian and ecological problems. In conclusion, I would like to wish to all UN employees in Pakistan a prosperous work for the sake of peace, security and progress.
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H.E. Mr. Carlos Morales Ambassador, Spain Spain is a global actor firmly committed to multilateralism and to the United Nations system. It is the 9th financial contributor to the United Nations budget, the 10th provider of assessed financial contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations and the 6th top donor to the UN system. Spain is committed to maintaining peace and security and to the promotion of dialogue and peaceful coexistence. Since 1989, over 130.000 members of the Spanish Armed Forces have contributed to 28 UN led Peacekeeping Operations, 17 led by the European Union and 5 by NATO. Spain is committed to the fight against poverty and to achieve sustainable human development. This goal has translated into substantial contributions to the global UN system and particularly to the UN programs and agencies working in Pakistan. The 900 million dollars Spain-UNDP Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund has since 2006 developed 130 programs in 50 countries providing help to over 20 million people. Spain is committed to gender
equality, having allocated since 2004 over 500 million dollars to this area through agencies such as UN Women or the Fund for Gender Equality with a contribution of 65 million dollars. Spain has allocated over 1.3 billion dollars to respond to humanitarian crises such as those affecting Pakistan through its contribution with troops and assistance in the 2005 earthquake. Furthermore, Spain provided 11 million euros of humanitarian aid and assistance (UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR, Save the Children) for the 2010 floods and another 3 million euros for those of 2011(FAO, WHO, UNICEF). New contributions came in 2013 for the disaster emergency relief fund and in 2014 in response to earthquakes in Baluchistan. Spain sits at the moment as a non-permanent member of the Security Council (2015-2016) with a working agenda consisting of the following lines of action: preventive diplomacy (Women, Peace and Security), peacekeeping and peacebuilding, protection of civilians and respect for International Humanitarian Law, human rights, death penalty eradication, non-proliferation and disarmament , combating terrorism, addressing new global challenges to international peace and security (cybersecurity, climate change, epidemics) and Security Council working methods. Spain also chairs the 1540 Resolution Committee.
H.E. Ms. Wijayanthi Edirisinghe Acting High Commissioner, Sri Lanka On behalf of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Islamabad and Consulate General of Karachi and my own behalf, I wish to convey my congratulations and gratitude on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations, the United Nations System in Pakistan. Sri Lanka was admitted as a member state of the UN on 14th December 1955. During last six decades Sri Lanka is enjoying and continues to make a development in the people of Sri Lanka with the support of UN System. The UN began its work in Sri Lanka in 1952 making it one of the first countries in the world to have a UN development programme. Sri Lanka, as a very active member state of the United Nations and the UN system maintain a mutually beneficial and interactive relationship. Sri Lanka helps to formulate and implement the UN’s policies throughout the world. On the other hand, the UN has consistently contributed to the economic, social and cultural progress of Sri Lanka and its people.
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Sri Lanka has been represented in the General Assembly, which includes representatives from all member countries. In the Security Council, Sri Lanka is contributing tremendously to the UN’s efforts to enhance global peace and security. Sri Lanka is one of the largest troops contributing country to the UN. Sri Lankan faces have served in Haiti, Cote d’Ivoire, Sudan, Western Sahara, Mozambique, and Timor-Leste, Liberia under the blue helmets. Sri Lanka is a signatory to most of the important UN Conventions. Also Sri Lanka as a member state has proposed and accepted resolutions adopted by UN system. Sri Lankan employees work in the Agencies and on governing councils of UN. For more than sixty years the UN’s Specialised Agencies have supported the development of Sri Lanka with technical expertise, financial assistance, and during times of natural and manmade disaster. Sri Lanka now leads South Asia in most developmental indicators, and the UN’s resident agencies in Sri Lanka continue to work with the government on elemental issues such as food security, agriculture, education, health, and the environment – things that effect life every day for the citizens of this country. UN system has worked with the government in peace-building efforts and reconstruction and rehabilitations of the war effected area in Sri Lanka. I wish a very happy 70th anniversary to the United Nations.
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H.E. Mr. Tomas Rosander Ambassador, Sweden We share a common destiny, and we have to act together to tackle global challenges. The role of the UN for global peace and security is paramount. The organization – providing universal membership – has a legitimacy unlike any other. This is why a strong support to the UN is and will remain a cornerstone in Swedish foreign policy. Our support is manifested in many ways. In 2013 we were the sixth largest provider of assessed and voluntary contributions to the UN system, more than 80 000 Swedes have served in the UN peacekeeping missions, and we deliver on global commitments, with 1% of GNI in official development assistance, ambitious climate change action and a generous asylum policy. This is also why Sweden stands as a candidate for a seat in the UN Security Council for the period of 2017-2018. We want to engage even further in finding solutions to the global threats to international peace and security. These threats are no longer limited to war and armed conflicts, but also include violent extremism, epidemics, climate change and the
breach of human rights. We share a common destiny and we have to act together for the common good. The UN, with all its imperfections and flaws, is our best chance to do so. Sweden is very active in the discussions on the reform and fine-tuning of the UN to make it an even better asset. I would like to conclude with the words of the late Swedish Secretary-General of the UN, Dag Hammarskjöld, who has left a rich and profound legacy, serving as a beacon for Swedish activities within the UN system, ”We should…recognize the United Nations for what it is – an admittedly imperfect but indispensable instrument of nations working for peace evolution towards a just and secure world order.”
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H.E. Mr. Marc Pierre George Ambassador, Switzerland It is my pleasure and privilege to represent my country at “United Nations 70: partnering for people’s development” between the 9th and 18th of October here in Islamabad, celebrating the 70th birthday of the United Nations. Switzerland, through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), has been supporting Pakistan in its development and humanitarian activities since 1966, currently focusing more on the two most underprivileged areas in the north west of Pakistan, namely Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Over the years, we have been implementing many joint projects (as part of bilateral cooperation in Pakistan) with various UN agencies. In the aftermath of the earthquake 2005, UNICEF and SDC constructed 56 hazard-proof schools in Districts Mansehra and Batagram, which directly benefitted around 7,000 children. The UNICEF and SDC also introduced and strengthened awareness about mitigation of disaster related risks through inte-
gration of knowledge in curriculum, and also through water, sanitation and hygiene related activities. In response to the floods 2010, my country in collaboration with UNICEF, constructed four Temporary Shelter Schools in District Swat, where it was difficult to construct permanent structures. Today, in partnership with UNICEF, we are working on improving the effects of water, sanitation and hygiene activities and mitigating the risks factors in the District of Charsadda, Our Development and Cooperation Office, in partnership with WFP, implemented a project on ensuring food security and improving livelihood of the vulnerable communities, especially women, in Chail Valley, District Swat of Pakistan. Due to its significance, the project has been accepted as a model for replication in other parts of the country. WFP and SDC will upscale this approach in Bajour and Mohmand Agencies in FATA. Switzerland, in collaboration with UNDP, is also improving the living conditions and livelihood of crisis affected population in southern districts of KP. We are also contributing in the UNDP’s rule of law project, which is supporting the Government of KP in its efforts to stabilise the Malakand Division by strengthening the capacity of its police, its legal institutions and ensuring vulnerable population to have increase access to justice. Through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation we provide expert knowledge support to various UN agencies, such as UNICEF, WFP, UNOCHA, UNHCR, and UNHABITAT in numerous thematic areas. One example was
the seconding and financing of an Expert on Disaster Risk Reduction to the UNICEF Pakistan Office. In other examples of support over the years we provided (a) an Expert on Cash Transfer to WFP, (b) an Advisor on Early Recovery and Resilience Building to UNHABITAT, (c) an Expert on Communication to UNOCHA, and (d) an Expert on Migration/Protection to UNHCR. Finally Switzerland through SDC provides also annual core contributions to other multilateral partners including WFP, UNHCR, and UNICEF.
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H.E. Mr. Adel Elarbi Ambassador, Tunisia Tunisia’s contributions to peacekeeping operations of the United Nations are an illustration of its attachment to international legality and its commitment to the principles and objectives of the United Nations considered as one of the most important fundamentals of Tunisian foreign policy. Indeed, as a peace loving country, Tunisia pays great importance to UN operations for peacekeeping and peace building contributions since its independence. In this regard, Tunisian forces participated under the aegis of the United Nations in several missions of peacekeeping in different parts of the world, sometimes in very difficult and dangerous conditions. We can proudly say that they always fulfilled their assignments properly and professionally, which honored them and deserved the respect and consideration of the various UN bodies and recognition of the citizens of the countries concerned. Indeed, since 1960, only four years after the independence of Tunisia, our military forces participated in 17 peacekeeping operations under the flag of the United Nations.
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The first mission was in Congo (MONUC) while gripped by a civil war following the proclamation of its independence. Tunisia has furthermore participated in 14 operations with UN forces. The most important was the mission of the UN in Cambodia (1992-1993) after the civil war experienced by that country. The Tunisian medical team that accompanied the contingent had provided care to more than ten thousand sick and wounded victims of the Cambodian conflict. Alongside its military and humanitarian missions, Tunisian forces were also responsible for ensuring the proper conduct of elections. Tunisian forces also participated in peacekeeping operations in Somalia with a contingent of 250 soldiers who contributed between 1993 and 1994 in the operation “restore hope”. They also took part in peacekeeping operations in Rwanda with a contingent of 500 soldiers. In 2001, the Tunisian regiments participated with UN Observer officers for peacekeeping missions in Eritrea and Ethiopia. In 2003, Tunisian observers and brigade officers contributed in peacekeeping operations in Cote d’lvoire. Tunisia has also contributed military forces to United Nations peacekeeping missions, including an army company to UNAMIR during the Rwandan Genocide. Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the United Nations reported that the headquarters of the mission in Port-au-Prince had collapsed and that the mission’s chief, Hédi Annabi, from Tunisia, died
while assuring his noble duties. Recently and during the 2011 Libyan civil war, Tunisian forces, mostly border guards, played a key role in collaboration with the UNHCR and many NGOs to assure security, accommodation and food for thousands of Libyan and other foreign citizens, refugees and asylum-seekers when Tunisia declared that the country’s borders are open for all nationalities attempting to flee Libya. The UNHCR worked side by side with Tunisian authorities, Tunisian Red Crescent and many Tunisian volunteers to provide immediate assistance, including first aid and psycho-social care to new arrivals, which were evacuated to their respective countries or to other destinations. My country hosts many events, conferences and expeditions every year to commemorate and make people more aware of the achievements of the United Nations for peace keeping in the world and also to pay tribute to Tunisia’s contribution to UN peacekeeping operations. The Embassy of Tunisia in Pakistan is usually open and ready to collaborate with the United Nations office in Pakistan. There are many fields in which we can work together such us culture heritage and gender equality. By our common efforts I am sure that we can make miracles. Thank you very much.
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H.E. Mr. Atadjan Movlamov Ambassador, Turkmenistan On behalf of the Government and People of Turkmenistan and on my own behalf I congratulate all representatives of UN member states on the auspicious occasion 70th Anniversary of the United Nations Organization. For Turkmenistan UN is not only the most representative International structure but also an important platform for consolidating coherent international efforts with a view to address key issues of the global agenda, it is also a supporting pillar of all modern system of global interaction, guarantor of preserving and ensuring peace and balancing interests in international arena and stability of current security architecture. It is very remarkable, that this year Turkmen people celebrate the 20th Anniversary of adoption by UNGA of the Resolution “On permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan,” dated December 12, 1995. And in early June of the current year, the General Assembly of the United Nations re-adopted the Resolution “Permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan” in which the international community welcomed the positive influence of the Turkmen
neutrality and its initiatives on the stable transit of energy and creation of reliable transport and communication corridors. As some of significant results of Turkmenistan’s neutral status and its interaction with UN in practice we can mention the establishment of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in December 2007 in Ashgabat, which considerably expanded opportunities for development and implementation of progressive interstate models of interaction based on universally recognized norms of international law. As you know, in the second half of the 1990s, in collaboration with UN, Turkmenistan became the arena of the peaceful talks between the Government and the armed opposition of Tajikistan, resulted in singing of the peaceful agreement in 1997 in Moscow. A number of successful inter-afghan peace talks between Taliban and the Northern Alliance with active involvement of UN were held in Ashgabat at end of 1990s. Nowadays also, Turkmenistan stands for peaceful settlement of the Afghan conflict and offers its political space for inter-afghan peaceful negotiations. Within the framework of UN, Turkmenistan and Pakistan are actively cooperating on major matters of global development. Being two brotherly countries with unique commonalities of historical and cultural nature, Turkmenistan and Pakistan have constructive approaches to priority issues of our time, and their political views on many of these issues coincide or are similar.
H.E. Mr. Volodymyr Lakomov Ambassador, Ukraine We command the path the UN has gone through in 70 years of its existence. Ukraine is proud of its role as one of the UN founding Member States. In recent times, following the aggression from the Russian Federation, Ukraine worked intensively with Member States for safeguarding its borders and saving its citizens. On 27 March 201 the UN General Assembly released the Resolution 68/262 “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”. Through this resolution, the General Assembly affirmed its commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and called upon all States to desist and refrain from actions aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including any attempts to modify Ukraine’s borders through the threat or use of force or other unlawful means. On the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations we reaffirm Ukraine’s unconditional commitment
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and readiness to continue contributing to the implementation of the purpose enshrined in the United Nations Charter to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. The achievement of this objective will be the cornerstone of Ukraine’s non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in 2016-2017, which is an extremely important diplomatic victory for Ukraine. Ukraine is grateful to the UN Member States for the support of the candidature of our country at the elections of the UN Security Council and calls for their continued support to halt the aggression against Ukraine in order to restore peace in the region.
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H.E. Mr. Philip Barton High Commissioner, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland The UK is delighted to continue to play a leading role in the United Nations in 2015, nearly 70 years since its first meeting in London in 1946. The UK often talks about the pride we have in our role in the United Nations. We are one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, we are the second largest donor to the United Nations, and in 2013, 10% of global aid was delivered by the UK. In fact, we are the only country in the world to meet both UN and NATO spending targets. But, for me, and for the UK government and people, the real value of the UK impact in the UN is felt by the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the world. That is why the UK put so much effort into supporting the creation of the 17 Global Goals, why we started and led the End Sexual Violence in Conflict campaign, and why we work so hard to support the work of the United Nations around the world, including in Pakistan. It is hard to exaggerate the importance of the role the UN has played in maintaining peace and security in a fractious world over the last 70 years. I pay tribute to the people of the UN around the world – who, every day, make a real difference to the lives of so many people.
