THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

REMARKS

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

Islamabad, 8 November, There are moments in our life that become unforgettable and that mark us deeply. My last visit to Pakistan was one of these moments. To see an area flooded that is three times the size of my country, Portugal. To see the loss of life, the loss of crops, and the loss of livelihoods. To see the dramatic impact on the lives of people, all over the country, and at the same time to see the courage, resilience, and generosity of the Pakistani people.  

I knew that generosity when I was High Commissioner for Refugees looking at the way Pakistanis have shared everything to receive millions and millions of Afghan refugees. But this time I could witness that generosity with the testimony that I will never forget from women and men that decided to leave their property and leave their assets to go and rescue other people’s assets and property instead of protecting their own. Now, these examples of generosity are examples that should be imitated by the international community, The international community must massively support Pakistan at this moment and there are different ways to do this.  

The UN is proud to be associated with the Government of Pakistan for the international donor conference in which we will try to obtain from the international community the kind of massive support that is needed for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas impacted by these tragic events.  

 

My appeal to the international financial institutions and to the G20 that will be meeting soon in Bali is to create the conditions for mechanisms of debt relief of middle-income countries impacted by natural disasters the size of the one Pakistan had, to allow resources to be devoted to the investments in resilience and in recovery and reconstruction that are necessary.  

 World leaders call to help Pakistan

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

Islamabad, 7 November, As world leaders gather at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is calling on the international community to invest in building the resilience of vulnerable communities living on the frontlines of the climate crisis in Pakistan and other climate hotspots.

 

The Pakistan floods – which inundated a third of the country - claimed over 1,700 lives, uprooted eight million people, and destroyed homes, schools, health facilities, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. The floods condemned already vulnerable families in rural and urban areas to even more acute hunger – hunger so severe it threatens lives and livelihoods.

 

“The floods in Pakistan provide ample evidence of how the climate crisis is devastating lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. The heatwave over the summer saw Pakistan becoming the hottest place on the planet. Melting glaciers and parched ground conspired to make the monsoon infinitely more devastating,” said Chris Kaye, WFP’s Country Director in Pakistan.

 

“The sad truth is that Pakistan – and other countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis – will continue to experience more extreme climate shocks and we need to prepare communities to weather the coming storm,” Kaye added.

 

The sheer scale of the loss and damage incurred due to the floods is laid out in the Government-led Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) - released last week - which put the total cost of the floods at US$30 billion - US$14.9 billion in damages and US$15.2 billion in losses. The agriculture, food, livestock, and fisheries sectors were particularly hard-hit, with millions of acres of cropland submerged and more than a million heads of livestock killed. Precious stocks of food and seeds – and valuable topsoil – were washed away, as were much of the country’s ready-to-harvest cotton, sugarcane, and rice crops, traditionally top export earners.

 

The floods more than doubled the number of people needing emergency food assistance, taking it to a staggering 14.6 million. With large swathes of farmland still underwater, the autumn wheat-planting season is now compromised, raising fears of significant scarcities of the country’s staple grain, and prohibitively high prices – a painful prospect given the ongoing volatility of global commodity markets.

 

The floods in Pakistan came on the heels of a severe heatwave and drought, which saw scorching temperatures consistently above 45°C. This triggered unusually heavy melting of the country’s northern glaciers, followed by the heaviest monsoon rains on record culminating in catastrophic flooding.

 

Pakistan ranks among the 10 countries hardest hit by the climate crisis according to the Climate Risk Index. Yet the country has contributed less than half of one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the climate injustice of this catastrophe.

 

WFP is implementing a vital relief operation to help millions of flood-hit people in Pakistan survive the impact of the flooding. Having provided food, cash, nutritional and livelihood support to more than two million of Pakistan’s most affected people so far, WFP is now working with the government and other partners to reach a total of 2.7 million of the worst off through May of next year, while expanding vital resilience-building activities. WFP has to date secured just 31 percent of the US$ 225 million needed through May for crucial food, nutrition, and logistics interventions, and urgently needs support.

 

While emergency assistance staves off hunger in the short-term, food insecurity in Pakistan can only be meaningfully addressed by adequate investment in tackling root causes and helping to build the resilience of communities at the sharp end of the climate crisis.

 

Globally, WFP is working on the frontlines of hunger and climate helping vulnerable communities adapt to the climate crisis. WFP’s work includes anticipating climate hazards before they turn into disasters by using early warning systems to trigger preventative action, restoring degraded ecosystems that serve as natural shields against climate impacts, and protecting the most vulnerable with financial safety nets and insurance schemes.

