UNSG message on THE INTERNATIONAL DAY 

FOR THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY 

 

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 29 November,  As we commemorate the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, we need to recognize that the legacy of the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans reverberates to this day, scarring our societies and impeding equitable development.   

 

We must also identify and eradicate contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, child labor, forced marriage, and the use of children in armed conflict.  The latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery on forced labor and forced marriage reveal that, in 2021, some 50 million persons were thus enslaved, and this number has been growing.  

 

The most marginalized groups remain particularly vulnerable, including ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities, migrants, children, and persons with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.  The majority of these vulnerable persons are women.  

  

On this International Day, I call on Governments and societies to recommit to eradicating slavery.  Increased action needs to be taken with the full participation of all stakeholders, including the private sector, trade unions, civil society, and human rights institutions.  I also urge all countries to protect and uphold the rights of victims and survivors of slavery. 

 

 

 

 UNSG message on THE INTERNATIONAL DAY 

FOR THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY 

 

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 29 November,  As we commemorate the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, we need to recognize that the legacy of the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans reverberates to this day, scarring our societies and impeding equitable development.   

 

We must also identify and eradicate contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, child labor, forced marriage, and the use of children in armed conflict.  The latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery on forced labor and forced marriage reveal that, in 2021, some 50 million persons were thus enslaved, and this number has been growing.  

 

The most marginalized groups remain particularly vulnerable, including ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities, migrants, children, and persons with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.  The majority of these vulnerable persons are women.  

  

On this International Day, I call on Governments and societies to recommit to eradicating slavery.  Increased action needs to be taken with the full participation of all stakeholders, including the private sector, trade unions, civil society, and human rights institutions.  I also urge all countries to protect and uphold the rights of victims and survivors of slavery. 

 

 

 

 Time to end violence against women

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 29 November,  Violence against women is one of the most prevalent human rights violations across the globe. It is a life-threatening health and protection issue. 32 percent of women have experienced violence in Pakistan. Half of these women never sought help or told anyone about the violence they had experienced. Statistics are not believed to paint a full picture of pain and loss, the stories of survivors do.

Gender-based violence takes many insidious forms in the real world to online platforms including physical, sexual, psychological, and digital violence. Any form of violence affects survivors’ physical and mental health and may cause anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Survivors may lose their sense of individuality, dignity, or self-worth.

One of the most prevalent forms of violence these days is digital violence or virtual abuse of women and girls. Digital violence includes online sexual harassment, cyberbullying, and the non-consensual use of images and video. Globally, 85 percent of women reported witnessing digital violence, and nearly 40% have experienced it personally. Hate and devaluation of women online cause long-term psychological, emotional, and physical distress. According to global statistics, nine out of ten women (92%) report that online violence harms their sense of well-being, and over a third (35%) have experienced mental health issues due to online violence. Digital violence impacts the professional and economic livelihoods of women and girls who depend on online and social media spaces.

Women and girls have the right to feel safe in all spaces, wherever they are. On the day International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women have been initiated. It is time for everyone to reflect on how to end gender-based violence. UNFPA is working hard with other partners on the campaign by raising awareness, mobilizing advocacy, and inspiring action to end gender-based violence, child marriage, and other harmful practices.

UNFPA works hard to end gender-based violence by 2030 by empowering women and girls with information about their bodies and rights, and engaging men and boys to change their attitudes with information on why gender-based violence is harmful. UNFPA also supports the system to help survivors of GBV access medical care, legal services, and psychosocial support and advocates for strong legal protections for survivors of violence.

 

 

 Time to end violence against women

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 28 November,  Violence against women is one of the most prevalent human rights violations across the globe. It is a life-threatening health and protection issue. 32 percent of women have experienced violence in Pakistan. Half of these women never sought help or told anyone about the violence they had experienced. Statistics are not believed to paint a full picture of pain and loss, the stories of survivors do.

Gender-based violence takes many insidious forms in the real world to online platforms including physical, sexual, psychological, and digital violence. Any form of violence affects survivors’ physical and mental health and may cause anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Survivors may lose their sense of individuality, dignity, or self-worth.

