UNAIDS calls for sustained investment and increased collaboration to develop an HIV vaccine

GENEVA, 18 May 2016—On HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, UNAIDS calls for greater resources and increased collaboration among governments, the scientific community and the private sector to advance research towards finding an effective HIV vaccine.

“Developing an effective HIV vaccine would be a major scientific and medical breakthrough for humankind,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “Alongside expanding access to existing antiretroviral medicines and combination HIV prevention tools, sustained investment and intensified collaboration to develop an HIV vaccine is needed to bring the world a step closer to ending the AIDS epidemic.”

In 2014, global investment in HIV vaccine research and development increased by 2.8%, to US$ 841 million, up from US$ 818 million in 2013. However, this rebound followed five years during which available resources either flatlined or declined, with a high of US$ 961 million in 2007. The United States of America remains the largest investor in HIV research and development.

Public–private and international partnerships have been formed to accelerate progress towards an effective HIV vaccine. UNAIDS is working together with partners, such as the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, AVAC and other stakeholders, to advance research. UNAIDS is also an active participant in the annual vaccine funders’ meetings coordinated by the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise to highlight the importance of continued research, sustained funding and coordinated responses towards HIV vaccine discovery.

Over the past 30 years, four concepts for an HIV vaccine have been tested in six efficacy trials. Of these, the RV144 vaccine trial in Thailand in 2009 was most promising, reducing HIV infection risk by 31%. It is hoped that ongoing research will lead to at least two further large-scale trials of vaccine candidates starting in the near future. At the same time, work continues to develop other potential vaccines, including a combined vaccine for HIV and hepatitis C. The effectiveness of neutralizing antibodies is also being studied.

An HIV vaccine will be necessary for the long-term control of HIV and is the best hope for sustaining the progress made towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Pakistan Launches its Status Report on Women’s Economic Participation & Empowerment Islamabad, 18 May: A status report on women’s economic participation and empowerment in Pakistan was launched at an event jointly hosted by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) on Wednesday 18 May 2016 at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad. Pakistan’s newly launched ‘Women’s Economic Participation and Empowerment - Status Report 2016’emphasizes the complex and multifaceted concept of women’s economic empowerment and in using national survey data and qualitative studies documents the status of Pakistani women to different dimensions and determinants of economic participation such as human, financial and physical capital, employment statistics and vulnerability in employment, gender wage differentials and poverty. The report also documents the economic situation of women affected by humanitarian crises and complex emergencies over the past decade. The Status Report, produced with support from the Governments of Norway and Denmark, by UN Women in collaboration with NCSW looks at social and economic vulnerabilities that keep the Pakistani woman underpaid and overworked, even when she has overcome structural and social barriers to seek employment.The Report highlights specific aspects of women’s economic empowerment (such as employment, type of employment and wages, vulnerable work and the working poor), and recommends a concerted effort to improve women’s access, opportunities and capabilities in order for them to participate as full economic actors in development and growth of a dynamic Pakistan that the Vision 2025 seeks. Mr. Jamshed Kazi, Country Representative, UN Women Pakistan, in his welcome stated: “This comprehensive report captures different facets of women’s economic empowerment from the relations between malnutrition and lesser opportunities in the workforce to the extra burden of humanitarian crisis on women. The report delineates a meticulous overview of the working women population of Pakistan. It is imperative to position gender responsive infrastructure in places such as daycare centers, anti-sexual harassment mechanisms, safe and affordable transport and accommodation options to encourage economically inactive women to join the formal workforce as well as ensure retention for the existing women workforce. Providing equal opportunities for better quality education is also critical for women and girls to improve their employment options.” Ms. Helle Nielsen, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of Denmark, Islamabad said that investing in girls and women is not only the right thing to do but also a smart thing to do, as research shows that investing in girls and women is the most effective investment in development, reaching far beyond the individual women. Ms. Nielsen gave the example about how women spend 90 percent of their salary on their children and the health, education and well-being of their family, while men only spend 30 to 40 percent. She also highlighted that by removing the barriers that prevent women from entering the labour market, a country’s productivity can increase.  “Investing in women’s economical participation is a direct way to gender equality, poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth, but in order for the world to experience progress, we need to give girls and women the equal opportunities to which they are entitled. This will not only benefit girls and women but societies at large”, said Ms. Nielsen. She also shared that Denmark was proud to be hosting the world’s largest global conference on women and girls rights, ‘Women Deliver’, which was currently taking place in Copenhagen. During this conference, a wide range of actors, including representatives from Pakistan, are exchanging ideas and solutions on how to ensure that the needs and rights of girls and women are fully taken into account in the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Dr. Yasmin Zaidi, Lead Researcher and Author for the Status Report 2016 and Director, Center of Gender and Policy Studies, in presenting the report highlighted: “Women’s economic work, paid and unpaid, needs to be recognized, acknowledged and tracked at District and provincial levels in Pakistan so that Pakistan can report on SDG 5. Robust data on employment and earnings will allow provinces to plan where to allocate resources so all districts can prosper and generate decent employment, and manage the flow of economic migration within the country.” Speaking during the panel discussion, Ms. Khawar Mumtaz, panelist and former Chairperson National Commission on the Status of Women stated that “Authentic official data and its analysis are imperative to establish the reality on the ground for giving direction for appropriate policies and action. The reports significance is the multidimensional approach to the analysis of women's economic empowerment especially employment. This publication also deserves special appreciation for developing the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Index for the first time in Pakistan. The Index will help in ranking the WEE status by districts and provide a mechanism to measure progress and pinpoint areas that require more concerted attention.” Ms. Sana Mahmud, panelist and Captain, National Women’s Basketball Team spoke of the gender pay gap saying: “The wage gap for men and women remains high, even within the realm of sport. Female athletes - doing exactly what the men are doing - are many at times paid less than their male counterparts. This in turn creates an even more difficult situation for women who are already struggling to participate fully and equally in sports, and are further disillusioned by the lack of incentives provided, including monetary remuneration."  The Chief Guest and Chairperson of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women, Ms. Fauzia Viqar congratulated NCSW and UN Women for producing a very informative report and stressed the importance of data collection for informed policies, actions and to measure progress. “This data would surely help us in correct decision making and we hope that the analysis would inform development schemes of the Government of Pakistan” she said. Whilst Article 38 of the Constitution of Pakistan ‘guarantees citizens the right to pursue economic opportunities irrespective of sex, caste or creed and related labour laws’, and at the same time the Government of Pakistan’s principal planning document Vision 2025 recognizes expanding women’s participation and access to opportunities as central to sustained economic and social development, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2015 ranks Pakistan 143 out of 145 countries in economic participation and opportunities and 135 in educational attainment.

