Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar held a meeting with the heads of all UN agencies here on Tuesday with the aim to exchange views on promoting co-operation and co-ordination between the Government of Pakistan and the UN agencies.
The participants included Timo Pakkala, UN Resident Co-ordinator, and Heads of UN agencies in Pakistan namely UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, FAO, ILO, IFAD, IOM, UN HABITAT, UNAIDS, UNAMA, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIC, UNMOGIP, UNODC, UNOPS, WFP, WHO, UNIDO, UNDSS, UNWOMEN and OCHA. Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani also attended the meeting.
The Foreign Minister informed the participants of the high importance that Pakistan attached to its interaction with the United Nations, and its specialised agencies and funds and programmes. She acknowledged the assistance of the UN system during the calamities of earthquake and the devastating floods in Pakistan in the recent years. She also appreciated the contributions, which the UN agencies have been making in promoting the present government's development agenda in Pakistan.
The Foreign Minister underscored the significant work done and progress achieved by the democratic government in many of the priority areas of the UN, including protection of the rights of women, children, the vulnerable, and minorities. In this context, she cited the successful Benazir Income Support Programme, which seeks to empower the most vulnerable segment of the society.
In her key messages, the Foreign Minister sensitised the participants about the parameters within which the UN activities could best function in Pakistan, stressing that the UN development system should be guided by the nationally and internationally agreed principles of co-operation.
She emphasised that full national ownership of the UN development assistance and its alignment with national programmes and policies remained vital for a coherent partnership between the Government and the UN agencies. It was hoped that the UN agencies will work in partnership with the relevant government Ministries and provincial and local departments and fully utilise the potential of the national public and private systems in simplifying and harmonising the business practices, common support services and long term standardised agreements.
The representatives of various UN agencies offered their suggestions for the improvement of UN operations in Pakistan. In his remarks, Foreign Secretary underscored the need to maintain close co-ordination between the UN agencies and the Ministry to facilitate UN operations in Pakistan and fulfilment of the shared objective of enhancing the national capacities and promoting the welfare of the people of Pakistan.-PR
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