One of the most prevalent forms of violence these days is digital violence or virtual abuse of women and girls. Digital violence includes online sexual harassment, cyberbullying, and the non-consensual use of images and video. Globally, 85 percent of women reported witnessing digital violence, and nearly 40% have experienced it personally. Hate and devaluation of women online cause long-term psychological, emotional, and physical distress. According to global statistics, nine out of ten women (92%) report that online violence harms their sense of well-being, and over a third (35%) have experienced mental health issues due to online violence. Digital violence impacts the professional and economic livelihoods of women and girls who depend on online and social media spaces.

Women and girls have the right to feel safe in all spaces, wherever they are. On the day International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women have been initiated. It is time for everyone to reflect on how to end gender-based violence. UNFPA is working hard with other partners on the campaign by raising awareness, mobilizing advocacy, and inspiring action to end gender-based violence, child marriage, and other harmful practices.

UNFPA works hard to end gender-based violence by 2030 by empowering women and girls with information about their bodies and rights, and engaging men and boys to change their attitudes with information on why gender-based violence is harmful. UNFPA also supports the system to help survivors of GBV access medical care, legal services, and psychosocial support and advocates for strong legal protections for survivors of violence.

 

 

 U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome Highlights Broad Partnership with the People of Balochistan Province

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 25 November,  U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome visited Quetta, Balochistan, on November 23 to meet with Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, local partners working to advance climate change adaptation, representatives of higher education institutions, leaders of local NGOs, and Afghan refugees.  During his visit, Ambassador Blome discussed U.S. efforts to combat the effects of climate change through a Green Alliance with diverse partners in Pakistan and underscored the strong cooperation between the United States and Pakistan on promoting economic development through higher education and women’s empowerment.     

Ambassador Blome participated in a community tree planting drive that will become part of a larger project to develop an urban forest in the city of Quetta.  The project, led by youth activists, aims to advance climate change adaptation, raise climate risk awareness, and increase community resilience to climate change by providing a platform to bring diverse groups together for collective societal benefit. 

At the event, the ambassador highlighted that the U.S. government has provided more than 97 million dollars in flood-related assistance to Pakistan this year, including to individuals and communities in need in Balochistan.  “But we know that the effects of the flooding are far from over, and every nation faces the threat of climate change. So, we’re working with diverse partners to increase Pakistan’s resilience to climate change through a Green Alliance,” he said. 

During the trip, Ambassador Blome also met with leadership from the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences and the Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University to discuss how U.S. government support has helped them respond to local economic development needs in their academic programs.  The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided scholarships to almost 300 students—56 percent of them women—to pursue higher education at the institutions and further their communities’ economic development. 

In remarks at the launch event of “Entrepowered—Women Can Do,” a program that will provide $350,000 of seed funding to women entrepreneurs in Balochistan, Ambassador Blome said, “The United States believes that empowering women is a strategic investment in the future for both private citizens and the global economy.  By working together on projects like Entrepowered, we can advance women’s equality in the business sector and unleash a vast potential that will help bring prosperity to Quetta and Balochistan.”   

The United States is also proud to support the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) livelihoods program in Quetta, which fosters economic development for Afghan refugees and local artisans.   Since 2009, UNHCR, with U.S. funding, has implemented 251 projects in Balochistan to provide infrastructure upgrades to schools, water and sanitation improvements, and health facility upgrades for both Afghan refugees and Pakistani host communities. 

Ambassador Blome also visited the Command and Staff College in Quetta and met with Commandant Major General Amer Ahsan Nawaz, XII Corps Commander Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor, and mid-career army officers to discuss the long history of U.S.-Pakistan relations in diverse areas and to emphasize opportunities to work together today, including to build a Green Alliance to support Pakistan’s transition to cleaner and sustainable forms of energy, and to advance our shared interests in trade, investment, health security, climate change, inclusive governance, and regional security.  

The United States has a broad, deep, and long-term partnership with the people of Balochistan Province spanning the education, economic, health, and rule of law sectors and beyond.  We look forward to continuing to deepen and expand these relationships over the coming years.  Together we can promote a more stable, secure, and prosperous future for both our nations. 