H.E. Mr. Richard Olson Ambassador, United States of America Throughout my career in diplomacy, I have had many opportunities to work with the United Nations and see its vital work up close. In Africa, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and here in Pakistan, I have witnessed firsthand the important role the UN plays in the world. At the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, where we work with the government of Pakistan and its people on health, education, agriculture, and other issues, we have accomplished far more by working hand in hand with our UN partners. The promise of the UN – to advance peace, security, and development – made at its founding 70 years ago is alive and well and continuing to deliver for Pakistan, the United States, and all over the world. The origin of the words “United Nations” is a source of pride for Americans. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt first used the name at the end of 1941, when the world was in the midst of World War II, to describe the allies fighting the war. Shortly after, on New Year’s Day 1942, representatives of 26 nations signed the Declaration of United Nations, making a pledge to continue to fight the Axis Powers. Just
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three years later, at the end of the war, another 24 countries joined the United States and our partners in San Francisco to sign the UN Charter. With that, the modern United Nations was born. What had been simply a declaration on paper became a living, breathing entity with an abiding commitment to peace and prosperity for all. Although we have not seen a global clash of the nature of the Second World War since the UN’s birth, there have been conflicts – horrific ones – that have reminded us of the importance of working together to avoid the use of arms and proven the necessity of cooperation and collaboration. The UN provides a way to address our national differences without going to war. When we signed the UN charter 70 years ago, we made a commitment to diplomacy and to work with all nations and people to find ways to resolve our differences peacefully. “Out of the ashes of the Second World War, having witnessed the unthinkable power of the atomic age, the United States has worked with many nations … to prevent a third world war -- by forging alliances with old adversaries; by supporting the steady emergence of strong democracies accountable to their people instead of any foreign power; and by building an international system that imposes a cost on those who choose conflict over cooperation, an order that recognizes the dignity and equal worth of all people.” - President Barack Obama, Remarks to the United Nations General Assembly, September 28, 2015. Since 1945, the UN has shifted how the world thinks and operates. It has given member nations strong tools to promote peace and prosperity. For example, the Universal Declaration of Hu-
man rights established that all human beings are entitled to certain inalienable rights. The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees mandated that displaced persons should have their rights and safety protected. And this year more than 150 world leaders adopted the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including its Sustainable Development Goals. We need the UN to continue to facilitate conversation between governments and people. That good work is evident in Pakistan. We rely upon UN Peacekeepers, like the thousands from Pakistan who travel the world to protect vulnerable populations. We depend on UN organizations like UNICEF, which works with the Pakistani government to bring support to children in rural areas. We all benefit from campaigns like HeForShe, the global effort to promote gender equality that thousands of young Pakistani men joined, along with men from all over the world. Pakistan joined the UN just one month after becoming an independent nation in 1947, and in the intervening years has played a key role in shaping the organization. The United States and Pakistan have worked together on many issues in the UN. We are both signatories to the convention on the rights of the Child, the Convention against Corruption, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Our good work together can and should continue. The U.S. commitment to Pakistan is long-standing and wide-ranging. We recognize the challenges facing Pakistan today and remain dedicated to working toward real solutions. Nearly two-thirds of the population of Pakistan is under the age of 35. Access to education and employment for young people poses a
unique hurdle for the nation. The energy crisis leaves millions of homes dark for hours each day and too many live under the very real and deadly threats of terrorism and violent extremism. Few have suffered more at the hands of terrorists and extremists than the people of Pakistan. For all the challenges, there is still a great deal of hope, and a great deal of promise, and the UN plays a key role in the way forward. When polio and dengue threaten lives, Pakistan works with the UN and United States to build awareness of vaccines. The United States and Pakistan work together with the UN to find ways to improve farming techniques so that no one goes hungry. Each time a school is attacked by terrorists who would choose to keep young people in a state of blind ignorance, we rebuild together. The UN was born from a sense that we, the people inhabiting our shared earth, could find solutions to our problems in ways that did not involve the senseless loss of lives. It is as important today as it was at its founding. For me, the UN embodies our hopes for a more peaceful planet and proves its worth in the critical work it does in Pakistan and around the world. For the United States, the UN is an indispensable tool for the promotion of peace and security, economic development, and human rights, to name just a few issues. We remain the UN’s largest contributor and are dedicated to a vision of the United Nations as the center of the international system. We have met the challenges of yesterday together, and together we will continue to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
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H.E. Mr. Ghaleb Bader Apostolic Nuncio, Holy See The commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations gives me an opportunity to underline the words of appreciation of four Popes who visited five times this global Organization: Paul VI in 1965, John Paul II in 1979 and 1995, Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, and Pope Francis in 2015. All of them expressed their great esteem for the Organization, which they considered the appropriate juridical and political response to this present moment of history, marked by our technical ability to overcome distances and frontiers and apparently, to overcome all natural limits to the exercise of power. Pope Francis during his recent visit to the United Nations headquarters stated, “I can only reiterate the importance which the Catholic Church attaches to this Institution and the hope which she places in its activities.” “The history of this organized community of states is one of important
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common achievements over a period of unusually fast-paced changes. Without claiming to be exhaustive, we can mention the codification and development of international law, the establishment of international norms regarding human rights, advances in humanitarian law, the resolution of numerous conflicts, operations of peace-keeping and reconciliation, and many number of other accomplishments in every area of international activity and endeavour […]. Certainly, many grave problems remain to be resolved […], but every one of these political, juridical and technical advances is a path towards attaining the ideal of human fraternity and a means for its greater realization.” For this reason, I join the Supreme Pontiff to pay homage to all those men and women whose loyalty and self-sacrifice have benefitted humanity as a whole in these past seventy years in service of the human being. In particular, I would like to recall those who gave their lives of peace and reconciliation among peoples. From Dag Hammarskjold to the many United Nations officials at every level who have been killed in the course of humanitarian missions, and missions of peace and reconciliation. I pray to Almighty God that this Institution, all its member States, and each of its officials, will always render an effective service to mankind, a service respectful of diversity and capable of bringing out, for sake of the common good, the best in each people and in every individual.
H.E. Mr. Walid Abu Ali, Ambassador, State of Palestine I would like to start by congratulating the United Nations on its 70th anniversary, I heartily congratulate this organization as it has made remarkable success to end conflicts and foster reconciliation by conducting successful peacekeeping operations in dozens of countries including Palestine where a continued struggle is going on for the basic right to freedom. On Thursday, 10th September 2015 the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favour for the flags of Palestine and Holy See, both of which had non-member observer status, to be hoisted alongside those of member states. In this occasion, Palestinians felt rewarded for their continued struggle to freedom and saw, in this important achievement, a symbolic recognition of their aspirations for
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statehood. Dr. Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Representative to the UN said ahead of vote: “It is symbolic thing, but another step to solidify the pillars of the State of Palestine in the international arena”. A few years earlier, on 29 November 2012, the date of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and the 65th anniversary of the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 181(II) on the Future Government of Palestine, Palestine was recognized the status of Non-Observer Member State. President Mahmoud Abbas said on that historic day, “the moment has arrived for the world to say clearly: enough of aggression, settlements and occupation,” as he called on the 193-member body to “issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine”. Indeed it was required, following Israel’s latest aggression against the Gaza Strip, the international community now faced “the last chance” to save the long elusive two-State solution, he said, adding: “the window of opportunity is narrowing and time is quickly running out”. Palestine came before the Assembly because it believed in peace, and because its people were in desperate need of it, he said, speaking ahead of the vote.Its endeavor to seek a change in status at the United Nations did not aim to terminate what remained of the long stagnant peace negotiations; instead, he said, it was aimed at trying to “breathe new life” into the process. Support for the resolution would also send a promising message to millions of Palestinians “that justice is possible and that there is a
reason to be hopeful”, he stressed. This resolution further stamped the status of the Palestinian Liberation Organization as the representative of the Palestinian people within the United Nations system. The motion was seen as largely symbolic, though it could allow Palestine to start formal proceedings at the International Criminal Court and to obtain full membership at UNESCO. The new status equated Palestine with that of the Holy See within the United Nations system and implicitly recognized Palestinian sovereignty. After all these achievements at the United Nations, now is the time for the international community to raise a strong voice against Israeli aggression against innocent Palestinians and it should fully support freedom for Palestine and demand that the Palestinian people be allowed to have their own State, and to have their pride and dignity restored. No matter what the world is doing for the Palestinian cause, but the day is not far, when Palestinians would have an Independent State of Palestine with Jerusalem AlQuds as its capital, for which their struggle has been and it will be forever till they get their desired result.
H.E. Mr. JeanFrançois Cautain Ambassador, European Union Freshly arrived in Pakistan, I am pleased to find out that there exists a long history of development cooperation between the EU and the UN family. This cooperation covers vastly different areas from trade related assistance, early recovery programmes to development and governance. Here is a brief picture covering the last five years in Pakistan. Trade related technical assistance (TRTA II) is our €11 million programme, operated by UNIDO, that started in 2009 and will end mid-2016. The programme’s objective is to support stronger participation of Pakistan in the multilateral trading system and in regional trade initiatives through trade policy reforms, while fostering employment and income-generating trade development strategies in Pakistan. In 2011, the UN agencies were granted two programmes. The Early Recovery Programme (ERP), a grant of €15 million now completed,was managed by UNDP and was aimed at restoring the capacities of local governments and communities in the flood-affected areas. The
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second grant, amounting to €40 million, was provided in support to the programme “Sustainable rural development in the refugee-affected and hosting areas” (RAHA) operated together by UNDP and UNHCR with the objective to improve livelihoods, rehabilitate the environment and enhance social cohesion within communities of refugee/IDP and hosting areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In the field of Governance, Democracy and Rule of Law, the EU supports two projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The Citizens Justice and Peace Programme (“KP rule of law programme”) started in September 2014 for 42 months (€14 Million). Its objective is to contribute to the strengthening of the KP responsiveness to citizens’ security and justice needs and to restore the trust between KP citizens and the state. This programme is partly implemented by UNDP. The “Support to Pakistan’s Action to Counter Terrorism (PACT)”, that started in the last quarter of 2015 for 36 months (€7.3 million), is expected to complement the KP rule of law programme and develop KP’s criminal justice institutions’ antiterrorism modus operandi and technical capacity. It will be implemented by UNODC. Looking ahead, we will be working together on some new programmes as well from next year onwards. A €20 million programme supporting Education in Balochistan will be partly implemented by UNICEF from 2016, for four years. A new programme “ILES” (12 Million €) will start from 2016 for six years under the coordination of ILO. It aims at
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supporting Pakistan in the enforcement and implementation of the international conventions related to labour rights and environment. Three projects are also being prepared with the FAO (approximately €7 million) to provide assistance in the fields of food security, sustainable agriculture, nutrition and land governance from 2016, for the next 3 years. To deal with humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Office (ECHO) has partnered with different UN Agencies e.g. World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, UNHCR, UN OCHA, FAO and WHO since it began its operations in the 1990s. Its partnership with UNICEF has focused on strengthening sectoral coordination, capacity building for nutrition, and support to the provision of associated supplies for management of acute malnutrition. ECHO’s partnership with WFP and FAO aims at analysing the food security situation through the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), coordinating the food security cluster (FSC) and funding interventions particularly Cash for Work (CfW) and General Food Distribution (GFD). ECHO has a long standing relationship with UNOCHA Pakistan and supports its mandate for strengthened information sharing, and principled humanitarian response. ECHO also supports UN-OCHA in developing a conducive environment for humanitarian actors. Our partnership with UNHCR emphasises support to Afghan refugees and IDPs through providing shelter and Non-
Food Items. ECHO has been supporting WHO to ensure access of population to primary health care in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in areas hosting displaced people from conflicted areas. ECHO will continue its humanitarian agenda in partnership with UN agencies to improve the resilience of populations in need. All of these programmes reflect how much the EU values its relationship with the UN family; both institutions working together for the benefit of the people of Pakistan.
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Development organizations
Mr. Werner E. Liepach Country Director, Asian Development Bank I congratulate the United Nations (UN) community and well-wishers in Pakistan on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the UN. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) works closely with various arms and programs of the UN. In Pakistan, we consider the UN an important ADB partner in the mission of reducing poverty, promoting prosperity and inclusive development. Over the years, the ADB has helped the Government, the private sector, the civil society and other partners in raising millions out of poverty through investments in the country’s infrastructure, energy security, and basic public services. Aligned with the country’s national development objectives, ADB’s Country
Partnership Strategy underscores the importance of increased collaboration among partners to attract investment, create jobs, and improve the quality of life of citizens. ADB and the UN are boosting trade and connectivity in the wider region under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program. The CAREC Program brings together 10 countries (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), supported by 6 multilateral institutions including the UN. The CAREC’s long-term vision is Good Neighbors, Good Partners, and Good Prospects. It helps Pakistan and its Central Asia neighbors realize their development potential by promoting regional cooperation in four priority areas: Transport, Trade Facilitation, Energy and Trade Policy. ADB, the UN, and other multilateral and bilateral development partners are also assisting Pakistan strengthen its disaster resilience, environmental and social safeguard capacity. At the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York on 29 September ADB, UNDP, and UNESCAP signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding to collaborate on Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). The MOU builds on the 10year Millennium Development Goals partnership. Earlier in September 2015 during a visit to headquarters in Manila, Philippines of UN Women’s Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, ADB and the UN Women announced to collaborate on a study that will track Asia and the Pacific’s progress in meeting its gender equality goals under the SDGs. Our partnership envisions renewed efforts to address the root causes of poverty and inequality and enable sustainable development that works for all people. I look forward to our continued partnership in the fight against poverty in Asia!
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Mr. Olivier Rousselle Director General, ECHO Pakistan is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world, with multiple disasters every year impacting the resilience of populations in need. The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Office (ECHO) has been operational in Pakistan since the 1990s by partnering with different UN Agencies e.g. World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, UNHCR, UN OCHA and FAO among other partners. The long-term partnership of DG ECHO with UNICEF has solely focused on strengthening sectoral coordination, capacity building for nutrition in emergencies, support to the UNICEF PCA (Partnership Cooperation Agreement) process including provision of associated supplies for management of acute malnutrition through the CMAM approach, until early 2014. A strategy shift was recommended after DG ECHO context analysis, towards supporting a comprehensive multi-sector humanitarian response geared towards direct management of undernutrition and its prevention through both immediate nutrition
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sensitive and long-term nutrition sensitive measures. The ECHO partnership with WFP and FAO aims at analyzing the food security situation through the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), coordinating the food security cluster (FSC) and funding interventions particularly Cash for Work (CfW) and General Food Distribution (GFD). Similarly, ECHO has a long standing relationship with UN-OCHA Pakistan and supports its mandate for strengthened information sharing and principled humanitarian response, based on strong analysis, ECHO also supports UN-OCHA in developing a conducive environment for humanitarian actors by building strong civil military coordination. Our partnership with UNHCR emphasizes support to Afghan refugees and IDPs through providing shelter and Non-Food Items (NFIs) to protracted and newly displaced populations and Afghan refugees besides, camp coordination. Owing to the poor health care in Pakistan, and its further overburdening by the conflict affected populations (IDPs), ECHO has been supporting WHO to ensure access of population to primary health care in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province particularly in areas hosting displaced people from conflicted areas. ECHO will continue its humanitarian agenda in partnership with UN agencies to improve the resilience of populations in need.
Mr. Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki Chief Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) The partnership between Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the United Nations System in Pakistan holds paramount significance when it comes to joining forces in tackling the development agenda of the Government of Pakistan. In order to continue the fight against polio, ever since 1996, Japan is extending annual grant aid to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for procurement of polio vaccines. Similarly, in year 2011, a loan worth 51 million USD was extended to the Government of Pakistan which was utilized by UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) for vaccines procurement and vaccinators’ remuneration respectively. This loan, on successful implementation, was repaid to JICA by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation instead of Pakistan under the scheme of loan conversion mechanism. Similarly, JICA has been an active companion of the Government of
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Pakistan in Disaster Risk Management especially after the devastating earthquake of 2005. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and JICA in order to further improve flood warning and management capacity of the Government of Pakistan for the upper and lower catchment of the Indus River, are working closely since 2011. Further, JICA is well aware of the estranged living conditions in Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas that has witnessed years of infighting resulting in exodus of local population and disturbance of the socio-economic fabric of the region. To mitigate the losses and bring life back to normalcy, JICA has undertaken numerous ventures including the one on agriculture extension in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is in full swing as of now. A similar venture is also undertaken in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for the recovery and development of the agricultural sector in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The synergetic partnership between JICA and the UN system has delivered and augmented the development agenda of each other’s mandate to assist Pakistan to improve her own situation. We at JICA intend to continue with this partnership for greater efficacy of our common development agenda.
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Our Partners
Non-governmental organizations
Dr. Sania Nishtar Founder and President, Heartfile I write this message of felicitation for the United Nations on its 70th anniversary in several capacities. As commission co-chair and advisor to the World Health Organization, as a former Federal Minister of the Government of Pakistan’s, having interfaced with several UN agencies and most recently, as Pakistan’s official candidate for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This is to pay rich tribute to an agency which has been a beacon for humanitarianism, a pillar of poverty eradication and development, and our port of call for peace and security, worldwide over the last 70 years. Its blue flag is where we pin our hopes for a lasting solution towards global peace, progress, and prosperity.
Mr. Iqbal Jatoi Country Manager, Right To Play Right To Play and United Nations (UN) are striving to achieve collective goals of development and peace in the world. Right To Play’s vision of “creating a safe and healthy world through the power of play” and its mission to “use sport and play to educate and empower children and youth to overcome the effects of poverty, conflict and disease in disadvantaged communities” reaffirm the principles of the Charter of United Nations. The partnership between Right To Play and UN widens to advocate the children’s right of access to, and participation in sport and play. The significance of play and sport has been recognized
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by different conventions of UN and the UN Office of Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP). Every year, Right To Play engages thousands of children in sport and play based activities around UN recognised International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), International Day of Peace and Universal Children’s Day. Right To Play is successfully using sport and play as a tool to empower marginalised sections of society and foster positive social change in more than 20 countries of the world. In Pakistan, the partnership with UN has been extended to girls’ education, child rights and social cohesion & resilience, all with the transformative power of play and sport. Contribution of sport and play for promotion of peace, sustainable development, disease prevention, education and gender equality is well established. As the role of sport becomes crucial in post-2015 development agenda, I foresee the partnership between Right To Play and United Nations strengthening at local and international level. I hope, sport and play will be prominently placed in new Sustainable Development Goals to contribute towards UN’s objectives for “Development & Peace”.
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Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) I always tell the few who don’t appreciate the UN’s presence that without UN the world would have been a complete mess. It is one of those institutions who are not only working for a better world, but also serving as a catalyst and producing different enablers of change. I am particularly thankful for the UN’s role in Pakistan for supporting civil society to play a meaningful role in promoting peace and cooperation. Happy 70th anniversary United Nations!
Mr. Hammad Naqi Khan Director General/ CEO, WWF-Pakistan The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Pakistan) has partnered successfully with various UN agencies over the years to work towards the common goal of protecting Pakistan’s ecological assets and deliver Pakistan’s contribution towards Multilateral Environmental Agreements and goals. From 2005 to 2012, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) together with WWF-Pakistan and the former Ministry of Environment implemented the ‘The Protection and Management of Pakistan’s Wetlands’ Project (PWP), funded by Global Environmental Facility. The project was a pioneer initiative in wetlands conservation and helped establish sustainable institutions for conservation of wetlands, delivered the first National Wetlands Conservation Strategy, carried out capacity building of decision-makers, provided support in five new Wetlands National Parks being notified, revision of provincial laws and conserved biodiversity of critical wetlands in Pakistan. WWF-Pakistan and UN Agencies
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also worked hand-in-hand to respond to natural disasters facing Pakistan over the past years. After the devastating floods in 2010, WWF-Pakistan with the help of UNDP and the Government of Japan carried out critical post-disaster recovery work in 13 districts of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which included installing 60 microhydels and over 2,200 biogas plants. The support of FAO has been critical in the Fisheries Resources Appraisal Project (FRAP) being carried out to provide up-to-date assessment of the fisheries resources of Pakistan as well as training national fisheries research and management institutions. This initiative has been very successful in developing field data maps of different fish species as well as introduction of CTD – a new technology to record oceanographic data. WWF-Pakistan has also worked with UN-Habitat, UNDP, ILO and other agencies on different initiatives related to water filtration, water quality, Decent Work, etc. The long-standing strategic partnership between various UN Agencies and WWF-Pakistan is uniquely positioned to work towards Pakistan’s environment and conservation goals as well as contribute to the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals.