 

 

 

 A new short animation

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

Islamabad, 6 November, A new short animation, produced by UN Video in collaboration with the renowned Iranian animator Majid Adin, shows the predicament of a small family as they struggle to maintain their farm. They set off on a perilous journey to find a new home.

 

Millions of people around the world are having to leave their homes because of the climate crisis, displaced by droughts, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters. In Flight for Life Yonas, his wife Aisha, and their son Addisu, see their crops wither, their cattle die, and their water sources dry up. What can they do?

 

Majid Adin himself is a refugee and brings his insight into this story of loss and danger. UN Video worked with him to bring his unique visual imagination to bear on this worldwide phenomenon.

 

At the end of Flight for Life, viewers are invited to find out about solutions to the crisis. For farmers, the UN provides financial assistance and drought-tolerant crops to help them keep their farms. On the global scale, as we approach the COP 27 Climate Conference in Egypt, the UN is working with governments and all of humanity to help transition to a net-zero carbon society.

 

The animation features an original score by composer Rolando Gori, with vocals by Heidi Siegell.

 

Overall, Flight for Life seeks to create empathy for people faced with impossible decisions amid the climate crisis, while also offering hope for the future. It aims to increase awareness and mobilize public opinion behind solutions.

 

It is available on YouTube, at in-person events, or posting and distribution, credit to the United Nations.

 

Run time: 4:30

 

Language: English text, (versions in other languages available).

 

 

 

 A new short animation

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

Islamabad, 6 November, A new short animation, produced by UN Video in collaboration with the renowned Iranian animator Majid Adin, shows the predicament of a small family as they struggle to maintain their farm. They set off on a perilous journey to find a new home.

 

Millions of people around the world are having to leave their homes because of the climate crisis, displaced by droughts, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters. In Flight for Life Yonas, his wife Aisha, and their son Addisu, see their crops wither, their cattle die, and their water sources dry up. What can they do?

 

Majid Adin himself is a refugee and brings his insight into this story of loss and danger. UN Video worked with him to bring his unique visual imagination to bear on this worldwide phenomenon.

 

At the end of Flight for Life, viewers are invited to find out about solutions to the crisis. For farmers, the UN provides financial assistance and drought-tolerant crops to help them keep their farms. On the global scale, as we approach the COP 27 Climate Conference in Egypt, the UN is working with governments and all of humanity to help transition to a net-zero carbon society.

 

The animation features an original score by composer Rolando Gori, with vocals by Heidi Siegell.

 

Overall, Flight for Life seeks to create empathy for people faced with impossible decisions amid the climate crisis, while also offering hope for the future. It aims to increase awareness and mobilize public opinion behind solutions.

 

It is available on YouTube, at in-person events, or posting and distribution, credit to the United Nations.

 

Run time: 4:30

 

Language: English text, (versions in other languages available).

 

 

 

 NEED FOR INVESTMENT IN CLIMATE ADAPTATION

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

Islamabad, 6 November, As world leaders gather at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is calling on the international community to invest in building the resilience of vulnerable communities living on the frontlines of the climate crisis in Pakistan and other climate hotspots.

 

The Pakistan floods – which inundated a third of the country - claimed over 1,700 lives, uprooted eight million people, and destroyed homes, schools, health facilities, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. The floods condemned already vulnerable families in rural and urban areas to even more acute hunger – hunger so severe it threatens lives and livelihoods.

 

“The floods in Pakistan provide ample evidence of how the climate crisis is devastating lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. The heatwave over the summer saw Pakistan becoming the hottest place on the planet. Melting glaciers and parched ground conspired to make the monsoon infinitely more devastating,” said Chris Kaye, WFP’s Country Director in Pakistan.

 

“The sad truth is that Pakistan – and other countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis – will continue to experience more extreme climate shocks and we need to prepare communities to weather the coming storm,” Kaye added.

 

The sheer scale of the loss and damage incurred due to the floods is laid out in the Government-led Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) - released last week - which put the total cost of the floods at US$30 billion - US$14.9 billion in damages and US$15.2 billion in losses. The agriculture, food, livestock, and fisheries sectors were particularly hard-hit, with millions of acres of cropland submerged and more than a million heads of livestock killed. Precious stocks of food and seeds – and valuable topsoil – were washed away, as were much of the country’s ready-to-harvest cotton, sugarcane, and rice crops, traditionally top export earners.

 

The floods more than doubled the number of people needing emergency food assistance, taking it to a staggering 14.6 million. With large swathes of farmland still underwater, the autumn wheat-planting season is now compromised, raising fears of significant scarcities of the country’s staple grain, and prohibitively high prices – a painful prospect given the ongoing volatility of global commodity markets.