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Obama’s no-first-use doctrine

Dr. Jassim Taqui

The US administration leaked to the US media that President Barak Obama would announce in his speech to the UN General Assembly that he would propose a no-first-use nuclear war doctrine in a bid to convince Pakistan and India to follow suit so that CTBT would be signed.

This Obama doctrine coincides with the Indian doctrine. New Delhi proposed the same doctrine to the former PPP Government in 2008 but it was rejected.

The former Prime Minister Sayed Yousef Raza Gillani rejected the proposal on the ground that it virtually rendered the Pak nuclear program redundant if accepted. Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine states that Islamabad would use nuclear tactical weapons to annihilate the Indian troops if the armed forces of Pakistan could not stop the intruding Indian troops with conventional weapons even if the tactical weapons are used inside Pak territories.

With its huge size and enormous defence budget, India has built formidable conventional weapons. These weapons are superior to that of Pakistan quantitatively and qualitatively. Therefore, Pakistan can in no case repel any Indian aggression with conventional level. But, Islamabad can definitely crush any Indian aggression using tactical weapons.

Ostensibly, the proposal of the nuclear doctrine suggests the existent of a US-Indian coordination. The floating of the no-first use of nuclear weapons is designed to  terrorize Pakistan and devastate its armed forces. However, Obama and Modi are only pushing Pakistan to go closer to China, the Russian Federation and the OSC. 

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development commemorated in National College of Arts Rawalpindi

The United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda for 2030 acknowledges for the first time, the key role of culture, creativity and cultural diversity to solving sustainable development challenges, to advance economic growth and foster social inclusion. This recognition resonates with the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005), the 10^thanniversary celebrated in 2015.

Rawalpindi: Celebrating Cultural Diversity means opening up new perspectives for sustainable development and promoting creative industries and cultural entrepreneurship. Key Cultural Stakeholders of twin cities join hands together at National College of Arts (NCA) Rawalpindi in a dialogue to address the Role of Diverse Groups in Cultural and Creative Industries and marked The World Cultural Diversity Day. The event was organized by UNESCO and the National College of Arts with the support of Danish supported Center for Culture and Development (CKU) and in collaboration with Centre for Culture and Development (C2D), Unicorn Black and Special Talent Exchange Programme (STEP). The event particularly focused on The Role of Diverse Groups in Promoting Cultural and Creative Industries.

The objective of the commemoration is to raise awareness of stakeholders on the UNESCO’s 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and to highlight the role of diverse groups of the society including women, youth, persons with disabilities and other minorities in promoting creativity and development.