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Academia
Mr. Tanvir Faiz Vice Chancellor, Bahria University I would like to congratulate the United Nations on the occasion of its 70th anniversary. This is a well-deserved celebration of 70 years of hard work, devotion and dedicated efforts to try to resolve issues through international cooperation, which are confronting humanity in the 21st century. Bahria University is a strong supporter of UN policies and has tried within its domain to promote international cooperation in the field of academics. We have therefore signged MoU a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration with thirty international universities in countries including UK, USA, Australia, Canada, China, Italy, Turkey, and Malaysia, etc. The objective is to enable cross- border communication and sharing of in-
tellectual resources for better learning opportunities for the student community and to serve humanity in a better manner. Bahria University is also a member of the International Association of Universities, which is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-based worldwide association of higher education institutions. Through this platform, we have actively participated in its yearly academic conferences, focusing on global educational issues and our academics have presented their research work at this forum to appraise the world of their research findings. Through the same platform our university has engaged in a research capacity building project with a university in the UK in 2013. In collaboration with the UNAIDS research project, the university is mapping the AIDS infected areas within Pakistan and developing strategies to eradicate this dreaded disease. Additionally, in the past, our university has also worked with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for awareness- raising sessions for the students on various global projects offering industrial experiences abroad. Bahria University regularly sends its students to various local and international Model United Nations to allow them to learn the
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working of this prestigious organization and to study contemporary world issues being addressed at this important platform. We are very pleased owithf our working relationship with the UN and its related special bodies and look forward to further our efforts towards the promotion of international peace and cooperation.
Dr. Arshad S. Malik Head of International Office, COMSATS University The International Office (IO) at COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Pakistan, fosters international collaborations and promotes the integration of global affairs and concerns within the local education mandate. With this purpose in mind, CIIT has developed a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with the national UN offices across a variety of disciplines. CIIT has developed liaisons with the UN on a number of platforms. One such event was celebrated with a seminar chaired by Dr. Nagata-Director of UNESCO Islamabad Office in November 2013. In light of her praise for the heritage of Pakistan, a Partnership Agreement was signed between CIIT and UNESCO on the 27th February 2014, to make collaborative efforts for preservation of the cultural heritage. In February 2014, CIIT established UNESCO’s Chair in Knowledge Systems for Integrated Water Resources at its Wah campus, following collaboration between the two organizations in creating awareness about water resources by hosting UNESCO’s
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World Water Days and participating in international conferences and forums. In the same month, an MoU was signed between CIIT and the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), through which CIIT plans to integrate the human rights values that UN promotes, within its campuses. This agreement was reached after Mr. Vittorio Cammarota, Director UNIC, attended the launch of a design competition organized by the Architecture Department of the institute, to develop a working model for a “UN Corner” at the campus (a first for any Pakistani institute) that will be a one stop centre for showcasing the UN goals and projects for a better world. Moreover, UNDP, UNIC & UNFPA Heads continue to participate in the CIIT events such as Pre-Climate Change Summit, the Higher Education Beyond 2015 campaign and a Workshop for Heritage Conservation to ensure CIIT’s mandated impactful and multi-dimensional education.
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also held under this collaboration. These trainings were a unique experience in the sense that they help women academics to articulate and share their concerns and issues and learn how others feel and deal with the same.
Prof. Dr. Samina Amin Qadir Vice Chancellor, Fatimah Jinnah Women University Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) is well known for sharing knowledge, expertise and other human and physical resources, nationally and internationally. This facilitates our students and faculty members to enhance their knowledge and develop their confidence in presenting their research work at different forums. Since its inception, Fatima Jinnah Women University, has been involved in training and producing talented, intelligent young women who are socially aware and responsible. Sharing our vision, UNESCO has been our strong partner in training our faculty. Simultaneously, our Departments of Gender Studies and Media and Communication Sciences have successfully completed workshops in the areas of Online Journalism, Development of Curricula for Journalism Education and Curriculum Development & Up Gradation. Certificate courses on ‘Women Entrepreneurs’ and seminars on ‘Women in Creative Economy’ were
I laud the fact that UNESCO, Pakistan, has always worked very closely with Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, in organizing different educational activities for its students. We have also successfully completed a certificate course for FJWU students on Entrepreneurship Development. This six day training course was organized for the students of Masters and Bachelors of Gender Studies Department. I hope that UNESCO and Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) will have a sustainable relationship and a productive collaboration in the future as well. We at FJWU assure our full support and cooperation in all the initiatives of UNESCO leading to a stronger, educated and prosperous Pakistan with the hope that it will change the present status quo.
Alamdar Murtaza Executive Director, Headstart School Model United Nations has been a part of Headstart School’s extracurricular program for over a decade. The program is administered through the Headstart School Model United Nations Society, which is entirely run by students with the support of a Model UN instructor. Every year the society’s office bearers and senior speakers help recruit the next generation of diplomats to carry on the rich tradition of Model UN at Headstart School. The program trains and sends students to participate in national and international Model UN conferences each academic year. Delegations from Headstart School have had the privilege of representing Pakistan at a number of international conferences including those hosted by Harvard, Yale and THIMUN. This unique feature of the program exposes our students to a diverse and multi-cultural world at a very young age. Our students, as young as 14, have participated in conferences in India, Turkey, China, Italy, Egypt, Qatar, Czech Republic and Hungary and have met students from over 50 countries through Model UN.
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The program has produced young diplomats who have all gone on to study at some of the top universities in Pakistan and abroad. These students have attributed a large part of their success to the skills they had picked up in their years of speaking as diplomats at conferences. Model UN provided them with the opportunity to understand and represent diverse cultures and political opinions while solving global problems through consensus. It was their gateway to understanding the socio-economic and political landscape of the world, leaving them far more aware of the similarity in the challenges faced by children of their age and nations other than theirs, across the world. 2015 is another milestone in Headstart School’s Model UN journey. It is the year the Headstart School Model UN Society will be hosting its first Model UN conference, HSMUN 15. The conference will simulate 10 committees including the Security Council and General Assembly Committees. Over a 100 Headstart students will host delegations from across the country in a three-day simulation, taking place from October 30th to November 1st, 2015, at Headstart Start School Kuri Campus, Islamabad.
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Mr. Ajmal Khan Vice-Chancellor, Islamia College Peshawar When the west was engulfed by the devastations of the First World War, which is still one of the biggest manmade calamity the world has ever witnessed, the east was laying the foundations of one of the greatest seat of learning in the shape of Islamia College Peshawar. The League of Nations which was the predecessor organizations of the United Nations failed mainly due to its limited mandate. Its mandate was to avoid war, unfortunately it could not justify its assigned mandate and that resulted in the breaking out of the 2nd World War in 1939. This catastrophe resulted in the formation of an organization called United Nations with a broader mandate of not only avoidance of war, but the maintenance of peace. Absence of war does not mean the presence of peace. Peace is a very diverse phenomenon which includes all those elements which can positively affect human lives across the globe. Islamia College Peshawar since its inception in 1913 is committed to
the cause of education and has positively changed the lives of many across this region. Education is one of the main goals of United Nation and Islamia College Peshawar is committed to provide education to all with no discrimination on the basis of cast, creed, nationality and gender in one of the most volatile regions of the world. Islamia College Peshawar has played a significant role in creating political acumen in the largely deprived native population over all these years. This has contributed towards the promotion of peace building in the region. The effort on part of this institution has also fostered valuable leadership in almost every field of life particularly in Pakistan and generally across the globe. As an educational institute, Islamia College Peshawar could foresee the need of blending the enlightened Shariah education with the orthodox concepts of modern needs and therefore it established the Department of Shariah and Law in 2007. It has introduced a number of subjects within the mandate of United Nations to promote international peace and corporation. These subjects include International Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law, International Environmental Law, Intellectual Property Rights Law, International Institution, Cyber Law and Media Law. Beside all these developments, the University has also organized seminars and workshops in collaboration with special bodies of the United Nations, such as United Nation Habitat which has generously do-
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nated books for law students. The Aurat foundation, which under a project has arranged seminars and sessions for the promotion of legal education for female students and has established a liaison between the Bar and the law department to encourage practicing female lawyers. I am confident that the role played by this historical institution in the promotion of peace and cooperation will touch new heights in the days to come and is committed to the cause of change through education.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Asif Khan Vice Chancellor, Karakoram International University It is a great honor and privilege for me to have the opportunity to share my felicitations on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. It’s a unique historic moment in which every UN member country on earth, irrespective of their status, race, religion or culture, is joining hands together to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the United Nations (UN). These promising 70 years vindicate the efforts and contributions of UN to uphold human dignity, human security, food security, environmental protection, promoting sustainable economic development, gender development, good governance, initiatives on cultural heritage and more through incorporating local priorities to establish global norms. I am happy to share that many of our academic programs at Karakoram International University (KIU) offer courses either directly focus on UN or the curricula is in line with UN objectives. Educating our students on these principles prepare them to take up future responsibilities and enable them to tackle the issues of complex
interdependent world. Early this year, KIU organized a daylong seminar with the collaboration of United Nations Information Center (UNIC) at our main campus. The rationale to hold this event was to permeate a horizontal awareness among young graduate students to understand the mission and objectives of UN. KIU has shown its keen interest to host a UN photo exhibition at KIU, it will allow us to celebrate 70th anniversary at our campus and further educate public as well about UN and its engagements in Pakistan. Our recent International Conference on Climate Change held in September 17-19, 2015 at KIU, attracted around 250 participants both nationally and internationally. The conference declarations resonated the messages of UN that advocates for environmental protection. Moreover, our other initiatives on cultural heritage, active citizenship, sustainable and social entrepreneurship, courses on human rights, democracy and peace studies are prominent one to emphasize. KIU also desires to be an active partner along with other academic institutions worldwide; these academic institutions are equally engaged in disseminating core values and norms of UN, partnering with UN agencies and many succeeded in establishing Model UN (MUN) programs. On this occasion, KIU echoes the slogan “Strong UN. Better World”, and also commits to continue its academic contributions and collaboration efforts to achieve our collective objectives. Happy 70th Anniversary UN.
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Engr Muhammad Asghar Rector, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) is a pre-eminent higher education institution of Pakistan, ranked among the top 500 world universities for past seven years, and 120 Asian universities since 2010. NUST has aligned its programs and activities with the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in the field of sustainable technologies. In tandem with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the University has been striving for sustainable development in various fields, such as water resource management, renewable energy and the environment. NUST rendered consultancy and assistance in the preparation of the United Nations Development Report on South Asia. The University regularly collaborates with different UN bodies, such as UNIC, to promote the purposes of UN Charter. In 2014, Director-General UNES-
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CO, Ms Irina Bokova visited NUST and spoke to students on “mobilizing youth for the culture of peace”. NUST is a tenacious proponent of national and international peace and global citizenship. The Centre for International Peace and Stability (CIPS), which was formally inaugurated at NUST by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, trains peacekeepers and runs postgraduate programs in Peace and Conflict Studies. It also conducts short-duration pre-deployment courses for troops earmarked for UN peacekeeping missions. In its short history, CIPS has been able to win recognition from Integrated Training Service (ITS) UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UNDPKO), New York, for its Military Observer Course. The Centre has trained as many as 458 Pakistani peacekeepers and 10 others from different countries. It has also signed an MoU with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for teaching of International Humanitarian Law.
Mr. Faisal Mushtaq, CEO,Roots Millennium School Roots Millennium Schools (RMS) strongly believes in promoting students as the agents of change in the society and strives to initiate change through teaching and learning. For this purpose Millennials are continuously prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow and deal with major global issues such as sustainable development and climate change, population growth, health, issues, education and learning, energy conservation and human rights etc. Roots Millennium Schools is continuously striving to contribute to the achievement of the purposes of the UN Charter, an excellent step to accomplish this is through the celebration of United Nations Action Days as part of the RMS Curriculum. This helps emphasize the UN Observances and Action Days and create awareness regarding critical global issues amongst the youth. Throughout the academic session Millennials prepare speeches, presentations and engage in activities which support each action day through art and creativity. The Millennials have also been en-
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MEDIA
thusiastically involved in the UN Wall Campaign. This campaign was officially launched in collaboration with RMS and involved Millennials at all levels, sharing messages of peace, equality for all and tolerance on the walls of their campuses. Harris Malik a student from RCI said that “I want to tell the world that we are a peace loving country. I am glad that I am a part of this amazing effort to spread messages of tolerance and peace through art. We all are uniting for a common cause, a peaceful world, a peaceful Pakistan”. It is the vision of Faisal Mushtaq, CEO Roots Millennium to provide ample opportunities to the Pakistani youth to stimulate interactive learning regarding the UN Charter and UN Bodies and to enable them to contribute to the work of the United Nations.
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Media
Mr. Omar R Quraishi Head of Ary News Online and Web The constructive role of the United Nations on a broad range of fundamental issues is admirable. ARY News truly acknowledges the endeavors of the UN in promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality, etc. We feel it as our social responsibility to highlight UN projects for promoting international peace through our media platform to disseminate to the general public to enhance their knowledge. The responsibility of the media in highlighting societal issues is an important component to assist global agencies, like the UN, to achieve their goals to serve humanity. We highly regard the UN’s commitment to bringing to light a number of issues faced by the citizens of Pakistan, ranging from access to reliable and affordable health and education, to sanitation and clean
drinking water. It’s creditable that over 15 civic agencies are being operated by the UN in Pakistan as part of their social service. In addition, various programmes running under the UN involving volunteers from Pakistan is also a good initiative to maximize civic engagement. ARY Web, one of the top news websites of Pakistan, never stops short of highlighting the UN’s work in various sectors including sustainable development, economic and social development, refugee protection, the promotion of democracy, the advancement of women and counter terrorism. Many congratulations to the UN on its 70th anniversary. We sincerely hope that it is further able to achieve the objectives that it was founded on in 1945.
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Mr. Sheraz Latif Managing Director, Associated Press of Pakistan As the nation’s news agency, Associated Press of Pakistan, gives high priority to covering United Nations’ activities in political, social and economic fields. We do it for the simple reason that the United Nations systems and programs are geared to promoting peace, stability and economic development in regions, and indeed, the world. The people of Pakistan take keen interest in following developments at UN headquarters in New York and around world. Our reporters, therefore, provide good coverage to UN related activities. APP, headquartered in Islamabad, remains in touch with various UN agencies and ensures proper coverage of its various activities and development projects, through national and regional languages. Being a national newswire service and having a large news network, APP would like to further strengthen cooperation with the UN so as to project its activities on a wider level. Despite financial constraints, APP maintains a special correspondent in New York who is accredited to the UN on a full time basis. This underscores APP’s commitment to
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MEDIA
the UNs message of peace and security. In addition, APP has a permanent office on the third floor of the Secretariat building. The correspondent maintains close contact with the Secretary-Generals spokesman and other UN officials and provides extensive coverage of events often hitting headlines. Over the years, our UN correspondent has interviewed Secretary-Generals and UN officials on subjects that are on the top agenda of the UN. APP at the UN focuses on issues of interest to Pakistan and other Social Asian countries and continues to participate on seminars and discussions on varied subjects.
Mr. Kamal Siddiqi Editor, The Express Tribune The Express Tribune is one of Pakistan’s most exciting English language dailies and has a wide audience both in print and on the web. Over the past five years, our paper has consistently reported on issues that we feel are most important – from poverty and rising population to lack of proper health, education and other facilities. In doing this, we have had a lot of help from the UN and its agencies in terms of information and access. Take for example our consistent reporting on polio in Pakistan. We have covered the topic extensively and from different angles. In doing this we have had support in terms of information from the WHO both in Islamabad and in the provinces where most of the reporting is done. Similarly other UN agencies through the UN Information Center have also helped us identify issues and given us information and access to expertise so that we do stories that are both informed and balanced. As the UN celebrates its 70th anniversary, we hope that our cooperation will continue to grow. After all, at the end of the day, it is the Pakistani nation that benefits from this partnership of information and action.
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CORPORATE SECTOR
Our Partners
Corporate sector
Mr. Aziz Boolani CEO Serena Hotels South & Central Asia On behalf of Serena Hotels, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate the United Nations (UN) and its constituent agencies on the occasion of their 70th Anniversary. In these past few decades, the United Nations has been a key supporter of global development through its whole-hearted commitment to peace building and development initiatives. The UN’s focus on using the strengths of the countries where it is working to facilitate change is one of the most marked aspects of its operations and one of the main reasons for such an illustrious seventy years, especially in Pakistan. At Serena Hotels, we consistently aim to support and build on the
mantra espousing progress through sustainable development, as practiced by the UN. Under the banner of our CSR Program, the Serena Environmental and Educational Development Program (SEED), we are proud to partner with the UN to raise awareness and highlight priority UN issues related to the environment, gender and social development. We actively participate in the UN International Days such as World Environment Day, International Women’s Day and Youth Days. The United Nations and Serena Hotels have also joined hands to provide a platform to emerging and deserving artisans in Pakistan by showcasing their artworks. The goal of bridge building between communities and cultures – one of the mainstays of the United Nations’ mission across the globe – is also embedded in the Serena Hotels organizational goals, taking the tangible form of our Cultural, Sports and Adventure Diplomacy Initiatives. These Initiatives provide a common platform for various members within communities to engage with each other in an informal setting, fostering goodwill and understanding. It has been a pleasure to watch the United Nations grow with Pakistan over the past decades. From all of
us at Serena Hotels, congratulations, once again, on this momentous milestone. I hope the years ahead bring fruition to all the seeds of peace and development sown in the past. We look forward to strengthening our ties in the future, with a view to building a strong and peaceful Pakistan for future generations.