 

The floods in Pakistan came on the heels of a severe heatwave and drought, which saw scorching temperatures consistently above 45°C. This triggered unusually heavy melting of the country’s northern glaciers, followed by the heaviest monsoon rains on record culminating in catastrophic flooding.

 

Pakistan ranks among the 10 countries hardest hit by the climate crisis according to the Climate Risk Index. Yet the country has contributed less than half of one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the climate injustice of this catastrophe.

 

WFP is implementing a vital relief operation to help millions of flood-hit people in Pakistan survive the impact of the flooding. Having provided food, cash, nutritional and livelihood support to more than two million of Pakistan’s most affected people so far, WFP is now working with the government and other partners to reach a total of 2.7 million of the worst off through May of next year, while expanding vital resilience-building activities. WFP has to date secured just 31 percent of the US$ 225 million needed through May for crucial food, nutrition, and logistics interventions, and urgently needs support.

 

While emergency assistance staves off hunger in the short-term, food insecurity in Pakistan can only be meaningfully addressed by adequate investment in tackling root causes and helping to build the resilience of communities at the sharp end of the climate crisis.

 

 

 

 

 UNESCO Reaffirms Commitment to UN Plan of Action

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

Islamabad, 5 November, UNESCO under its Multi-Donor Program on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI). The event was held in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan, the Embassy of Sweden, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Some seventy participants from diverse backgrounds joined the event, observing the need to ensure the freedom of expression and safety of journalists.

This year completes the 10 years of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (UNPA). It is the first concerted effort to address attacks and impunity of crimes against journalists globally. Adopting a holistic approach, it brings together UN bodies, national authorities, media, and civil society organizations together to promote a safer environment for media workers. The anniversary is a milestone to reaffirm, recommit and reposition efforts to advance the UN plan.

Pakistan was amongst the five countries in which the UNPA was piloted. Initiatives were also taken at the regional level. During the event held today, experts shed light on the efforts that took place during the decade. The recently enacted ‘Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021’, states to implement best practices provided for in the UNPA.

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists recognizes the far-reaching consequences of impunity, especially of crimes against journalists in limiting fundamental freedoms, especially the freedom of expression. According to the UNESCO observatory, in Pakistan, 14 journalists lost their lives while doing their professional duties in the past two years. Independent research highlights extremely low levels of convictions against the killings of these journalists. This day asks member states to investigate these cases to reduce the impunity against these crimes.  

Speaking at the occasion Her Highness Dr. Riina Kionka, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan stated, “The protection of journalists is a concern for us all: a free press is a global public good that we should not take for granted. Putting an end to impunity for crimes against journalists is a must if we want to uphold freedom of expression and media freedom”.

Former Senator Farhat Ullah Babar graced the occasion and reiterated that enacted laws need to be implemented to ensure rule of law and governance.

Mr. Youssef Felali-Meknasi, Country Representative and Director, UNESCO thanked the participants and stated, “As media freedom mirrors our freedom to express, we need to increase our efforts to protect and safeguard our fundamental freedoms.

 

 

THE US PROVIDES FUNDING TO WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

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

Islamabad, 4 November, More than 30 participants from the second Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program, sponsored by the United States, competed for seed funding for their business start-ups on October 28. A panel of judges, comprised of Pakistani and American businesswomen, selected the top four proposals after reviewing participants’ business plans and hearing their pitches.

Winners of the seed-funding competition are:

First place:  Amna Afridi, eco-friendly bamboo toothbrushes

Second: Nayab Gohar, knitwear and crochet social enterprise

Third: Khush Bakhat Hussain, a nutritional supplement business

Fourth: Asia Umar Khan, healthy prepared foods for school lunches

The four winners will receive $5,500, $4,500, $3,500, and $2,500 respectively to launch or grow their businesses in Pakistan.

With mentoring and guidance from established Pakistani entrepreneurs, 80 female entrepreneurs graduated from the AWE program on September 10.  After completing the AWE training, participants competed for seed funding to implement what they learned during the course.  Deputy Counselor for Public Diplomacy Jacqueline Deley congratulated the graduates during the closing ceremony, stating: “Your success is Pakistan’s success, and we are proud to support you to become Pakistan’s dynamic entrepreneurs, business leaders, and economic influencers.”

AWE is a three-month, rigorous course of online study using the DreamBuilder (https://dreambuilder.org) platform developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and the American company Freeport McMoran.  AWE is designed to cultivate entrepreneurial know-how, help women entrepreneurs connect with funding opportunities, enhance opportunities for business expansion, and increase the likelihood of entrepreneurial success. 