 

 

 The United States Launches Initiative to Enhance U.S.-Pakistan Bilateral Trade

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 21 November, In honor of Global Entrepreneurship Week,  U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome, joined by the Minister of State for Finance and Revenue, Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, formally launched a United States government-led initiative to enhance U.S.- Pakistan bilateral trade. The United States has long been Pakistan’s largest export market, with potential for further growth.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States imported nearly $5.3 billion in Pakistani goods in 2021, and U.S. investments in Pakistan went up by 50 percent in the past year.

The Investment Promotion Activity (IPA), implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is a five-year project that will help strengthen Pakistan's business environment, build the capacity of Pakistani institutions focused on investment promotion, attract foreign direct investment, and increase U.S.-Pakistan bilateral trade and investment.  Overall, the project aims to reduce barriers to investment and trade by improving Pakistan’s investment promotion capabilities.

The project will also provide grants to firms registered in Pakistan that are interested in enhancing trade with the United States and have the potential to attract foreign direct investments. These grants will play a critical role in connecting Pakistani firms with investors in the United States and other countries.

During the launch event, a Fireside Chat on U.S.-Pakistan Bilateral Trade Opportunities, Ambassador Blome remarked, “The United States has been a leading investor in Pakistan for the past 20 years, and U.S. investment in Pakistan is the highest it has been in over a decade.  Building on and expanding that strong foundation of economic cooperation, we are continuously seeking to increase bilateral trade, boost investment, and improve entrepreneurial and educational opportunities for Pakistanis.

As a part of the U.S. government’s long-term commitment to helping Pakistanis secure a more prosperous future, USAID is working closely with the Government of Pakistan to streamline its business practices, improve governance, promote regulatory reforms and competition to lower the cost of doing business and strengthening the investment climate for foreign investors in Pakistan.  The newly launched activity will promote opportunities for enhanced trade and investment between American and Pakistani businesses.

 

 

 investment in the world’s first child-focused climate risk financing solution

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 18 November, UNICEF is launching a new climate financing initiative to enhance countries’ climate resilience and disaster preparedness for children and youth and bolster protection for children from the impacts of future climate-related disasters.

 

The Today and Tomorrow initiative is an integrated climate change finance solution that, for the first time, combines funding for immediate climate resilience and risk prevention programs for children today, with innovative use of risk transfer finance provided by the insurance market for cyclone disasters tomorrow. The combined financing platform is designed to help countries address the current and growing impacts of the climate crisis while preparing for future emergencies and rapidly responding to them when they occur.

 

“The risks of climate change are no longer hypothetical. They are here. And even while we work to build communities’ resilience against climate disasters, we have to become much better in pre-empting risks for our children,” said Karin Hulshof, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships. “We know more climate disasters are in the making. We just do not know where or when they will hit.”

 

Children and youth are a critically vulnerable population group that is among the most affected by disaster risk and climate change, including the effects of extreme weather events such as cyclones. Last year, UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index estimated 400 million children (nearly 1 in 6 children globally) are currently highly exposed to cyclones.

 

In its initial three-year pilot, UNICEF’s Today and Tomorrow will focus on eight countries in four global cyclone basins - Bangladesh, Comoros, Haiti, Fiji, Madagascar, Mozambique, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. To take this effort forward, UNICEF is raising $30 million for the initiative and is calling for additional private and public partners to take action and join UNICEF in helping to close the intensifying humanitarian financing gap for disaster protection for children and youth.

 

Climate harm in childhood lasts for life and perpetuates and deepens inequality and poverty across generations. However, the unique needs of children are not directly addressed by existing Risk Transfer mechanisms. This leaves a global humanitarian financing gap, or ”Child Protection Gap”, that encompasses hundreds of millions of children and youth.

 

UNICEF’s Today and Tomorrow is the first pre-arranged and event-based climate disaster risk financing mechanism that specifically targets this Child Protection Gap, with full support for the Tomorrow portion of the risk transfer instrument, secured from the German and UK governments under the newly launched G7-V20 Global Shield against Climate Risks.