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FAO
United Nations System
Mr. Patrick T. Evans Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) It is an exciting time to be working with the UN as we celebrate 70 years of global partnership for peace and development plus we make the transition from Millennium Development Goals of the past 15 years to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the next 15 years. The future is challenging, sure to be interesting, and the UN is the way forward. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) - a specialized agency of the UN - is also observing its 70th anniversary having been founded on 16 October 1945 – celebrated annually as World Food Day. From its creation, FAO has had a very significant mandate to address global food security through assisting governments with development of productive and sustainable agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry systems. Pakistan joined FAO only 3
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weeks after gaining independence in 1947 and FAO has worked closely with the Government in the ensuing decades to address development needs, challenges and priorities within FAO’s mandated sectors. As Representative for FAO in Pakistan, I and my team have had the honor and pleasure of working with Government, UN colleagues, development partners, and the people of Pakistan for more than two years now. Today, FAO has some 300 staff (only 7 internationals) working in all provinces and regions through various projects / programmes all of which have food security as an underlying theme. We also work closely with other UN agencies under the concept of One UN in Pakistan – striving to work together as a team to have a greater impact on improving the lives of the people of Pakistan. FAO, with its long history in development, is proud to be an active partner within the UN system in Pakistan and we are grateful to the donors who support us as well as the government partners with whom work on a daily basis. Pakistan is a beautiful, diverse country with numerous challenges. It is on the path to development and in time the current presence of the UN will be reduced as the government’s capacity and financial resources continue to expand and Pakistan becomes a truly developed nation.
Mahjabeen Qazi Area Coordinator, Khyber Pakhtonkhwa and FATA Food and Agriculture Organization My nine years working experience with FAO has been on a constant upward learning curve. I joined as a national monitoring and evaluation officer in FAO country office in the emergency response program. I gained insight on rural agriculture, economy, food security and farmers’ priorities by conducting, monitoring and impact assessment studies of FAO assistance to earthquake affected farmers. Lessons learnt from the field fed into FAO future projects and interventions. During this period, a large number of people got displaced due to crises in parts of Khyber Pakhtonkhwa (KP) and FATA. The new emerging situation demanded for FAO assistance and thus presence in KP. I was assigned to Peshawar in 2008 to setup office for FAO, identify and coordinate with provincial stakeholders for further identification of agriculture sector strategic and practical needs. Efforts that lead to the formation of Food Security Cluster were initiated at the same time. Since 2008, FAO has
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implemented a number of projects and programs with innovative ideas to respond to agriculture sector needs and priorities of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and flood affected farmers (2010) in various parts of KP and FATA under relief and early recovery assistance. As Area Coordinator for KP and FATA, I have also been contributing to the agriculture sector long term development at strategic and policy levels. On the request of respective government authorities and on behalf of FAO, I have also been in the lead role in Agriculture Policies formulation for KP and FATA. Both policies have been approved by respective highest government authorities. Currently, I am contributing to strategies and operational plan preparation with respective government authorities to ensure effective and smooth implementation of both policies. Moreover, FAO is proactively contributing to early recovery efforts in the agriculture sector in FATA under Sustainable Return and Rehabilitation Strategy.
Mr. Ahmed Jan Essa FAO I am Ahmed Jan Essa, the Deputy Chief of Party for FAO Balochistan Agriculture Programme. I joined UN system in August 1992 (FAO) and thereafter worked for UNDP for a couple of years before returning to agriculture where I really belong. FAO provides a very challenging and refreshing working environment, with equal opportunities for all. FAO not only emphasizes achieving organizational goals but encourages individual staff members to excel in their career development by giving access to the latest and highest quality knowledge through our pool of international experts and technological innovations. But above all an environment which encourages individuals to strive to upgrade their skills and capacity to achieve personal and organizational goals.
opment through participatory development approaches and have mobilised local resources (especially community savings) of Rs. 290 million and thus contributing a 50 percent cost share for purchasing improved varieties of seed, planting material, land-levelling, construction of lined water reservoirs, water courses and animal health related inputs. In addition, the communities have been trained on various agronomic practices along with forming farmer market collectives and facilitating business development skills. Through the FAO Balochistan Agriculture Programme we have provided them access to markets and they realised higher prices for their produce all over the country. The farmers are now well connected with markets to assess price differences in each region and are well informed in making a business decision. To date, as an estimated figure, these communities have realised increase in income between 10 to 80 %, depending upon type of intervention, compared with the pre-project situation.
After working for some ten years in the current FAO programme, I am proud to relate that our outreach activities have expanded to impact 1,500 poor male and female community organizations in 14 districts of Balochistan. This means we are helping 240,000 individual community members to lift them out of the mire of poverty and providing them livelihood opportunities available right at their doorstep. These individuals are the ones who are well below the poverty line, earning less than US$ 2 per day. These male and female communities have been engaged in their own devel-
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Mr. Francesco d’Ovidio Director, International Labour Organization (ILO) Approaching the celebration of its centenary in 2019, ILO joins the UN system on the occasion of its 70th anniversary. How healthy is decent work in Pakistan? A member state of the ILO since 1947, Pakistan has ratified 36 conventions of the ILO, including the eight fundamental ones and has completed a decade and two generations of Decent Work Country Programs (DWCP). With a labour force estimated at 64 million people concentrated in agriculture and service sectors, with rampant informality, with the persistent decline of paid employees but also with a fall of unemployment rate and an increase of real monthly earnings of paid employees and an increase in collective bargaining agreements, Pakistan offers a complex and mixed picture of labour and industrial relations. So, is Pakistan on track with its Decent Work objectives or rather it is lagging behind as it is the case with its MDGs? It is difficult to say. The country is reviewing its priorities and is slowly progressing towards an alternative way to make labour and employment the order of business in Pakistan, particularly vibrant and complex due to the multiplier effect of tripartism and devolution. In fact, any negotiation has to be multiplied by three, to ensure the direct and equal involvement of the Government, Work-
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ers and Employers organizations (tripartism) and subsequently by four, ensuring that decisions are curved province-wise (devolution). In this context, the Decent Work Agenda, made of job creation, labor rights, social protection and social dialogue remains the cornerstone and the driver of every labour law and policy in Pakistan. However, the evolution of the labor market and the figures mentioned above, continue to inspire our constituents and convince them to focus on additional challenges. Promotion of decent work in the rural economy, job creation, compliance with international labour standards and social protection are the next priorities of the tripartite labour discourse in Pakistan.The health of Decent Work in Pakistan can be measured, therefore, by the capacity of its players to refine their vision and constitute a new partnership for its promotion.
Mr. Razi Mujtaba Haider International Labour Organization The United Nations has done commendable and heroic work for the cause of humanity worldwide including in Pakistan, mainly because of the inspired and dedicated staff who have even laid down their lives in the line of duty. The UN should also strive for promoting contracts for staff which ensure decent work and eliminate precariousness. We are all proud to be the family members of the UN in Pakistan.
Ms. Belinda Chanda Program Analyst, ILO The United Nations credibility continues to come into question as the challenge of achieving sustained economic development becomes more palpable. As inequality continues to grow, internal and external conflicts continue to unfold, and crises prompted by natural disasters continue to take their toll on mankind, more effort is needed to assert the UN’s normative mandate to safeguard humanity and ensure a minimum decent life for all.
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Pakistan office collaborates closely with other IOM missions worldwide to support voluntary return and reintegration activities.
Mr. Enrico Ponziani Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration (IOM) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been working closely with the United Nations to support the Government of Pakistan since 1981. The organization implements a broad range of activities spanning from resettlement and migration management to humanitarian assistance. An active participant in the Pakistan One UN Programme, IOM co-convenes Strategic Priority Area 3 of One UN Phase II (2013-2017): Increased National Resilience to Disasters, Crises and External Shocks. IOM also supports the humanitarian coordination architecture in Pakistan through its leadership of the national Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI) and Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) sectors. IOM’s Operations Unit has conducted resettlement and migration activities for more than 30 years. IOM facilitates refugee movements to various countries, and offers cultural orientation to support refugees and skilled migrants prior to departure from Pakistan. The
Under its Migration Health Programme, IOM clinics in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Mirpur have provided departure health assessments and screening services to prospective migrants and refugees since 2007. The Pakistan operation supports approximately one fifth of IOM’s global migration health caseload. IOM Pakistan also works closely with the Government to address issues related to migration management and counter-trafficking. Through its partnership with the National University of Sciences and Technology, IOM supports counter-trafficking awareness sessions for Pakistani peacekeepers prior to their deployment to various missions abroad. In response to recurrent floods in Pakistan, IOM assists affected populations through emergency and recovery programmes. In total, nearly 78,000 families have been supported to build safer shelters in flood-affected areas of Pakistan since 2010. IOM also assists populations affected by the complex emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) through emergency shelter and NFI distributions, as well as humanitarian communications activities. Since my appointment in December 2011, I have been closely following up on all of the above activities to enhance collaboration with the UN for the benefit of migrants and disaster-affected populations in Pakistan.
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receives the care and support they deserve from all key stakeholders.
Dr. Mamadou. L. Sakho Country Director, UNAIDS Pakistan & Afghanistan Like other Asian countries, Pakistan is following a comparable HIV epidemic trend having moved from ‘low prevalence, high risk’ to ‘concentrated’ epidemic in the early to mid-2000s. The estimated number of HIV positives in the country stands at 91,340. Pakistan’s epidemic is primarily concentrated among two of the key population groups driving the epidemic in the country. These are People Who Inject Drugs with a national prevalence of 27.2% followed by Transgender Sex Workers standing at 5.2% and then 1.6% among Male Sex Workers. Currently People Who Inject Drugs produces the bulk of new infections, and will continue to produce the same absolute number of new infections, and the largest contributions of new infections over time are by Transgenders. In Pakistan, the cities of Faislabad, Karachi and Lahore each had much higher HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs than the national average. Prevention is critical and essential when it comes to tackling the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Pakistan and it’s essential that each person living with the disease
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The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS [UNIADS] is an innovative partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Established in 1996, the UNAIDS Country Office [UCO] in Pakistan is one of the leading advocates for the action on the AIDS epidemic in the country. UCO leads, strengthens and supports an expanded response aimed at preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV & AIDS, and alleviating the impact of the epidemic. UNAIDS’ Vision: Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths. UCO in Pakistan brings together the resources of the UNAIDS Secretariat and 11 UN system organizations for coordinated and accountable efforts to address the AIDS epidemic in Pakistan. UNAIDS Secretariat in Pakistan has come a long way in terms of capability as well as action in the overall response to the epidemic especially after the mid-term evaluation in 2000 when the Programme Coordinating Board [PCB] endorsed the recommendation to have more coordinated and focused activities at the country level. UCO Pakistan is also covering Afghanistan through its financial and technical assistance.
Ms. Fahmida Iqbal Khan Community Mobilization and Networking Advisor, UNAIDS In order to fast track the AIDS response in Pakistan, we have to work together with all stakeholders including government and UN agencies to strengthen the voice, visibility and agency role of fragile communities, marginalized and excluded groups so that no one is left behind to get an access to HIV prevention and treatment”
Mr. Masood Fareed Malik Communication Officer, UNAIDS The AIDS response has been like no other. From the start it has put the focus on people and put their needs first. It has been a turning point for the recognition of health as a human right and it has brought extraordinary results on treatment and prevention alike.
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Mr. Marc Andrè Franche Country Director, UNDP Seventy years after the founding of the United Nations, we continue to witness considerable global changes. Political representation and national identity are changing, more people live in cities, poverty has fallen and technology has revolutionized every aspect of human life. At the same time there are rising inequalities, increasingly ideological conflicts, scarcer resources and climate change. Since 1960, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has worked with government and Pakistani society to find sustainable solutions to Pakistan’s most intractable development challenges. Under the Government of Pakistan’s leadership, UNDP, has invested in policy dialogue for human development and built institutional capacity, becoming a trusted partner. In the wake of devolution, UNDP works to help the government achieve its national and provincial development goals, opening offices in Peshawar and Quetta, to reflect an increasing focus on these provinces and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. To address the challenges facing Pakistan today, UNDP is committed to deepening democracy and creating a representative polity; strengthening communities’ ability to withstand manmade and natural crises; and develop creative climate change solutions. The values and the universal principles on which the UN is founded are more relevant than ever and no other institution can tackle today’s multidimensional and complex challenges with political, development, humanitarian and peacebuilding approaches. I am proud to serve an organization that works
closely with Pakistanis and Pakistani institutions, supporting their vision according to their priorities. Improving peoples’ lives and helping governments’ respond to citizens’ needs is at the heart of me and my colleagues’ inspiration. After 17 years in the UN, I have witnessed the power of solidarity and international cooperation which reinforces the need for reform to remain relevant and representative and focused on results won with integrity, all the more important. As we celebrate its 70 historic years, the UN also celebrates its partnership with Pakistan with renewed commitment for sustainable
Mr. Mumtaz Shah Driver, UNDP
human development.
Ms. Salma Zeb Legal Officer, UNDP I joined UNDP’s Strengthening Rule of Law Project in September 2012 as a Programme Associate. One of the highlights of my career so far has been winning the International Human Rights Commission award in March 2013. I am very proud to be working with an organization that puts women empowerment at the forefront of its objectives. Our Rule of Law project encourages females to join the legal profession through scholarships and other support. Awareness campaigns for legal rights and providing women access to justice is another excellent feature of the project.
I have been working with UNDP for 34 years and 8 months now. The best part about working for this organization is that we are able to help vulnerable communities who would not be able to progress without our involvement. One of the most memorable incidents from my career happened during the relief work after the 2005 earthquake. It was one of the most horrifying incidents in Pakistan’s history. We worked in Bagh, Kashmir for a few weeks and were able to help the vulnerable people including women and children. The resilience of the people was remarkable and made me extremely proud to be a Pakistani.
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Dr. Shamshad Akhtar Executive Secretary United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, it is my great privilege to serve as the ranking UN official in the largest and most dynamic region of the world, as the tenth Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development having just been adopted by world leaders in New York, the UN has never been more relevant or timely. No other body has such universal membership – giving all countries equal voice in critical global issues. This legitimacy and reach enables the United Nations to build strong multilateral frameworks through cooperation, innovation and solidarity. The UN has the moral and institutional authority to mobilize support for the new universal development
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agenda, especially in terms of the immense cross-border resources and action needed to tackle our shared global challenges – from poverty, hunger, climate change and inequality, to issues of transnational crime and human rights. In parallel the United Nations has tapped its membership to agree on supportive financing as well as science, technology and innovation to effectively implement sustainable development. The struggle for real sustainability will be won or lost in Asia and the Pacific, as our natural resources and our social systems are stretched to their limits by the pace of growth needed to build shared prosperity for all. It is time for our region to do more than simply anchor global economic growth and stability. As we begin to implement the next phase of global development, the world is depending on Asia and the Pacific to also lead in building the sustainable future we want for all. ESCAP and the whole UN system will focus our energies and expertise to support member States in seizing these opportunities and tackling these challenges.
Ms. Vibeke Jensen Director, UNESCO UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Within this global mission, UNESCO Islamabad is spearheading the Girl’s Rights to Education Programme under the Malala Funds in Trust established by the Government of Pakistan in UNESCO HQ. The programme aims at enhancing girl’s access to and quality of primary education in hardest to reach areas of the country. Climate change, shrinking biodiversity and increasing demands on natural resources call for more scientific research and more scientists, to increase our capacity to observe and comprehend the planet. In Pakistan, the strengthening of the Flood Early Warning System Project 2011-2017 will help protect people from the impact of natural disasters due to climate change and reduce livelihood loses.
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Culture, a force for dialogue, social cohesion, economic growth and creativity, remains at the heart of UNESCO’s mission. UNESCO works with the Government of Pakistan and local partners to safeguard the country’s rich heritage and to promote cultural diversity, sustainable and policy development, peace and to reduce poverty by conserving archaeological sites and monuments, promoting cultural industries and heritage education. UNESCO continues to advocate for harnessing information and communication technologies, building knowledge societies and bridging digital divides. In Pakistan, UNESCO promotes an enabling environment for media pluralism, freedom of expression, press freedom and journalists’ safety and contributes to national efforts to advocate for the protection of journalists.