DR. Nadeem Omar Tarar, Director, NCA welcomed all the participants and discussed the role of NCA with respect to developing the potential of youth for contemporary culture and creative Industries. Moderating the overall session, he highlighted the role of marginalized community of transgender and invited the representative of trans-genders Group and Executive Director of WAJOOD, Bubli Malik who talked and demanded the provision for the need of education, skillful knowledge, health facilities and small loans under the Government schemes for transgender community to encourage respective livelihood and business opportunities.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Vibeke Jensen, UNESCO Representative to Pakistan highlighted that the event is organized within the framework of a UNESCO- Danish supported Center for Culture and Development (CKU) project which aimed at mobilizing a wide range of stakeholders on the importance of the Government of Pakistan for ratification of the 2005 UNESCO "Convention for the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expression", adding further that the event would be helpful to develop a comprehensive and inclusive culture policy. She expressed that Pakistan has an incredibly rich and diverse society in terms of culture, creativity and cultural expressions which should be harnessed in the development of a dynamic economy. She stressed that the 2005 Convention recognizes culture as a mainspring of an inclusive, sustainable development and suggests to Member States to adopt policies and measures that provide access to diverse range of creators to participate in domestic and international marketplaces where their artistic works/expressions can be fully recognized and compensated.

Ms. Fouzia Saeed, Executive Director, Lok Virsa who was the chief guest said that women was an integral part of the sustainable development. She expressed that women should not be afraid of the cultural diversity and should express themselves through creativity. She mentioned that women are repository of the culture as they hold the first place where the culture and diversity gets transferred to the next generation.

UNESCO’s implementing partner, Center for Culture and Development (C2D) believes to promote and recognize the role of women in creative industries. Ms. Izza Khan, Executive Director, C2D emphasized on the importance and recognition of the diversity of roles of women at all levels for prosperity of the nation.

Mr. Abbas Saleem Khan, Head of Operations, UNICORN BLACK mentioned the success story of his media company with its's two projects, “Burka Avenger” and Tazzi and their positive impact on youth development.  He described how technology products revolutionize problem solving via digital mediation mechanisms.

Mr. Atif Sheikh, Executive Director of Special Challenge Exchange Program, emphasized on the role of Persons with Disabilities in Creative Industry. He quoted examples of such talented people who were able to achieve economical independence despite of such physical dependencies. He said that Persons with Disabilities need to be accepted as diversified human resource in present modern economic system. It is duty of the Policy makers to focus on creating enabling environment to mainstream people with diversified capabilities in the economic development.

Mr. Andrew Senior, UNESCO’s Expert on 2005 Convention and Creative Economy in his message from London mentioned that cultural artefacts are all around us but the 2005 Convention isn’t about artefacts, there are other UNESCO treaties that cover heritage. The 2005 Convention is about contemporary culture and how our experience of culture in the 21^st century presents remarkable opportunities for a cultural manifestation from Pakistan to find an audience in Latin America or Japan or Canada or anywhere in the world, if it resonates in a way that can engage an audience there. So it is about how this trade in cultural experiences has both cultural and economic value, and how these can play a critical role in the development agenda.

More than 100 participants from cultural, creative and industrial sector attended this event.  The panel discussion was followed by an attractive display in the college gallery, where NCA, UNICORN BLACK and STEPS displayed their strength work.

Students of National College of Arts displayed their art work in context of the day. Mr. Mahmood Sheikh Professor for Product/ Package Design curated the exhibition. Unicorn Black showcased ‘Burka Avenger’ (a digital media product in animation medium) with its merchandise including Action Figures, Watches, Caps and Notebooks that was point of attraction for the students and youngsters. At STEPS stall, persons with disabilities presented the process of entrepreneurship through demonstration, guide books and information materials. It was interesting to see live cooking and sale of goods as successful enterprising story on the spot.

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Obama’s no-first-use doctrine

Dr. Jassim Taqui

The US administration leaked to the US media that President Barak Obama would announce in his speech to the UN General Assembly that he would propose a no-first-use nuclear war doctrine in a bid to convince Pakistan and India to follow suit so that CTBT would be signed.

This Obama doctrine coincides with the Indian doctrine. New Delhi proposed the same doctrine to the former PPP Government in 2008 but it was rejected.

The former Prime Minister Sayed Yousef Raza Gillani rejected the proposal on the ground that it virtually rendered the Pak nuclear program redundant if accepted. Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine states that Islamabad would use nuclear tactical weapons to annihilate the Indian troops if the armed forces of Pakistan could not stop the intruding Indian troops with conventional weapons even if the tactical weapons are used inside Pak territories.