 

“We are pleased to support UNICEF in advancing the world’s first child-centered financial protection tool for climate-related hazards and show the new G7/V20 Global Shield Against Climate Risks at work,” said Heike Henn, a Director at the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). “We expect that UNICEF’s Today and Tomorrow Initiative will deliver in three areas: first, increased uptake of ex-ante risk financing solutions by governments through knowledge sharing and increased familiarity with risk financing instruments; second, improved institutional and operational shock resilience of development institutions, and third and most importantly, closing the disaster risk protection gap for the most vulnerable people, especially children and mothers.”

 

"The UK is proud to be a partner in the new Global Shield against climate and disaster risks, and to co-fund the Global Shield Finance Facility," said Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell, Minister of State in the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. "We strongly support bringing pre-arranged and trigger-based financing to the humanitarian sector, and I’m delighted that the Facility will expand its work as part of the Shield, including this new grant to UNICEF to enable them to protect up to 15 million children, young people and their families across Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Pacific and respond rapidly if tropical cyclones hit."

 

Cyclones and the disasters they trigger, such as floods and landslides, represent the fastest-growing category of climate-influenced disasters and are a major cause of losses and damages worldwide.  UNICEF’s research has shown that investments that reduce exposure to and negative impacts from cyclones and other hazards can considerably reduce overall climate risk for millions of children.

 

“UNICEF is the first UN institution, as well as one of the largest humanitarian organizations worldwide, to take out a bespoke disaster risk coverage for the protection of children, youth, and parents, especially mothers,” said Simon Young, a Senior Director in the Climate and Resilience Hub at WTW, the advisory that designed the insurance solution. “As such, UNICEF is pioneering proof of concept for other organizations in the field. The decisive action by UNICEF can be a catalyst for more efficient, reliable, and quicker humanitarian crisis finance.”

 

As well as pressing governments and big businesses to rapidly reduce emissions, UNICEF urges leaders to take immediate action to protect children from climate devastation by adapting the critical social services they rely on. UNICEF also urges parties to find and fund solutions to support those who will face climate losses and damages beyond the limits to which communities can adapt.

 

 

 30 years of DAFI scholarship program in Pakistan

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 16 November, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and Inspire Pakistan, celebrated in Islamabad today 30 years of the DAFI scholarship program for refugees. The Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI) scholarship program has transformed the lives of over 2,800 refugee students across Pakistan since 1992, and over 21,500 learners around the world.

 

The German-backed program provides scholarship opportunities for third-level undergraduate students, majoring in fields including medicine, engineering, social and behavioral sciences, business administration, mathematics, and computer sciences.

 

The DAFI scholarship program contributes to the promotion of self-reliance of refugees by equipping them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and professional qualifications for future employment. The program is aimed at the development of highly qualified and skilled human resources that can play a vital role not only in Pakistan but also in the reconstruction of their country of origin.

 

“By investing in education, students will contribute to the economy of their host country and support their communities once they return to rebuild their lives,” underscored UNHCR Representative to Pakistan, Noriko Yoshida. “By enabling refugees to fulfill their potential, the scholarship program has a transformative effect and changes their lives forever.”

 

The scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis concerning merit, excellence, and financial need. The program grants scholarships to deserving young refugees enrolled in recognized universities, colleges, and polytechnics in Pakistan.

 

In 2022, half of the 175 scholarships were awarded to women, compared to a quarter previously. This increase followed intensive outreach efforts to refugee communities and awareness raising on women’s higher-level education opportunities and support available. In addition, a new two-year DAFI Bridge program for science and technology aimed at women studying at higher secondary levels was launched.

 

“Education does more than teach academic skills – it provides students with a safe place to grow and learn life skills, such as cooperation, responsibility, and respect,” noted Qaiser M. Siddiqui, CEO of Inspire Pakistan, which is implementing the DAFI program.

 

Joining the celebrations was the Ambassador of Germany to Pakistan, H.E. Alfred Grannas, Chief Commissioner, Saleem Khan, Commissionerate of Afghan refugees (CCAR), as well as members of the international community.