Ms. Sarah Masale Acting Country Representative, UNFPA As the world commemorates 70 years’ of the UN’s existence, and ushers in the new global development agenda, I wish to join other leaders to acknowledge the work of our teams in Pakistan. Much has been achieved under the MDGs and the ICPD (International Conference on Population and Development), thanks to your commitment and efforts. You continue to work hard to provide much needed support, often under very challenging circumstances. Know that your efforts are making a difference particularly in the lives of women and girls, who tend to be most vulnerable. Through your efforts, UNFPA has been able to support the Government and people of Pakistan to improve maternal health. With our partners, we have enlisted the support of religious leaders for birth-spacing, an important step in changing norms and practices. Family planning services are now more available to many more individuals and couples. We have strengthened the midwifery academic program, in line with global standards. Hundreds of fistula repair surgeries have been done successfully, thus restoring health
and dignity to affected women and girls. A significant number of maternal deaths, unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions are averted each year. The importance of having, and using robust data for development is now a topical issue as well as the need to address population growth and the needs of the growing youth population. As we gear-up for the SDGs and the postICPD, let us continue to be inspired by UNFPA’s global tag-line which remains relevant now and in years to come: “every pregnancy should be wanted, every childbirth safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled”. For me, working for UNFPA is like building a Cathedral – it doesn’t matter whether your role is to make tea, mold bricks, prepare requisitions, or sign letters –dayby-day, we are ALL building this beautiful formation under which “no woman will die while giving life in Pakistan”. This inspires me get out of bed each morning. I wish all UN staff across the world the best very best in their work and lives as you continue to serve humanity.
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Mr. Sadia Mehmood Programme Analyst, UNFPA For UNFPA mandate is everything. I really believe in the work that UNFPA does and it is something very close to my heart. There are very few agencies that have a specialized mandate. Population is an overarching issue - Health, Education and Migration are linked with Population. Population is the root cause. If we can effectively tackle population then we can target all other areas. Another thing that makes me very excited to work at UNFPA is the chance to work with the youth population in Pakistan. The youth are our future. If we can effectively harness the youth bulge then it will be quite beneficial for Pakistan’s development. At UNFPA we are working with small children, mothers, fathers, elderly people, persons with disability and transgender. Hence, in essence, we are working with almost all different demographics. This makes the opportunity to work at UNFPA very meaningful.
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Mr. Shabrez Ahmer Driver, UNFPA Working for UNFPA, since 1998, has been a very good experience. The issues that UNFPA has been working on are extremely important and pertinent for our society. A lot of work has been done with regard to awareness raising on family planning and birth spacing. However, there’s still space for increasing the number of such activities. We should move beyond cities and conduct these programs in villages as well. I’m especially proud of how UNFPA has actively engaged with the Ulema (Religious Scholars) regarding the importance of preserving the health of the mother and child. Being involved in UNFPA’s operations in the post-2005 relief work was especially satisfying. UNFPA used pre-fabricated structures as makeshift hospitals – these were deployed quite extensively in the affected regions. These structures were housed with proper Doctors/Gynecological staff and were equipped to even handle surgeries. These structures were open 24 hours and a lot of people benefited from their use. By operating these health facilities UNFPA made a very important and meaningful contribution to the recovery phase.
Ms. Bella Evidente OIC Country Programme Manager, UN Habitat Pakistan The UN70 is a moment to look back on our organization’s work, mandate, achievements and lessons learnt and to look forward on challenges and opportunities in promoting peace, stability and resilience, and in making the world a much better place. It is not just a moment of collective reflection but also individual reflection on our contributions as international civil servants of the United Nations. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the focal agency for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. In Pakistan, UN-Habitat works closely with the Government, particularly with national and local institutions and leadership and with the humanitarian and development partners. I am proud to work in Pakistan as Head of UN-Habitat and sincerely appreciate the warm reception accorded by the Government of Pakistan and its people. Looking back, I am happy to see millions of Pakistani people whose lives have
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been saved during catastrophes and complex emergencies, elevated from deplorable conditions and finally enjoying sustainable human settlements, and the institutional strengthening of Government counterparts, due to the operational and technical support of UN-Habitat Pakistan’s team. My team and I have tapped opportunities in harnessing the economic and social potentials of Pakistan’s cities for growth and development and in promoting socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. We have carried out projects on Urban Legislation, Land and Governance, City Planning and Design, Urban Basic Services, Housing and Slum Upgrading, Risk Reduction and Rehabilitation, Information Management (MIS/GIS) and Humanitarian support through integrated Shelter, WASH and Community Infrastructure. By 2030, Pakistan’s population is expected to reach 260 million and half of the population will live in urban areas. Looking forward, the SDGs and Habitat III Conference in 2016 could set the pace for Pakistan to focus on SDG 11 - making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and with continued support from the Government of Pakistan and its people, along with UN-Habitat’s excellent partners in humanitarian and development work, I am confident that we could do more and much better.
Ms. Jannat Durrani Behaviour Change Communication Officer, UN-Habitat Pakistan We rocked the world for 70 years! Let’s begin the 71st and make safe, resilient, and sustainable cities
Mr. Bhushan Tuladhar Chief Technical Advisor South Asia Urban Basic Services Branch, UNHabitat With over half of humanity living in cities, and Pakistan’s urban population also growing faster than ever, it is critical to work with urban planners and communities to ensure cities are livable, resilient and engines of inclusive economic growth which benefit all.
Mr. Indrika Ratwatte Country Representative, UNHCR UNHCR’s cooperation with the Government of Pakistan (GoP) spans over more than 35 years when the first wave of Afghan refugees entered the country in 1979. At the height of the crisis, no macroeconomic data was collected to determine the impact of these immense refugee flows. This year, half a million arrivals have overwhelmed capacities of several EU Member States. Compared to this, it is hard to imagine the pressures Pakistan has been facing with over 3 million refugees in country at the time. This exemplary generosity and hospitality of the Pakistani people defines the humanitarian landscape in the country until today as Pakistan continues to host 1.5 million registered Afghan refugees constituting the world’s largest protracted refugee population under UNHCR’s mandate and almost 11% of the total global refugee caseload. Our 36 years long partnership has been marked with several milestones with global significance, such as facilitation of voluntary return of more than 3.9 million Afghan refugees under the largest voluntary repatriation programme in UNHCR’s history, the very first use of the IRIS recognition system or the
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largest ever nation-wide registration of refugees with biometric technologies. The protracted Afghan refugee situation presents one of the most complex humanitarian dilemmas in the modern history. In recognition of the need to find lasting solutions, in 2011 the Governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran with the support of UNHCR, engaged in an unprecedented consultative process resulting in the adoption of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR). The SSAR provides an integrated framework for joint interventions aimed at facilitating voluntary repatriation and sustainable reintegration in Afghanistan while providing continued assistance to the host communities. Four years down the road, the SSAR – now in the II phase of its implementation (2015-17) – continues to serve as an important platform for engagement of more than 50 humanitarian and development partners across the region and as a vehicle for mobilizing the necessary political and financial support by the international community. The cornerstone of the implementation of SSAR in Pakistan is the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) initiative. Launched in 2009, as a Government-led programme integrated within the framework of the UN delivering as One, RAHA seeks to promote social cohesion and peaceful co-existence by providing refugees and their host communities with vital development and humanitarian assistance. To date, some 10.6 million people have benefited from 3,500 RAHA projects in the sectors of health, education, water and sanitation, social protection and livelihoods. 89 per cent of the beneficiaries have been Pakistani citizens. In recognition of the demographic profile, particularly the bulging youth among both Afghan ref-
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ugees and the Pakistani communities, the future UNHCR program’s in Pakistan will focus on youth empowerment through a nexus of inter-linked interventions in the areas of education, skills training and livelihood support. Over the years, the hospitality of Pakistani people towards Afghan refugees has set the global standards of solidarity and humanitarianism considerably high. However, the country itself did not escape its very own crises and human tragedy. UNHCR stood by the Government and people of Pakistan at time of dire need, including the devastating earthquake in 2005 and the 2008-2009 displacement of Pakistanis in FATA. UNHCR was among the first agencies to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis affected by the country’s worst ever natural disaster - the 2010 floods. As times slow, yet steady, progress towards solutions to the most protracted refugee crisis in recorded history has only been possible thanks to the exemplary cooperation between the Governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and the international community. Despite challenges, this solid partnership and determination to end one of the most tragic chapters of human displacement present opportunities that we –collectively – cannot afford to miss. Resolving old crises, where possible, is of paramount importance to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the new ones. As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the United Nations and UNHCR’s 36-years partnership with Pakistan, I truly believe that seizing the momentum for solutions at this critical point in time is not just a show of solidarity, but in the best interest of us all.
Ms. Duniya Aslam Khan Associate Public Information and Communication Officer UNHCR My inspiration in life was a quote by Mother Teresa, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” While doing Masters in Communication Sciences I wanted to do one of the two; either to become a journalists and cover humanitarian issues or to join the UN and become part of the extended humanitarian family that goes beyond borders. A year after I completed my Masters, I was lucky enough to get a job at the United Nations Refugee Agency as Public Information Assistant in 2005; since then I have been associated with the agency and have gradually excelled to the National Officer position. Working with the UN in Pakistan for people uprooted by conflicts and wars and forced to take refuge in the neighbouring countries was a life changing experience for me. While growing up as a child and seeing a set of people called “refugees” always confused me, thinking what makes them differ-
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ent to get a special name. It was through my work with the UN that brought me closer to people called refugees. I realise that behind the name “refugee” lives a person like us, with feelings and with dreams and desires. I realised how blessed we are to have a country and to be closer to our loved ones. I also felt proud to be a national of a country which has been hosting the world’s most protracted refugee population so graciously for over 35 years now. Thanks to the UN for its continuous support to the Government of Pakistan for enabling us, the Pakistani people, to remain the best refugee hosting country. My work has introduced me to many unsung heroes; whose resilience and courage motivate me to keep going because failure can only defeat you when you allow it to do so. I have learned from the displaced people that giving up should not be an option in life. I am a proud member of the UN family in Pakistan. It is through UNHCR that I feel every day of my life is so full of blessings; the small things I do with great love fills me with inner gratification.
not a run-of-the-mill experience to me, but a one of a lifetime, provided with my transition from a multi linguistic, multi religious, multi-cultural and multi ethnic society to a society entirely different in diversity of its own.
Mr. Mohamed Rahmathullah UNHCR
Having worked and lived with Sinhalese, Tamils, Christians, Muslims and Malays back in Sri Lanka, I enjoy this lovely environment to live and work along with Punjabis, Pashtoons, Sindhis and many more. For me, the team building starts from where you agree to see unity in diversity.
Pakistan was a country my friends and relatives back in Sri Lanka feared when they first heard that I have been assigned on an international position. Back in October 2014, the prospect of having been assigned as international staff to Pakistan was only good news for me; for the rest it was an omen. Having landed in this vast land of beauty and heterogeneity in terms of culture, community, language and politics, I saw and am still seeing that people are very hospitable and caring. I enjoy every moment of living and working in Islamabad. Of course, the random acts of terrorism that happen in different parts of the country, is still a devil of a time which has this grip in the omen my friends and relatives bear back in my country. However, in my assignment as an Associate Reporting Officer, I enjoy the diverse knowledge that I gain in addressing different issues faced by the refugees in Pakistan, especially in Islamabad, Punjab, AJK and Sindh as well as the team work which gradually addresses these issues on a continued basis to find a lasting solution. Amidst this team work, challenges are trivial. I would describe this first assignment as
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Mr. Vittorio Cammarota Director, UNIC The United Nations Information Centre in Islamabad plays an instrumental role in disseminating powerful and meaningful development stories within Pakistan and with the rest of the world. Additionally, we are the main source of up-todate information about the UN System that we deliver to a wide range of audiences including government oďŹƒcials, member states, civil society representatives, students, educators, researchers, journalists among others. We also provide support to the 19 agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations System operating in the country through the UN Communications Group. Easy access to information is one of our priorities: we provide wide access to information on a regular basis through our digital channels and through the bimonthly newsletter. For the Islamabad-based audiences and especially for our media colleagues, we have improved our premises: the recently inaugurated oďŹƒce includes a state-of-the art multimedia studio that allows media briefings, and professional video recordings. We also have a new dedicated area for interns. In fact, I believe that Pakistani youth have a hugely influential role to play in the development of this country and therefore they are among
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our most important priorities. In the past two years UNIC has carried out a number of activities and initiatives geared at empowering and educating the youth and providing them with a platform to voice their opinion. These include several youth forums, the visit to Pakistan of the Youth Envoy of Secretary-General and a few ad-hoc campaigns such as the UN Wall campaign and Pakistani Voices for Climate Change. To mark this important occasion, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the United Nations on its 70th anniversary. We will continue to work tirelessly to promote the core values and beliefs of the United Nations. Happy 70th birthday United Nations!
Ms. Myrah Butt Volunteer, UNIC Since so many exciting things have happened at UNIC during this time, I feel really lucky to be a part of this organization on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the UN. The events of the festival, while on the surface level have focused on macro/big issues like peacekeeping and climate change, in reality impact each and every individual life across the globe/Pakistan. UNIC Pakistan focuses on disseminating the ideas and values of the UN amongst the wider population of Pakistan. With the launch of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, I feel that this is the right place to be. This is the point in time where local
actors are empowered to take charge to achieve the SDGs. Change cannot happen till it comes from within us and UNIC is facilitating this process. UNIC systematically works towards changing the image of the UN from that of an ivory tower to an organization that really connects with people. I believe knowledge should be processed and delivered in a way that is accessible to everyone. UNIC specifically focuses on making UN documentation, magazines, and publications easily available to the general public; a task that is much needed in the fast paced world of today. Overall, it is a dynamic place where the activities and the tasks at hand are always changing. I have been a part of wide range of activities; from getting UN Walls painted in schools to organizing a full day workshop on SDGs for young adults. Lastly, the best part about UNIC is that the overall work environment is such that every organization should strive to achieve; it reflects all the values that the UN believes in especially that of equality and a gender balanced workplace. All in all it has been a fantastic experience working at UNIC.
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UNICEF
Ms. Angela Kearney Representative, UNICEF Seventeen years ago I joined UNICEF, the Children’s Fund of the United Nations and still, every day when I go to work I am proud to be a part of the wider UN family. I have worked for the UN in Afghanistan, Liberia, Sudan, Angola, the Philippines and Indonesia, but I am particularly happy that I can celebrate the 70th birthday of the United Nations in Pakistan, where I will also end my career. Here the UN is already a step further than in many other countries, because in Pakistan, UNICEF works together with the other agencies and entities of the UN in one united programme and we try together with the Government of Pakistan to “Deliver as One”. When you look at the name of this joint programme, there are two elements: “as one” and “deliver”. The latter is maybe even more important, because after all we discuss, initiate and work on, we are here to ‘deliver’ results for the Pakistani people, and in UNICEF’s case, for Pakistani children. If we didn’t make a difference in the lives of children in Pakistan, our existence would be unjustified. Therefore I very much welcome the fact that the UN in its 70th year has produced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The SDGs represent an ambitious global plan of action that aims to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger, provide quality lifelong education for all, protect the planet and promote peaceful and inclusive societies. They build upon commitments to children in the areas of poverty, nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation and gender equality contained in the SDG’s precursors, the Millennium Development Goals. The SDGs will be motivation for our work for the next 15 years to come, but also a tool for us to measure the impact of everything we do, so that we can deliver results and improve our programmes on the way. Happy 70th birthday UN! We promise to work tirelessly together with the Government and partners to achieve these goals, a present for your 85th anniversary.
Mr. Syed Asghar Ali Senior Programme Assistant, UNICEF Though a particle, I feel proud to be a part of the UNiverse. After all, particles together make the bigger picture. Glancing back at the two decades of my life with the UN Children’s Fund, I feel overwhelmed to have contributed my bit towards the children of the world. Long live UN and happy 70s.
Ms. Ban Khalid Al-Dhayi Communication Specialist, UNICEF No other organisation protects and promotes the rights of the vulnerable people as the UN does. It is 70 years and many more to go. I feel privileged to be part of UNICEF’s humanitarian and advocacy support for women and children.
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Mr. Esam ALQARARAH Representative, UNIDO At all levels of development, industry can be the primary driver in fighting poverty, ensuring food security and preventing social polarization. UNIDO believes that manufacturing industries and their related services sectors can absorb large numbers of workers, provide them with stable jobs and increase the prosperity of their families and communities. An efficient agro-industry enhances economic stability for rural households, increases food security and helps economic transformation. UNIDO in close collaboration with local authorities and Government is making all efforts for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development in Pakistan with focus on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), environment, energy, poverty reduction through productive activities and trade capacity building measures. UNIDO also consider empowering women for ensuring their full participation in the industrial growth process. UNIDO Pakistan Office, was established in 1968, has gained extensive and successful experience in
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industrial development cooperation in Pakistan. The current portfolio of UNIDO Country Office comprises of many projects, these projects address all three thematic areas of UNIDO, covering four components: trade related technical assistance, investment promotion, technology transfer, energy and environment. This experience has been gained through a continuous interaction with the public and private sectors and by implementing over 50 projects covering many industrial sectors. Currently, UNIDO Pakistan is engaged in several industry, environment, economics, food agriculture and trade related projects covering climate change mitigation and adaptation. Owing to the serious energy crisis prevailing in the country, UNIDO Pakistan is undertaking the projects to promote market-based adoption of biomass gasification technologies for heat and electricity generation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as to promote project on other Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technologies in Pakistan. Drawing funding from Global Environmental Facility (GEF), these projects are particularly introducing rice husk based gasification power plants in the rice producing areas, biomass combustion power plants, and Solar PV Plants, in order to generate cheap and uninterrupted electricity, with great potential for carbon emissions reduction. UNIDO has been assisting various industries like surgical instruments, cutlery, fan, protective gears for achieving industrial competitiveness. So far ten companies have
attained CE mark and, International accreditation of 34 laboratories has been facilitated. UNIDO coined the concept of Green Industry to place sustainable industrial development in the context of new global sustainable development challenges. UNIDO is also providing support under Montreal Protocol to phase out ozone depleting substance, to phase out of HCFCs from the refrigerator sectors in targeted region. This will help the government to fulfill its commitment of 10% phase out of HCFCs by 2015.