With its huge size and enormous defence budget, India has built formidable conventional weapons. These weapons are superior to that of Pakistan quantitatively and qualitatively. Therefore, Pakistan can in no case repel any Indian aggression with conventional level. But, Islamabad can definitely crush any Indian aggression using tactical weapons.

Ostensibly, the proposal of the nuclear doctrine suggests the existent of a US-Indian coordination. The floating of the no-first use of nuclear weapons is designed to  terrorize Pakistan and devastate its armed forces. However, Obama and Modi are only pushing Pakistan to go closer to China, the Russian Federation and the OSC. 

Obama’s no-first-use doctrine

Dr. Jassim Taqui

The US administration leaked to the US media that President Barak Obama would announce in his speech to the UN General Assembly that he would propose a no-first-use nuclear war doctrine in a bid to convince Pakistan and India to follow suit so that CTBT would be signed.

This Obama doctrine coincides with the Indian doctrine. New Delhi proposed the same doctrine to the former PPP Government in 2008 but it was rejected.

The former Prime Minister Sayed Yousef Raza Gillani rejected the proposal on the ground that it virtually rendered the Pak nuclear program redundant if accepted. Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine states that Islamabad would use nuclear tactical weapons to annihilate the Indian troops if the armed forces of Pakistan could not stop the intruding Indian troops with conventional weapons even if the tactical weapons are used inside Pak territories.

With its huge size and enormous defence budget, India has built formidable conventional weapons. These weapons are superior to that of Pakistan quantitatively and qualitatively. Therefore, Pakistan can in no case repel any Indian aggression with conventional level. But, Islamabad can definitely crush any Indian aggression using tactical weapons.

Ostensibly, the proposal of the nuclear doctrine suggests the existent of a US-Indian coordination. The floating of the no-first use of nuclear weapons is designed to  terrorize Pakistan and devastate its armed forces. However, Obama and Modi are only pushing Pakistan to go closer to China, the Russian Federation and the OSC. 

اللجنة المستقلة: اتهامات منظمة العفو الدولية للسودان حول الاسلحة الكيميائية بجبل مره باطلة

اللجنة المستقلة: اتهامات منظمة العفو الدولية للسودان حول الاسلحة الكيميائية بجبل مره باطلة

Enhancing Legal Protection to End Violence Against Women in Sindh

05 December 2016 - Karachi, Pakistan: Violence against women and girls is a grave violation of human rights deeply rooted in gender inequality and gender-based discrimination. Violence not only has negative consequences for those who suffer it, but also their families, the community and society at large.

Violence against women and girls is not inevitable. It can be effectively addressed through prevention, protection and provision of services. In a bold and positive step Sindh’s Provincial Assembly adopted a Resolution condemning violence against women and demanded the government to implement the law passed on the issue. The Resolution was passed on 25 November 2016, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which kicked off 16 days of Activism campaigning against gender based violence and is mobilizing country-wide and global actions to increase awareness and create opportunities to address challenges and solutions to end violence against women and girls.

In addressing legal rights and protection of women, UN Women (the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) and the Women’s Development Department of Sindh organized a panel discussion on “Enhancing Legal Protection to End Violence Against Women in Sindh” as part of Sindh’s 16 Days of Activism to end gender based violence.

In welcoming guests Mr. Jamshed Kazi (Country Representative, UN Women Pakistan) shared: “Today’s event is being organized as part of 16 Days of Activism campaigning to bring together various stakeholders from government, private sector and development practitioners to share experiences and discuss strategies for strengthening implementation of laws. This conversation must continue with concrete actions to eliminate violence against women such as strong coordination amongst stakeholders for effective response, enhanced capacities of officials and public awareness, as well as addressing gaps in legal frameworks.”

Mr. Mudassir Iqbal (Secretary, Women Development Department, Sindh) in his overview of legal initiatives being taken by the Department to end violence against women highlighted enactment of the Sindh Domestic Violence Act (2013), Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act (2013), and implementation of the Protection Against Harassment Of Women At Work Place Act (2010) with 2,300 Inquiry Committees formed thus far in the province. Legislations under development were shared as a Sindh Abolition of Dowry Act (2016) and the Sindh Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act (2016). Institutional mechanisms being strengthened in the province included Sindh’s Provincial Commission on the Status of Women and Women Protection Centres.