 

Noting that the funding for the scholarship program illustrates the commitment of Germany to supporting refugees and host communities, scholars were eager to convey their appreciation to Ambassador Grannas as well as to the Government of Pakistan and third-level institutions across the country for the opportunity to continue their studies to the third level.

 

“DAFI has opened so many doors to me and many others,” concluded Marwah Sadat, a DAFI scholar and host for the event. “Thanks to the financial support of the scholarship program, I could focus on my studies and achieve my dreams,” noted the bachelor’s graduate in Media Studies from Iqra National University, Peshawar.

 

 

 

 THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

 

MESSAGE ON THE WORLD TOILET DAY

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 14 November, Improving sanitation is a highly cost-effective way to transform people’s lives.

 

The benefits of better sanitation go far beyond public health. Safe toilets and sanitation improve nutrition, help to manage scarce water resources, and promote school attendance and work opportunities, particularly for women and girls.

 

Every dollar invested in toilets and sanitation is repaid five-fold in lower health costs and increased productivity, education, and jobs.

 

Yet we are seriously off track to keep our promise of safe toilets for all by 2030 – a crucial indicator in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

Investment in sanitation systems is too low and progress remains too slow.  

 

3.6 billion people still suffer the indignity of living without a safe toilet. Every day, over 700 children die from diseases caused by poor sanitation, hygiene, and unsafe water.

 

On this World Toilet Day, we focus on the impact of inadequate sanitation systems on groundwater – how they spread human waste into rivers, lakes, and soil, polluting the water resources under our feet. 

  

This issue has been neglected for too long because it happens out of sight – underground, and amidst the poorest communities.

 

Today, let us shine a light on the vital role of safe toilets in all aspects of sustainable development – both visible and invisible.

 

And let us act with urgency and ambition to deliver on the basic human right to water and sanitation for all people, everywhere.

 

 

 

 UNICEF SUMMARY

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 9 November, According to a UNICEF analysis released today, 27.7 million children in 27 countries have been impacted by flooding so far this year, just in 2022 and counting.

 

“In Chad, the Gambia, and north-east Bangladesh the worst floods in a GENERATION were recorded this year. For Pakistan, the floods were the worst on record.

 

“These rolling disasters are straining the ability of governments and the international community to respond at the enormous scale needed. And placing millions of children as we speak TODAY at severe risk of starvation, disease, exploitation, and death.

 

“I saw this myself last week when I was in Pakistan visiting the worst-affected areas. There, 11 million children need immediate assistance.

 

“In Larkana, I met a 15-year-old girl called Surah, who showed me the rubble of her beloved home. Two months earlier, as floodwater seeped into her house, the roof above her began to collapse.

 

“Terrified, she grabbed her younger brothers and sisters and fled to a nearby bypass, where they lived for weeks in a makeshift tent made of plastic bags and sticks.

 

“But Surah was lucky. In a village where the flood water reached 5 feet or 1.5 meters, villagers told us that not all the children who tried to flee made it.

 

“Now consider Sugrah’s story, but multiply it by the highest factor.

 

“In the weeks since the unprecedented floods devastated Pakistan, the emergency has become a multi-headed monster.

 

“Pakistan’s worst floods in 100 years have killed at least 615 children and left 10 million girls and boys needing immediate, lifesaving support.

 

“The floods have contaminated drinking water, which is spawning deadly water-borne diseases such as acute watery diarrhea, which compounds already acute malnutrition. Estimates suggest close to 1.6 million children in flood areas could be suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

 

“The stagnant water is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of malaria and dengue. There are crises on top of crises.

 

“Without urgent action, many more vulnerable children and young people will lose their lives in the days and weeks to come. And without climate action, hundreds of millions more will almost certainly suffer like those in Pakistan.

 

“We are reaching final warnings. Right now Pakistan is drowning in the world’s inaction.

 

“One of the most important but heartbreaking things about climate change is that its most horrific impacts are often reserved for those who are least responsible for creating the problem.

 

“International climate scientists found the recent Pakistan floods were made worse by climate change, and predicted the intensity of the country’s rainfall will “significantly” increase as the planet continues to warm. Pakistan is on the frontlines of the climate crisis but its contribution to global emissions is less than 1 percent.