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UNIDO
Ms. Shahina Waheed UNIDO It has been an honor and a privilege to work with UNIDO since early 2010. The prestigious association provided me a diverse opportunity of learning and assisting Pakistan in developing a variety of industrial sectors along with the transition to a sustainable energy future under the overarching mandate of inclusive and sustainable industrial development, through the application of renewable energy for productive uses, adoption of the efficient use of energy by industry and the introduction of low carbon technologies. The ongoing engagement in the ‘Global Cleantech Innovation Program (GCIP) for SMEs in Pakistan’ promotes innovations in clean energy technologies by using a cross-sectoral and multi-tiered approach to build sustainable ecosystems for innovation and entrepreneurship in SMEs. The Project focuses on enhancing emerging clean technology start-ups in Pakistan and strengthening the policy framework on innovation for SMEs, which encourages and nurtures start-ups in the sphere of clean technologies. UNIDO created a pool of women entrepreneurs, master trainers, producers, designers etc., this resource pool could be tapped into at any time for replication of the project in other geographical areas. At the national level, women of the industry were linked with state-of-
the-art design institutes and universities. This allowed them to absorb effective marketing skills that gave them a competitive edge in the market. Moreover, UNIDO’s digitalization of heritage museums in Pakistan has resulted in the creation of an online Image Bank that existing and potential entrepreneurs can tap into for creative inspiration.
old ones – such as the re-opening of EU market for fisheries exports from Pakistan. As a Hallmark project, UNIDO/TRTA has also been able to also diligently address the SPS compliance measures, particularly in helping with policy and legislative documents that will lead to the establishment of an integrated and coordinated SPS and Food Safety system from ‘farm to fork’.
Dr. Ali Qazilbash UNIDO I have been proudly associated with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on the Trade-Related Technical Assistance Programs (I & II) since December 2004. During this time, I have been involved in promoting the participation of consumers in standards setting, in Laboratory Development and Accreditation and lately under the second Phase of the same program, as in addressing Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SP) measures and food safety compliance at federal and provincial levels. This programme has been a flagship achievement for both the donor (EU) and UNIDO, as implementing agency, in that it has helped Pakistan in addressing its WTO commitments and has led to the international recognition of its testing, accreditation and calibration services. In addition, the TRTA II programmes have helped Pakistan broaden its export horizons and tap new markets as well as re-establish
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Mr. George Khoury Head of Office, UNOCHA OCHA is the office within the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors in emergencies to ensure a coherent, coordinated and effective response. For years Pakistan has been facing a combination of natural disasters and man-made crises. The country is prone to earthquakes and flooding. It hosts the second largest protracted refugee caseload in the world. Since 2008, more than five million people have been displaced from their homes in the tribal regions. While more than half a million people have returned since the beginning of this year, more than 1.2 million people remain displaced. OCHA responded to the great earthquake of 2005 in Pakistan, then reestablished its presence with the onset of the mass displacement of people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in 2008. We scaled up operations in Pakistan with the floods of 2010, and are now refocused on assisting the displaced population in their return to their places of origin. OCHA and
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its humanitarian partners (UN agencies and NGOs) are supporting the Government of Pakistan in the provision of life-saving assistance for the displaced population through ongoing projects in camps, host communities and areas of return. As the Head of OCHA it is my duty to deal with multiple actors; government counterparts, UN humanitarian agencies, national and international NGOs and civil society. On a daily basis, I engage with humanitarian colleagues who are exemplary in their commitment and dedication to humanity. Since my arrival in Pakistan in 2014, I have been privileged to work with many such individuals, but the ones that I want to dedicate these few lines to are those whom we serve, because that is what the UN charter is all about - the people. Before coming to Pakistan, I spent the majority of my United Nations career dealing with situations of conflict and complex emergencies. I visited many countries and witnessed immense human suffering and great compassion; both the worst and best of humanity. You see unspeakable anguish, but you also see the strength, determination and hope that keeps driving these people forward. During my field visits in Pakistan, when I talk to displaced men, women, girls and boys I feel humbled, not only by their courage in facing adversity, but by the realization that despite their hardships; despite losing their homes, their belongings and their livelihoods, when you look them in the eye you recognize that the one thing they did not lose is their pride and dignity. It is a re-
minder that the humanitarian assistance we provide is not charity. Humanitarian work is deeply rooted and based in the rights of people. When we assist them with shelter, food, medicine – what little we can provide to alleviate their suffering we are not doing them a favor. We assist these people because they have the right to live in a dignified manner. This is the essence of the United Nations Charter that we celebrate the 70th anniversary of this year. For me, there is no greater honor than upholding this spirit, being a humanitarian worker and serving the people under the blue flag of the United Nations.
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UNOCHA, UNODC
Ms. Fatima Iqbal Humanitarian Affairs Officer, OCHA
Mr. Waheed Anwar Humanitarian Affairs Officer, OCHA
Mr. Cesar Guedes Representative, UNODC
Since I joined OCHA in 2006, there has not been a single moment over the last decade where I have not grown, and in turn realized that there is so much to do. This feeling comes naturally when you are a part of the UN family and deepens with every emergency I have worked on in the last ten years. I find that the satisfaction drawn from helping even a single soul in distress is liberating. There have been many trying times, such as those during the massive displacement in 2008 and the floods in 2010 where we pulled together as a team; mistakes that we were forced to learn from and opportunities in disguise that we had to seize. There were moments of celebration and triumph; seeing affected people return to their homes and resume their lives, children getting immunized for the first time, malnourished mothers and toddlers receive nutritional support were just a few of the many rewarding moments I have had over the years. It was all in the spirit to do better and to create a difference, no matter how small. I am surely blessed to do what I do!
I have been a part of the UN system for the last 15 years and have been working on emergencies for the last 10. I have seen hundreds of thousands deal with complex emergencies and natural disasters – communities affected by the earthquake of 2005, the floods of 2010 and the large-scale displacement of 2008. I have come across new challenges every day that I have spent all my energy in dealing with. Yet, I have never felt exhausted, as my job becomes joyful when I see the affected people, and especially the vulnerable population of children, women, and the elderly getting support. I feel a sense of fulfillment when I see displaced individuals returning to their homes, food being provided, health needs being taken care of, clean water being made available and children going to schools. That is the time when I tell myself I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to help those who are in need.
The 70th anniversary of the United Nations this year is a true landmark of the joint efforts of all of us to promote peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been a key partner in this endeavour by assisting Member States in combatting illicit drugs and transnational organised crime (TOC). In accordance with its mandate, the UNODC Country Office in Pakistan has been providing technical assistance for over 35 years in close cooperation with the Government of Pakistan, civil society stakeholders and donor partners to help address the country’s crime and drug related challenges. UNODC has also worked to ensure full compliance with the UN conventions on drugs, TOC, and corruption. The trafficking of illicit drugs, chemical precursors and people and migrant smuggling from, within and through Pakistan, together with drug abuse and addiction problems, pose significant challenges to human, social, and economic development and security in and
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beyond its borders. The mandate of UNODC is to assist the Government of Pakistan in three interdependent areas of work; (i) the empowerment of law enforcement and regulatory agencies in Pakistan to reduce illicit trafficking and manage its borders, (ii) the enhancement of fundamental components of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement agencies, prosecution, prison services, and anti-corruption initiatives, and (iii) capacity building for the Government of Pakistan in drug use prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. UNODC is currently preparing for the next Country Programme (2016-2019), and is in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders, which reflects a comprehensive and integrated approach and will encompass elements of gender equality, human rights and due process. UNODC is continuing its utmost efforts with all relevant stakeholders to ensure “A safer community, free from the threats posed by organised crime and drug use and confident in the integrity of the criminal justice system to provide access to justice”.
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Ms. Nasima Naz Finance and Oversight Officer, UNODC Recruited in April 2010, my initial duties at the UNODC were to help setting up a new Country Programme during which the office was restructuring itself with a new Representative, a new office building, new staffs and a new structure altogether. The expectations and confidence that the Representative’s Office had put in me were the main force to do my very best and even to push my own limits. Given recognition for successfully leading an audit office gave me more exposure and confidence. For the first two years I was in charge of overall operations which included managing office procurement, finance, human resources and administration. UNODC COPAK was attracting the interests of donors for its mandate following the devolution of its counterparts to the provincial level with the post 18th Amendment. It was an exciting time as I was given the room to be creative and innovative for process design and quality assurance. The mandate of the organization was new to me because previously I had worked in service delivery and capacity building at the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). My experience at UNODC has been extraordinary, not just in terms of learning and developing myself but because of the difference that we are able to create in the lives of people who are placed in the front line of danger and vulnerable to threat. We work at the hub of the world
with a mandate that could sometimes be dangerous but crucial, which affects not only West and Central Asia but across the globe. For the past 5 five years, I have been blessed to work with people who shares their kind hearts and kindness with me and my new born son Ibrahim who so happily accompanies me to my office. We are cared and loved by all the colleagues and vice versa, which creates a “truly happy family”. The support that the Representative’s office and all my colleagues has given me during my pregnancy and motherhood has taught me that I am truly blessed to be working in a exciting and caring environment that UNODC COPAK offers. The experience is invaluable.
Mr. Pooyan Shateri Kashi
Programme Coordinator CCP Pooyan Shateri started his UNODC tenure in April 2007, when he joined the HIV prevention section in UNODC Country Office of Iran (COIRA). In that position he was mainly involved in organizing experience exchange events aimed at presenting Iran’s harm reduction measures to South East and Central Asia countries. Pioneer harm-reduction measures promoted by UNODC being implemented in Iran includes methadone maintenance therapy, needle and syringe / condom distribution among high risk inmates in prisons as well as providing similar servic-
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UNODC, UNWOMEN
es in addition to food and shelter for drug users at drop-in centres. Such measures has changed Iran’s prevalence of HIV infection rate among drugs users from critical to under control over a period of ten years. Later in the same year, Pooyan joined the Border Management team in COIRA, where he was fully involved in the implementation of the UNODC Triangular Initiative (a fora of regional counter narcotics collaboration) between Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Pooyan was also responsible for managing the procurement of law enforcement equipment such as scanners, search tools, machinery and drug detecting dogs in favor of Iranian Anti-Narcotics Police (ANP) and Customs. In the same position, Pooyan was closely following the idea of empowering ANP and Customs dog training centres through exposure to and collaboration with expert entities in the field of specialized dogs. In this period, Pooyan helped bridge Pioneer dog training centres from France, Germany, Netherlands and UK with the Iranian counterparts which resulted in noticeable improvement in performance and management as well as expansion of Iranian dog training centres. To date, ANP dog training centre accommodates over 200 drug detecting dogs, which contribute to seizure of around 30 tons of different drugs (mainly opiates) per year. In March 2015, Pooyan joined the Container Control Programme (CCP) in the UNODC Country Office of Pakistan (COPAK). The CCP programme is designed to help governments in effective identification and seizure of illicit containerized shipments. The programme has been running in Pakistan since 2008 with impressive results already. Pooyan Holds a Masters in General Linguistics from Tehran Payam Noor University, and speaks English, French, German and Farsi.
Mr. Jamshed M. Kazi Representative, UN Women I assumed my role as Country Representative for UN Women Pakistan in February 2015, a country where just over half the population are females, and ranks 141 out of 142 countries in global gender equality (World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index 2014). Pakistani women continue to encounter considerable gender discrimination including access to health care, education and work. At the same time, Pakistan has remarkable female role models in politics, business and in science demonstrating that gender discrimination and stereotyping are beginning to lose their potency. The women (and men) of Pakistan have indispensable roles; and it is important to continually acknowledge the role that women play towards nation-building and driving change in public, private and societal settings. Gender equality is essentially about disruption – it is about breaking social norms and gender barriers that limit opportunities for women and girls, and engaging men and boys. Gender stereotypes often fail to
recognize the many different hats women wear at any given moment. The Government of Pakistan has reiterated its commitment to “build and strengthen institutions that are more responsive to women’s needs, help remove remaining obstacles to their economic empowerment and provide them a world free of violence”. Speaking at the landmark Global Leaders Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in New York during the UNGA week last month, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also noted that progress towards meeting Sustainable Development Goal 5 and others will require an “attitudinal shift and a long-term commitment to making women equal partners in national and global progress and prosperity”. UN Women, together with our sister UN agencies, stands ready to take this globally agreed agenda forward towards a Planet 50:50 by 2030. We count on you to join us to ensure gender equality and empowerment of Pakistani women so that they can claim the recognition and rights they deserve, and fully enjoy the benefits of development, peace and security.
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Ms. Rehana Khilji Programme Officer - Balochistan, UN Women I myself come from a nomadic tribe and am the first educated women in my family and tribe. My father was not educated, yet enlightened, and he gave equal opportunity of education to both me and my brothers (despite being from a very low income group). By his wish I opened a home school/education centre in my village and with each boy enrolled we made it mandatory that a girl was accompanied and enrolled. This way the number of girls benefitting from education increased in our locality. Today there are many girls, alongside boys, who are highly educated and contributing to the empowerment of others in the locality. Working for UN Women has given me the way and chance to contribute to the cause of gender equality and women’s empowerment in my province (Balochistan). This is a province that is facing many challenges, such as security and under development. Yet through our engagement with the local government and civil society, we have the pro-women laws and its rules for implementation, plus a well-defined gender policy that gives me the inspiration to contribute more to this sector in order to strengthen the 52% of our population that is otherwise unprivileged and mostly silent. This truly gives me a pride that after
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I am the first women of the province who has mobilized women and male community groups in far flung districts of Balochistan, at a time when communities were not used to seeing a young women travelling along with the driver and reaching out to the neediest in need. No doubt I faced many challenges at that time but due to my continuous struggles I gained a respectful place in the Baloch and Pashtoon communities and a time came when I was able to take rural women on exposure visits to other districts - it was a pioneer work of its time.
Mr. Mohammad Asim Jaleel National Project Coordinator for the UN Trust Fund for Human Security, UN Women I am always grateful to my Dad, who taught us to respect women. The family environment has always been encouraging, which helped my sisters to earn university degrees. I have inherited the instinct to ‘trust women’, whether she is a wife or sister. Let them explore and see the world through their own eyes. Let them do mistakes and learn from them. My sisters have turned to be positive examples for other family members, and girls eager to get higher education have convinced their parents to reach their dreams. During my work, I have been strongly advocating with men to support women; help them to learn whatever they want; and trust them - this is the key to success. Working in Sindh, we too experience extreme disasters (floods and droughts) and disasters affect gender disproportionately. In increasing women’s resilience towards natural disasters, I am assisting women to transform themselves from passive members to active contributors in planning to reduce socio-economic damages caused by disasters.
UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM
WFP
Ms. Lola Castro Country Director, World Food Programme This month, we mark the 70th anniversary of the birth of the United Nations. At the time, it was an almost impossible idea that emerged to bring peace and stability to an uncertain world. 70 years later, we are confronted with new challenges to peace and stability, and, among them, global hunger. The era of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which begins now, ushers in a global approach for a new and highly globalized world. The landscape has changed profoundly over the last 70 years and substantial shifts in the shape of modern conflicts, challenges in access to and use of resources, chief among them including food, increasingly complex poverty dimensions, growing migration and displacement and the rising impact of climatic events on the poor and vulnerable, demand a new set of solutions and a renewed United Nations. In Pakistan, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) – the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide
and the food assistance arm of the UN – is working with the Government at all levels to support fundamental advances in the state of food security and nutrition in Pakistan. In recent years, Pakistan has advanced a wide range of policies and programmes that have created new transformational opportunities to ensure Pakistan’s growth, including achievements in prioritizing and addressing food insecurity and malnutrition. Set against this, WFP, alongside other UN agencies and partners, responds to the Government’s need for collaboration as it shapes its response to these complex challenges, and in so doing, supports the most vulnerable people. Guided by the Government’s priorities for its people, embodied in Vision 2025, and aligned with the critical, newly shaped Sustainable Development Goal 2 – end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture – WFP gives priority to ensuring the success of all stakeholder efforts to address high levels of food insecurity and improve nutrition among communities displaced from their homes and repeatedly affected by shocks, as well as returnees, building resilience among communities in the most hazard-affected parts of the country, and supporting an enabling environment, compelled by the urgency to reverse inequities, for women to increase their social and economic equality. To mark this important occasion, I take the opportunity, along with my colleagues in all locations, in Islam-
abad and provinces, to reaffirm the core values of the UN, armed with the new Post-2015 Development Agenda, designed to address new challenges, globally, and here in Pakistan. No single agency and no single government can face these multidimensional challenges alone and to be truly effective, we must collectively commit ourselves – a new generation of the United Nations - to continue to rise to meet these new challenges, in Pakistan and elsewhere.
Salma Yaqub Senior Programme Assistant WFP, Pakistan (Provincial Office Lahore) As a member of the dynamic and dedicated team of World Food Programme I consider myself blessed. It has always been gratifying working as a front line team member to alleviate the suffering of humanity at a time of crucial emergencies and disasters. My diverse work experience with World Food Programme has led to personal and professional growth by instilling gender sensitivity, responsibility, cross cultural tolerance, honesty, integrity commitment and respect for others
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WFP, WHO
Nadeem Baig Head of Provincial Office, Muzaffarabad, WFP Pakistan During my time with WFP serving in Pakistan Administered Kashmir, I have developed an appreciation of how with time and effort a group of people can bring about a sustainable change. I am personally extremely proud of the fact that WFP’s school feeding project has been a catalyst that has led to an increase in the enrollment of girls’ in schools and has changed mindsets about educating our girls.