Speaking on legislative opportunities and gaps of Pakistan’s Anti-Rape and Anti-Honor Killings Bills recently adopted by the National Assembly on 6 October 2016 were Justice (Retired) Majida Rizvi (Chairperson, Sindh Human Rights Commission) and Mr. Ali Rashid (Member of National Assembly). Justice (Retired) Majida Rizvi shared salient features of both bills and amendments made. An opportunity discussed was closure of legal loopholes with stricter punishment for the convicts making it tougher than ‘ordinary’ murder cases. However, with this opportunity a gap reflected upon included “how do you differentiate between a ‘random’ killing or an ‘honor’ killing?” Mr. Ali Rashid shared that as a next step, the National Assembly and lawmakers are looking to address and amend the evidence law section of these bills.

Speaking on the protection of women against sexual harassment from a private sector perspective, Ms. Zubina Sadick (Habib Bank limited), Ms. Safia Kaleem (Nestle Pakistan) and Ms. Zara Tareen (Actor/Photographer) shared that zero tolerance for harassment of women, women-friendly environments and awareness of the policy and Code of Conduct were key drivers to end harassment at the workplace.

Speaking on progress and challenges in implementing the Sexual Harassment Act were Ms. Maliha Hussain (Mehergarh) and Mr. Pir Ali Shah (Ombudsman, Prevention from Workplace Harassment). Ms. Maliha Hussain highlighted that both organizations and employees have been empowered to address the stigmatized issue that sexual harassment does occurs within organizations. Adding to this, Mr. Pir Ali Shah spoke of how the Act was being implemented in Sindh with establishment of Inquiry Committees and active reporting of cases in both the public and private sectors.

In her remarks, Ms. Grace Shelton (US Consul General, Karachi) said: “Gender equality and women’s empowerment are critical to building resilient democratic societies. Violence against women is not only a Sindh or Pakistan problem, it is global one with an obligation on all of us to end. There is much to be done and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is committed to working with the Sindh Government and UN Women as there is no honor in such killings.”

National workshop on Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship concluded in Islamabad

Islamabad,18.02.2017: Education sector stakeholders made recommendations for the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) in national, provincial and area education policies  in a work shop that ended  Friday afternoon organized by UNESCO Islamabad and the Asia-Pacific Centre for Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) . Aimed at ensuring that all learners are provided with the knowledge, attitudes and skills to promote sustainable development and global citizenship the workshop gathered representatives from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, provincial/ area education officials, civil society and academia. 

The target 4.7 of SDG-4 calls on countries to ensure that all learners are provided with the knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Ms. Vibeke Jensen, UNESCO Representative to Pakistan highlighted the role of provincial governments in advancing education for sustainable development and global citizenship. She called upon the provincial/ area governments to identify and integrate in curriculum and teacher training the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to shape a sustainable peaceful future for all. She also stressed that it was important to create school environments that not only talk about ESD and Global Citizenship but also practice it in all aspect of school life.

Speaking at the national workshop, Dr.Utak Chung, Director of APCEIU emphasized the importance of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Education in this interconnected world. He highlighted that “given the geographical and cultural diversity in Pakistan, educators and government officials have to assume more responsibility in facilitating learners to become global citizens and for this, we need collaborative efforts and partnerships”.

The workshop was conducted in a highly participatory fashion mixing presentations,  group work and engaging games and activities helping participants not only to understand the concepts but also to internalize them.

UNISCO and Global citizensgip

National workshop on Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship concluded in Islamabad

Al-Bab Report

Islamabad,18.02.2017: Education sector stakeholders made recommendations for the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) in national, provincial and area education policies  in a work shop that ended  Friday afternoon organized by UNESCO Islamabad and the Asia-Pacific Centre for Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) . Aimed at ensuring that all learners are provided with the knowledge, attitudes and skills to promote sustainable development and global citizenship the workshop gathered representatives from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, provincial/ area education officials, civil society and academia. 

The target 4.7 of SDG-4 calls on countries to ensure that all learners are provided with the knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Ms. Vibeke Jensen, UNESCO Representative to Pakistan highlighted the role of provincial governments in advancing education for sustainable development and global citizenship. She called upon the provincial/ area governments to identify and integrate in curriculum and teacher training the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to shape a sustainable peaceful future for all. She also stressed that it was important to create school environments that not only talk about ESD and Global Citizenship but also practice it in all aspect of school life.

Speaking at the national workshop, Dr.Utak Chung, Director of APCEIU emphasized the importance of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Education in this interconnected world. He highlighted that “given the geographical and cultural diversity in Pakistan, educators and government officials have to assume more responsibility in facilitating learners to become global citizens and for this, we need collaborative efforts and partnerships”.

The workshop was conducted in a highly participatory fashion mixing presentations,  group work and engaging games and activities helping participants not only to understand the concepts but also to internalize them.