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Dr. Zulfiqar Khan WHO
Dr. Michel Thieren Representative, WHO WHO is providing leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed. WHO, as a lead health agency of the United Nations, is also sharing the research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating ethical and evidence based policy options and most importantly providing technical support, catalyzing change and building sustainable institutional capacity and monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends.
The health system is the backbone of any healthcare delivery system in the world. A health system like the skeleton and other health programmes and services are like the flesh. A health system is like the hardware and other health programmes and services are like the software. The importance of a health system was realized when in year 2000, WHO devoted its World Health report on health system. In this report, it was highlighted that health outcomes are much better in countries where the health system support is adequate and appropriate irrespective of level of development and expenditure on health. For example; USA is the best spender on health but even then everybody does not have access to healthcare. WHO also gave a health system framework of six building block of health system namely; Governance & leadership, health financing, health workforce, health information, essential medicine & technology and service delivery. The current thinking of health system is that it should be geared toward achieving the goals of universal health coverage which means that everybody have access to at least a basic package of health services and is financially protected when using these healthcare services.
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Announcing the United Nations 70: partnering for people’s development festival to the media
On the occasion of the United Nations 70th anniversary, the United Nations System in Pakistan planned a festival titled “United Nations 70: partnering for people’s development”. To kick start the festival, the United Nations Information Centre in partnership with Ministry of Information and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Dean of Diplomatic Corps held a press conference at the Press Information Department on October 6th, 2015. Local and international journalists from electronic and print media attended the press conference. Participants learnt about the details of the festival organized by the United Nations in Pakistan. Mr. Vittorio Cammarota, Director, United Nations Information Centre, gave an insight into the events held in Lahore and Islamabad. He spoke about the role
of stakeholders involved in the development and humanitarian work in Pakistan, including the Government of Pakistan, Member States, donor agencies, civil society and the media. Ambassador of Argentina Rodolfo Martin Saravia in his capacity as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, extended his deepest support for the purposes and principles that inspired the creation of the UN, both in terms of an organization that actively participates in the promotion of peace as well as improves the development of mankind, social and economic development. Ms. Tasneem Aslam, Additional Secretary UN&EU desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke about the significance of the UN and the important role that it plays in maintaining international peace and stability, which is
essential for the development of any nation. The festival aimed at providing a platform to promote the values of the United Nations and focused on enhancing outreach to general public and the Pakistani youth by involving them in a number of educational projects. The initiative helped feature Pakistan prominently in the global campaign in celebrating the 70th anniversary of the United Nations.
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United Nations 70: partnering for people’s development -The opening event
The United Nations 70th Anniversary festivities kick-started with a stimulating opening event on 12th of October at Lok Virsa, the National Heritage Museum in Islamabad. The event featured a photo exhibition entitled “Pakistani People and the United Nations” documenting the work of the UN System in Pakistan. It also included a selection of historical photos from the “We the peoples” official collection, which highlighted the work of the United Nations through powerful thought-provoking images. To create an effective visual impact, participants of the event also watched a brief documentary on core areas
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of the UN system throughout the world in the past decades. The event anchored by Mr. Waqas Rafique was well attended by High-level Government representatives as well as representatives from the diplomatic community and the United Nations participated. A special musical staging the “Envoy’s Band” comprising of the Bosnian ambassador to Pakistan, H.E Nedim Makarevic on the electric guitar and vocals, and Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E Hiroshi Inomata, on the drums enthralled the audience with their performance. Other musicians also
performed at the event followed suit. The Advisor to the PM on National Security and Foreign Policy, Mr. Sartaj Aziz was the chief guest on the occasion. Mr. Aziz congratulated the UN on the completion of 70 years and appreciated the work of UN and its agencies in Pakistan. Mr. Neil Buhne, Resident Coordinator, United Nations Pakistan, said: “The 70th anniversary of the United Nations provides an opportunity to look back at what has been accomplished through Pakistan’s involvement with the UN, and to take stock of how the UN is helping Pakistan meet current needs. For the
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coming years, the Sustainable Development Goals offer an unprecedented opportunity for the UN to complement the work of the Government to meet those goals and through that, peoples’ aspirations for the future”.
H.E. Rodolfo Martin Saravia, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Argentine, extended his deepest support to the purposes and principles that inspired the creation of the UN, including the promotion of peace, of human
rights and the social and economic development of mankind. The “United Nations 70: partnering for people’s development” festival offered an good opportunity for highlighting the role of the many stakeholders involved in the development and humanitarian work in Pakistan, including the Government of Pakistan, Member States, donor agencies, civil society and the media. It also provides a platform to promote the values of the United Nations among the general public and to enhance outreach to the Pakistani youth by involving them in a number of educational projects.
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The UN Wall campaign, Pakistani youth promoting UN values
As a part of the ten-day long festivities scheduled to commemorate the United Nations 70th anniversary, the United Nations System in Pakistan held a youth workshop at the UN Information Centre on the 13th of October 2015. More than a hundred students from Mashal Model School, Silver Oaks Schools, Beaconhouse School System and Roots Millen-
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nium Schools participated in a series of tailored activities focused on, amongst others, peace, tolerance and social cohesion, child labour, education, hunger and nutrition, water and sanitation, gender equality, youth empowerment. The UN Wall campaign, “Pakistani Youth Promoting UN Values workshop” focused on disseminating the values of the United
Nations explaining the importance of SDG’s to the Pakistani youth with the help of various interactive activities. The workshop consisted of a series of events to effectively impart the values of the United Nations to students aged between 10 and 18. Further, the aim was also to make these children understand the messages in a way that they feel motivated to dissemi-
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nate among other parts of the population. Participants were grouped according to the values of social and gender equality and were involved in fun and informational activities like the ‘Art for Peace’ workshop. The facilitators explained the values of peace and social cohesion to them and the kids narrated their thoughts through drawings on paper. The gender equal-
ity activity aimed at discussing gender roles and stereotypes. Children also learned about hygiene through water and sanitation role-play, about climate change through a quiz session and about education through storytelling activities. Smiles stretched across faces as children learnt about the values in a unique and informative manner. Presentations and an interactive
session regarding the Sustainable Development Goals were also conducted. The workshop built on the UN Wall campaign, which aims at engaging Pakistani youth to disseminate the SDGs and the key values of the UN and is organized with the support of UNFPA and the Swiss Development Cooperation.
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The United Nations, a committed partner in promoting technical regional cooperation in their respective mandates. Ms. Rida Tanvir, a student in the audience observed, “It was really good to see the high-level officials from many different UN agencies in one room, and I have learned so much about the work and role of the UN agencies from the discussion today. I hope there will be another discussion like this in the future.” Along with the panel discussion, an information booth was set up with various displays including pamphlets, information sheets, and pictures of the participating agencies, which provided a timely opportunity for the audience to better understand in detail the role and mandate of UN agencies, especially with regard to regional cooperation. On 13th October 2015, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) facilitated an interactive panel discussion on the role of the UN as a committed partner in promoting technical regional cooperation at the International Relations Department auditorium of the Quaid-i-Azam University. The session was moderated by UNODC representative, Mr. Cesar Guedes with panelists from the UNODC and its counterparts the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), UNAIDS, UNHCR and WHO. The auditorium of the International Relations Department at Quaid-i-Azam University was filled with officials from the Government of Pakistan, various member states,
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and students who actively participated through their questions. The theme of the discussion revolved around respective mandates in a regional context and included topics of technical cooperation and harmonisation. The panelists demonstrated that countering illicit narcotics trafficking (UNODC, ANF), finding durable solutions for Afghan refugees in Pakistan (UNHCR), eradicating Polio (WHO), and reducing new HIV infections (UNAIDS) all require close coordination and cooperation between Pakistan and its neighbouring countries. In addition, they highlighted that UN agencies were providing a platform for the relevant parties to come together and find common solutions
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Pakistan Sey Paris: On the road to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference
The two-day Forum “Pakistan Sey Paris: on the road to 2015 Paris Climate Conference” organized jointly by the Embassy of France, federal and provincial governments, the United Nations, and a large array of civil society organizations comes to an end today. This forum, which was part of the UN70 celebrations in Pakistan, set the stage for Pakistan’s preparation to the upcoming decisive Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris in just 50 days. The forum, at Alhamra, Lahore, gathered more than 600 people from government, academia, civil society, students, private sector, media and the general public. Eminent speakers included the French Ambassador, Martine Dorance; the EU Ambassador, Jean-François Cautain; United Nations Resident Coordinator, Neil Buhne; Member of National Assembly and Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Ms Marriyum Aurengzeb; Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change, Mr.Arif Ahmad Khan; representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Tasneem Aslam and prominent voices from civil society such as Senator (R)Javed Jabbar, Dr Shoaib Sultan Khan, Dr Ishrat
Hussain and Dr. Parvez Hassan. In four round tables, experts discussed low-carbon development strategies in Pakistan, adaptation and impacts of climate change on food and water security, on health and gender, disaster risk management and climate smart solutions. The lead author of the National Climate Change Policy, Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry said “Climate Change is the 21st century’s most difficult challenge humans have ever created.” Senator (R) Javed Jabbar advocated strengthening the capacity of civil society and decreasing their dependency on donor organizations; reconceptualising the development approaches and adopting a collaborative rather than confrontational approach to address climate change. Senator Nisar A. Memon, Chairman Water and Environment Forum Pakistan, former Federal Minister underlined that “small solutions had to be developed together with the private sector to face climate change challenges”. Former ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel stressed the need to “strengthen institutional mechanisms to promote collabo-
ration among government agencies and non-state stakeholders for formulation and implementation of a low carbon climate resilient growth paradigm”. Mrs Bella Evidente, UN Habitat, called “the cities to act and identify their risks”. Talking about the impacts of health, Dr Sania Nishtar proposed establishing cross cutting institutions that can do long term thinking and planning that see beyond the short term. Dr Dominique Reynaud, eminent French scientist, proposed establishing a scientific RPCC “regional panel on climate change” or a PPCC a “Pakistan panel on climate change” on the model of the IPCC. Dr Shoaib Sultan defended people centric development initiatives, focused on community empowerment and economic resilience in ways that reflect their hopes and aspirations. Mr Marc-André Franche, UNDP, strongly highlighted the importance of developing climate change litteracy and of implementing effectively the policies, through better governance. Youth voices were represented by the Youth Parliament. Numerous students from Lahore Superior University helped to organize the event. Many “made in Pakistan”, local solutions to tackle climate change were presented and new ones recommended. This “agenda of solutions” will be showcased in Paris, highlighting Pakistani voices, challenges and people’s priorities. This unprecedented event, which gathered all stakeholders, turned out a success. The idea of such broad -based and inclusive forums should be replicated beyond COP21 throughout Pakistan, in urban and rural areas to raise awareness and disseminate information about this critical issue.
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Peacekeeping: partnering for global peace and development The United Nations System in Pakistan partnered with Embassy of Italy in Islamabad and Centre for Peace and Stability at National University of Science and Technology (NUST) to host a panel discussion on Peacekeeping at the Centre for Peace and Stability at NUST. Peacekeeping has proven to be one of the most effective tools available to the United Nations to assist host countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. There are currently 16 UN peacekeeping operations deployed in four continents with a total of 124,746 personnel serving. Pakistan is 4th contributor to the UN peacekeeping operation ongoing with a total of 7,794 military and police officers out of which 7,510 are men and 140 are women. The panel discussion highlighted the importance of contributing peacekeepers and of effectively training them to face the challenges of today’s advanced multidimen-
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sional operations. A large number of peacekeepers from Pakistan, visiting peacekeepers from Nigeria, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were amongst the participants. Mr. Tommaso Sansone, Charge’d Affaires at the Embassy of Italy, while highlighting the contribution of Italy said that with more than 1000 men and women on the ground, Italy ranks first among Western Countries as troop contributors and 7th among financial contributors to peace missions. “Italy has been consistent with its tradition of solidarity and always played a highly visible role of reconstruction, stability, peacekeeping and peace building efforts” said Sansone. Sansone said that Italy has made noteworthy contribution to the efforts of the UN peacekeeping both logistically and at training level. Mr. Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Director General (UN), Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaking on Pakistanmad, Deign policy said that
peacekeeping remains the primary tool for the UN to achieve peace and security. The partnership between the UN and peacekeeping remains the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. Ahmad said that Pakistan has been engaged with the UN peacekeeping since the 1960s and is currently participating in six missions. The contribution that Pakistan has brought in is intangible and we are very proud of this” said Ahmad. Adding to that he said that recent UN Peacekeeping summit held alongside the UN General Assembly session this year was encouraging. The discussion ended with the inauguration of the UN Wall at the Centre for Peace and Stability at NUST and was signed by peacekeepers.
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UNIDO fostering clean technology, entrepreneurship and trade
To commemorate the United Nations 70th Anniversary, UNIDO held a thought-provoking panel discussion on the Trade Related Technical Assistance Programme and an Award Ceremony on 14th October, 2015 at the Serena Hotel, Islamabad. Renowned panellists participated in this discussion from academia, public and private sectors, in addition to senior government officials and the deputy ambassador to EU Delegation to Pakistan. The Resident Coordinator of United Nations Mr Neil Buhne in Pakistan highlighted the Global Sustainable Development Goals and the role of UNIDO to promote trade, entrepreneurship and clean technologies. The UNIDO Representative Esam Alqararah thanked all the participants and implementing partners and also showed his gratitude to EU for funding the Programme. He highlighted the remarkable accomplishments by TRTA to Integrate the economy of Pakistan into global trade.
This discussion aimed at highlighting the Programme’s efforts and the impact it has made to the trade in Pakistan, while discussing its sustainability for the future. The discussion concluded on a positive note commending the achievements and initiatives consolidated under the TRTA Programme and the impact it has created in the sustainable growth and development of industries. A total of five awards were handed over by Mr. Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, Federal Minister for Industries and Production who inaugurated UNIDO Cleantech awards, an Innovation Programme (GCIP-Pak) implemented in cooperation with PCST, NPO, PIM and funded by GEF. The Minister handed over prizes ranging from US$ 20,000 (National Winner) to US$ 15,000 (3 Prizes), with an extra prize of US$ 15,000 for the most promising woman-led business. In addition, the National Winner will receive mentorship and training support during his travel to the Global Cleantech Open Forum in San Francisco, USA. Speaking at the event, the Minister stressed that importance of “clean technology in this highly globalised world and the efforts which the government is doing for the promotion and advancement of Technology and industrialisation”. The Minister specifically highlighted the
role of the UNIDO and its partners in arranging this competition, which will promote entrepreneurship as well as will provide the solutions to the energy shortage in Pakistan. The Minister also reiterated commitment made by the Government of Pakistan for adopting the Sustainable Development Goals specifically SDG Goal 9, to promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation and Foster Innovation. The UNIDO Representative to Pakistan, Mr Esam Alqararah, addressing the ceremony, shared UNIDO’s vision on energy and environment and the efforts UNIDO is making to promote renewable energy and clean technologies in Pakistan. Both ceremonies was attended by more than 150 high ranking officials and dignitaries, Ambassadors, international donor agencies, and Representatives from government institutions including allied departments of MoIP, representatives from Industries, Ministry of Commerce, Climate Change Division, Chambers of Commerce and industry and private sector stakeholders and GEF cell.
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Youth of the World: a Flag Parade
The Youth of the World Flag Parade is a creative visual presentation of the member states of the United Nations. The event was hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea within the Hanbok Fashion Show Gala Dinner at Serena Hotel, Islamabad. We asked young people to parade flags belonging to member states represented in Pakistan and to read excerpts from the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This event highlighted the importance of young people to the United Nations but also the importance of young people to Pakistan because they will drive its future. A big thank you to all of you for celebrating the 70th anniversary of the United Nations.
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Youth voices for climate change
The United Nations Information Centre invited students from different schools in Islamabad for an interactive Youth Forum on Climate Change at the ILO auditorium. The workshop was called United4Climate: Pakistani Youth for Climate Change. Around 100 young people were brought together and were briefed on climate change. The colorful logo inspired by the UN emblem reminded students about the importance of speaking out about climate change and about ways to play their part in the cause as young leaders. The Australian High Commissioner in Islamabad Ms. Margaret Adamson, Director UNIC Vittorio Cammarota, Zeba Husain of Mashal School and climate change experts spoke to students to engage them in an interactive conversation on climate change. Students asked questions to obtain clarity about aspects of the issue of climate change, and shared their ideas on how to act against climate change in everyday life. They were told
about thoughtful disposal of different type of waste material. Students took part in a creative activity where they expressed themselves through art work bringing forward their thoughts and ideas to tackle climate change. With great enthusiasm they shared their thoughts through topical essays and drawings, which UNIC will collect in a booklet “Pakistani youth for Climate Change” to be launched on the global Climate Change conference COP21 in Paris.
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Events and activities of UN70 festival
Workshop: The United Nations as seen by Pakistani youth
On the occasion of the United Nations 70th anniversary, Roots International Schools and Metropolitan International University College proudly welcomed the UN partners, 19 agencies, ambassadors and followers to commemorate the “United Nations 70: partnering for people’s development”. During an interactive workshop “The United Nations as seen by Pakistani youth”: the mandate and functions of United Nations as well as the priorities of the 19 agencies, funds and programmes operating in Pakistan were brought under discussion by the students as well as Ambassadors. The workshop included the screening of short UN documentaries on celebrating the UN Charter, At the Frontlines of Conflict and The World’s Largest Lessons. Students from RIS made a num-
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ber of presentations on promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 ranging from poverty elimination, ending hunger and ensuring equitable quality education to achieving gender equality and promoting well-being of women and girls. CEO RIS & Rector MIUC Mr. Walid Mushtaq, Executive Director RIS Mrs. Sara Walid, H.E Mr. Rodolfo. J. Martin Saravia- Ambassa-
dor of Argentina to Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Carlos Morales- Ambassador of Spain to Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Walid Ahmed Mahmoud Abu Ali- Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan and Mr. Vittorio Cammarota-Director United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) were guest speakers during the panel discussion at RIS- Wellington Campus. During a constructive debate among students and the Ambassadors different topics of practicing tolerance, living together in peace, promoting social progress and better standards of larger freedom were brought under discussion. Roots International Schools & MIUC students dedicate prominent walls at each premises to the UN Wall Campaign and delivered the key messages on values of the United Nations, peace building and bringing harmony on each wall. The inauguration and showcasing of the UNWall commenced in this very event.
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Movie Screening: Freedom Bus
The German embassy, in conjunction with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) held a screening on October 15th 2015 of the documentary film ‘Freedom Bus’ at German Embassy, Islamabad. Freedom Bus tells the story of Ashraf El Sharkawy, 39, who leaves behind an established life as a successful manager in Germany to start a campaign in Egypt helping to spread the idea of democracy. Driven by the urge to give back something to his parents’ home country, Ashraf born and raised in Germany, to Egyptian parents - develops a campaign named ‘Freedom Bus’. Prior to the first truly free elections in the history of Egypt, Ashraf travels the entire country with a team of companions in his ‘Freedom Bus’. Their goal is to empower the Egyptian people, hoping they will not miss out on their historic chance to vote. Speaking before the screening
began, the Mr. Kai Müller-Berner, Head of the Economic Eection of the German Embassy called the film “inspiring” and stressed the support of its embassy to the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. Mr. Vittorio Cammarota, Director UNIC, added that democracy and human rights are enshrined in the Charter of the UN.
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World Food Day
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) celebrates WFD each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. This year’s theme is “Social Protection and agriculture: breaking the cycle of rural poverty”. It was celebrated in collaboration with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNF&R), FAO, World Food Programme (WFP) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad. Government Officials, Diplomats, UN agencies, Academia, NGOs, Donors and Farmers attended the event, with the Federal Minister for MNF&R as the Chief Guest. A video produced by FAO was be screened. Messages from the President, Prime Minister, UN Secretary General, FAO Director General, WFP Executive Director and IFAD President were read. The Chairman PARC; Sec-
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retary MNFS&R and DG NARC delivered speeches. In line with FAO70, Commemorative and Cash awards for winning farmers were given Rs. 50,000 each. Stalls were exhibited by stakeholders, followed by Lunch.
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Setting an example of development: the Republic of Korea
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre, organized a panel discussion at the International Relations Department of the Quaid-e-Azam University. The event was part of the Korea Month celebrations organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Islamabad to mark the National Foundation Day of the Republic of Korea. Simultaneously, it was part of the 70th Anniversary celebrations of the United Nations. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Omar Khalid Butt and telecasted as part of the ‘Diplomatic Enclave’ TV show on the PTV World channel. Panel discussants included His Excellency Dr. Song Jong-hwan, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Pakistan; Dr. Sung-Hee Jwa, Chair Professor at the Park Chung-Hee School of Policy and Saemaul at the Yeungnam University‘ Professor Dr. Lee Tai Hwan, director of the Center for China Studies; Dr.
Aliya H. Khan, Dean Social Sciences at the Quaid-e-Azam University; and Ms. Shireen Khan. The panel discussion reviewed the historical relationship between the Republic of Korea and the United Nations. The panel also discussed the policy making and practical steps taken by the Republic of Korea which allowed it to become an economic miracle and transform from an aid recipient to an aid donor country within a few years. Dr. Sung-Hee Jwa shed light on how economic development occurred with a special emphasis on the Saemaul Undong, or the New Village Movement, which the United Nations seeks to replicate in other developing countries. Dr. Lee Tai Hwan spoke about the prospects of unification of the Korean peninsula, the role of other countries in facilitating this unifications and the impact of the unification on the region. Dr. Aliya H. Khan and Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal brought a Pakistani perspective to both
Korean economic development and the Korea’s prospects for unification. Dr. Shireen provided the UN perspective on Korea’s development and role in the United Nations. The panel discussion was followed by an intense questions and answers session between the discussants and the students of the International Relations Department of the Quaid-e-Azam University.
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Official opening of the new office of the UN Information Centre
In a bid to serve its counterparts better and improve interaction with media, on 22nd October 2014, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) inaugurated its new office at the ILO building in G-5/2 Islamabad. The new premises includes a state-of-the art multimedia studio that allows better access to improved facilities along with a dedicated area for interns. The office space also welcomes a vibrant exhibition space that will assist Media personnel and UN officials to engage in a more efficient and effective manner. To officially inaugurate the office,
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the ribbon cutting ceremony was held with the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Parveiz Rashid as chief guest. Ambassador of Argentina and Dean of Diplomatic Corps, H.E. Rodolfo Martin Saravia, Resident Coordinator of the UN Mr. Neil Buhne and Director UNIC Mr. Vittorio Cammarota. Addressing a gathering of Ambassadors, Heads of UN agencies in Pakistan, UN staff and media, Federal Minister Mr. Perveiz Rasheed highlighted the role of the UN in making the world a better place. He spoke about the importance of
Media with the UN while adding the support of Pakistan to UN peacekeeping operations in 23 countries. “Public support for the United Nations would obviously grow as more and more people know about its endeavours to address their needs and priorities on a broad range of issues from poverty, climate change, health , hunger to illiteracy and sustainable development� said the Minister. Resident Coordinator of the United Nations, Mr. Neil Buhner expressed gratitude to all the stake holders who had helped make UN70 a success. While giving a tour of the new
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premises to the chief guest and other guests, Director UNIC, Mr. Vittorio Cammarota gave a detailed account of the new centre. “Established in Karachi in 1951, our office is part of the network of 63 United Nations Information Centres currently operating all over the world. In the past few years we have made considerable efforts to open our doors to the Pakistani people and institutions to make sure that they feel integral part of our Centre and are involved in our activities� said Mr. Cammarota. The equipment for the studio was donated by several UN agencies
for the benefit of the whole UN system. Heads of various UN agencies and a large number of diplomats and media representatives attended the inauguration ceremony. The official opening of the new UNIC office also brought to a close the UN70 festival which was a series of events held in Pakistan to mark the completion of 70 years of the UN.
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Communications for development: women in the media, photojournalism, documentary-making
The United Nations System UNIC partnered with Bahria University in Islamabad and hosted a panel discussion on various themes around communications for development on 19th October, 2015.Communication is vital for sharing information on human development with wider audiences. Communication processes are also central to broader empowerment practices through which people are able to arrive at their own understanding of issues, to consider and discuss ideas, to negotiate, and
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to engage in public debates at community and national levels.Reporters, documentary makers, photo-journalists and media houses play a crucial role in communications for development in light of their access to large audiences. The seminar offered an opportunity for discussing the challenges and the opportunities of media representatives reporting on development issues. It also highlighted the crucial role women play in the media business including their accomplishments and the unique set of challenges they face. The panel discussion organized at Bahria University highlighted the challenges and the opportunities reporters, film-makers and photo-journalists face when reporting on development issues. It will also focused on the crucial role women play in the media business including their accomplishments and the unique set of challenges they face. The discussion offered the opportunity focused onto sharing share best practices in the field of media and development, identifying synergies and opportunities for collaboration between media representative and the UN System and providing mass communications students with inspirational guidance for their professional growth. The participants comprised of well renowned local and foreign experts and media personalities, including Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Muhammad
Ziauddin, Fasi Zaka and Julian Phelan. The students and faculty were thrilled to have such some of the best media and communications experts gathered on one platform to share their thoughts and experience and offer guidance to the 400 plus audience. Mr. Vittorio Cammarota, Director United Nations Information Centre said, tudents and facu of this event is to strengthen mutual collaboration and support between the development world and the media for the benefit of our beneficiaries, the people of Pakistan.” When asked if it is more challenging being a documentary film maker in Pakistan, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy commented, “My greatest asset as a Pakistani is being a woman and I think Pakistan’s greatest assets are its women, if you look around the world, we are the ones who have climbed the highest mountains, we are the one’s winning the Oscar award”. Mr. Ziauddin Ahmed spoke about how media industry in Pakistan has come a long way ,; “it was roundabout at the turn of the century that things started opening up for the media industry and private sector was invited to set up television channels”. The chief guest for the seminar was Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, the Minister for Commerce.
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Afghan refugees in Pakistan: challenges, opportunities and the way forward years down the road, the SSAR - now in the II phase of its implementation (2015-17) – continues to serve as an important platform for engagement of more than 50 humanitarian and development partners across the region and as a vehicle for mobilizing the necessary political and financial support by the international community. Panelists agreed that despite challenges, the solid partnership between Pakistan and UNHCR and determination to end one of the most tragic chapters of human displacement present opportunities that should not be missed. Resolving old crises, where possible, is of paramount importance to avoid Participants of a panel discussion on 27th
ugee Agency (UNHCR) to commemorate
becoming overwhelmed by the new ones.
October, 2015, paid rich tribute to the peo-
the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations’
As we commemorate the 70th anniver-
ple and Government of Pakistan for their
formation, in Islamabad.
sary of the United Nations and UNHCR’s
exemplary generosity and hospitality which
The panelists included Deputy Representa-
36-years partnership with Pakistan, the
defines the humanitarian landscape in the
tive UNHCR, Johann Siffointe; Chief Com-
panelists noted that seizing the momentum
country as Pakistan continues to host 1.5
missioner Afghan Refugees, Dr. Imran Zeb
for solutions at this critical point in time is
million registered Afghan refugees consti-
Khan; renowned analyst Ayaz Wazir and fa-
not just a show of solidarity, but in the best
tuting the world’s largest protracted refugee
mous television anchor Mr. Rehman Azhar.
interest of us all. The UN refugee agency
population under UNHCR’s mandate and
Panelists noted that the protracted Afghan
emerged in the wake of World War II to
almost 11 percent of the total global refugee
refugee situation presents one of the most
help Europeans displaced by that conflict.
caseload.
complex humanitarian predicaments in the
The Office of the United Nations High Com-
The United Nations Refugee Agency and
modern history. In recognition of the need
missioner for Refugees was established on
the Government of Pakistan’s 36 years long
to find lasting solutions, in 2011 the Gov-
December 14, 1950 by the United Nations
partnership has been marked with several
ernments of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran
General Assembly with a three-year man-
milestones of global significance, such as
with the support of UNHCR, engaged in an
date to complete its work and then disband.
facilitation of voluntary return of more than
unprecedented consultative process result-
The following year, on July 28, the United
3.9 million Afghan refugees to their country
ing in the adoption of the Solutions Strate-
Nations Convention relating to the Status of
under the largest voluntary repatriation pro-
gy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR). The SSAR
Refugees – the legal foundation of helping
gramme in UNHCR’s history. These views
provides an integrated framework for joint
refugees and the basic statute guiding UN-
were expressed by the panelists of a panel
interventions aimed at facilitating voluntary
HCR’s work – was adopted.
discussion about “Afghan Refugees in Paki-
repatriation and sustainable reintegration
stan: challenges, opportunities and way for-
in Afghanistan while providing continued
ward” organized by the United Nations Ref-
assistance to the host communities. Four
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UNMOGIP celebrates the 70th anniversary of the United Nations
The compound at the UNMOGIP premises in Islamabad appeared cheerful and festive as local and international staff danced to the drum beat together. It was all in the spirit of oneness to celebrate the completion of 70 years of United Nations. The friendly tug of war match had warmed up all the colleagues to actively take part in the activities planned for the bright afternoon. Local and international military personnel from Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) also took part in the fun filled activities that were carried out with the main purpose of building upon the spirit of the UN and to promote team building. The Chief of Mission Support, Mr. Nester Odaga Jalomayo planted a tree to serve as a memory of 70 years of the UN and a symbol of a strong UN and better world. Guests
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from outside the Mission and Heads of UN agencies also joined the CMS in planting the tree. Staff and guests then took a photo at the flag stand. Before serving the sumptuous buffet lunch, a ceremony was held which began with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s message that was read out before the audience. Everyone listened on keenly when Mr. Nester Odaga Jalomayo came to deliver his speech for the occasion in which he highlighted the service of the UNMOGIP. He talked about how the UN stands against corruption, impunity and injustice and also said: “The situation at the Line of Control and Working Boundary between Pakistan and India would have been different if there were no UNMOGIP” He also said that UN might not be perfect but the world would have been a different place
without the UN and that is why while there is criticism on UN’s work, the achievements that the UN makes the world over should also be highlighted. Mr. Nester Odaga Jalomayo congratulated the UNMOGIP team for making this event a success. Chief Military Observer Maj Gen Delali Sakyi’s message was also read out in which he appreciated the service of all the peacekeepers and said: “UN70 is a day to reflect upon UN’s impact on humanity all over the world”. Those members of the peacekeeping family who had passed away were not forgotten. To keep their memory alive, their names were read out and after that everyone stood up to observe a minute of silence to pay respect to the departed souls. Guests from the Philippines Embassy, UNHCR and UNAMA expressed their support for the UN by attending this event at the UNMOGIP. They were of the view that it was important to celebrate this unique organization of the world. They had come over to unite, strengthen and enforce the message of the UN. The mood was cheerful throughout and everyone was impressed by the immaculate organization of the event. A raffle draw with first prize of Rs.20,000 kept everyone excited. Medals were awarded to winners of sports events and in the end employee of the year award was also given away.
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Staff members of the United Nations System celebrate UN Day
Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, with over 300 UN staff members from all of the agencies working in Pakistan attended a town hall meeting in Islamabad on 9th October 2015. The event, hosted by recently arrived UN Resident Coordinator Neil Buhne, included traditional Pakistani musical performances by UN staff. There are more than 3,000 UN staff members working all across Pakistan, often taking great risks to help people. The UN in Pakistan works to address a spectrum of needs and issues, including providing
immediate relief and protection to the most vulnerable, assisting displaced people and refugees to return to their homes, supporting the Government of Pakistan, and helping girls get into and stay in school. Mr. Buhne observed that this was a time to “reflect on and celebrate 70 years of the United Nations and to celebrate what is special in the UN Pakistan community and enjoy a pause from our work to be together and look to the future.” The UN in Pakistan will move forward based on supporting the country’s efforts to meet the Global Goals for Sus-
tainable Development, a truly universal agenda that will provide a framework of action for the next 15. “We all have to work in unison and collaboration to realize these goals,” stated Mr. Buhne. Mr. Buhne led the UN staff members in renewing their oath of conduct, noting “To move forward we also need to look back to the commitments we make as staff members when we sign our oath of office”.
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We the People United Nations Force in the Congo 07 August 1960
United Nations Assistance in the Congo 01 August 1960
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We the People The war in Korea 01 October 1950
Aftermath of the war in Korea 01 Ocrtober 1950
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We the People United Nations Forces in Korea 01 January 1951
United Nations Assistance in the Congo 01 August 1960
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We the People UN peacekeeping Force in Cyprus 01 June 1967
UNAVEM III peacekeeping soldier in Angola 23 March 1997
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We the People UNAMIO opens clinic and schoos in north Darfur 01 August 2012
UNMISS peacekeeper in Pibor, Jonglei state 06 March 2013
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We the People South Sudanese police trained in curbing cattle raids 13 November 2013
Peacekeepers protect women in rural areas of Darfur 21 November 2010
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The United Nations Pakistan Newsletter is produced by the United Nations Communications Group
Editor in Chief: Vittorio Cammarota, Director, United Nations Information Centre Sub Editors: Leena Nishtar, Maha Mussadaq, Basia Heath Producers (content): Maha Mussadaq and Leena Nishtar Graphic Designer: Mirko Neri Photographers: Huma Choudhary
The United Nations has a long-standing partnership with the people of Pakistan in support of national development goals. The United Nations has also been providing humanitarian assistance in case of natural disasters and crises. Led by the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations works in all eight administrative areas of Pakistan through 19 resident organizations. Straddling humanitarian assistance and sustainable development, the work of the United Nations in Pakistan includes key areas such as education, health, water & sanitation, nutrition, economic growth, employment and livelihoods, resilience against disaster, governance, gender equality and social justice. The One UN Programme for Pakistan, United Nations focuses on accelerating progress towards achievement of Millennium Development Goals, reducing poverty, promoting opportunities for youth as well as advancing gender equality and human rights both at national and sub-national levels. United Nations encourages economic growth in Pakistan through supporting policies and programmes that link small farmers to markets, improving working conditions for women and supporting home-based and domestic workers. It will also assist the Government in strengthening democratic processes and institutions at the federal, provincial and local levels. Tackling the effects of climate change and reducing Pakistan’s vulnerabilities to natural disasters features especially prominently in the work of the United Nations in Pakistan in 2014.
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