Four of the U.S. Mission’s Lincoln Corners (public event spaces that connect Pakistanis and Americans) in Multan, Muzaffarabad, Khairpur, and Peshawar hosted the AWE training for women in their local communities. 

The AWE graduates are now part of the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) as well as the global community of U.S. exchange program alumni.  For more information about AWE, please visit https://eca.state.gov/awe.  More information about Lincoln Corners can be found on our website: https://pk.usembassy.gov/ur/lincoln-center-ur/

 

 

 UNODC hands over two additional Mobile Crime Scene Investigation Units to Balochistan Police

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

Islamabad, 3rd November, UNODC Country Office in Pakistan continues to strengthen the rule of law in Balochistan by supporting the Police Department of Balochistan towards enhancing its operational capacity and efficiency in handling and investigating serious crimes.

 

Under the gracious support of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), UNODC is implementing a 5-year (2017-2022) ‘Improving the Rule of Law in Balochistan-Pakistan’ program in collaboration with the  Government of Balochistan. The Program aims to strengthen trust between citizens and the government in the security and justice sector. In addition to policy and legislation reforms, the majority of the efforts are geared towards providing the Police Department of Balochistan both with forensic know-how as well as equipment through handing over state-of-the-art Mobile Crime Scene Units (MCSUs). Up until now, eight MCSUs have been handed over to the Balochistan Police to enable scientific and systematic processing of crime scenes including proper identification and collection of evidence.

 

In continuation of the INL-led support, a gracefully hosted handing-over ceremony of two additional Mobile Crime Scene Units to the Balochistan Police was carried out by UNODC in collaboration with the Government of Balochistan in Quetta on 2nd  November 2022. The event was attended by key stakeholders and dignitaries from the Rule of Law and Criminal Justice sectors, including the Police Department of Balochistan and UNODC. The participants welcomed the induction of two additional Mobile Crime Scene Units as a significant milestone that will further enhance the capacity and outreach in crime scene investigation of the police in Balochistan increasing the total number of Mobile Crime Scene Units to eight.

 

These Mobile Crime Scene Units will serve as mobile crime investigation labs, enabling an increase in the timely outreach and conduct of extensive evidence collection and processing at crime scene sites to document, such as homicide crime scenes and investigations that involve causalities. The objective is to strengthen the capacity of the local police by deploying a Mobile Crime Scene Unit that acts as a mobile crime investigation and forensic lab staffed with trained technicians who are equipped with skills to document and investigate crime scenes as well as recover and preserve any physical evidence.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Jouhaida Hanano, Criminal Justice Advisor from UNODC reiterated UNODC’s commitment to improving the quality of investigation by strengthening the Balochistan Police Crime Branch by establishing four Forensic Collection Units in selected districts of Sibi, Khuzdar, Loralai, and Gawadar. This will further enhance the outreach and capacity of the front-line police in the district to systematically collect evidence and process crime scene documentation promptly.

 

The Inspector General of Police from Balochistan, Mr. Abdul Khaliq Sheikh appreciated the ongoing support from the INL and UNODC that has gone a long way in not just providing materials and equipment but enhancing the knowledge and capacity of the Police in crime scene investigation in Balochistan. He further added that as crime-control agents, police must fulfill their duty to deliver a more vigilant and peaceful rule of law, and crime scene investigation and forensics are important means to this end.

 

 

 

 People of Jamshoro start returning to work

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

Islamabad, 2nd November, After launching a “rapid infrastructure rehabilitation” Project for the flood-affected people in Hanna Orak Baluchistan, ILO supports the Government of Pakistan in rolling out an emergency employment project now in Jamshoro Sindh. The project will be delivered through Pakistan Workers Federation and will generate around 5,000 of person days of employment for the people of Manjhand.

 

Sindh and Baluchistan are among the provinces which are hardest hit by the devastating floods of 2022. In a rapid assessment done by the ILO, 50 percent of employment is lost or disrupted in Sindh topping all other provinces. This employment disruption and loss are mostly in the agriculture sector and other informal parts of the economy. Women working in the agriculture sector are further disadvantaged because of the floods.

 

Mr. Sajid Hussain Turi, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and HRD, lauded the ILO for its immediate response to the crisis caused by the floods saying, rapid infrastructure rehabilitation is not only a means to injecting cash by bringing people back to work but also a way of ensuring that dignity of people is respected in the process of recovery and reconstruction.

 

The rapid infrastructure reconstruction project launched in Manjhand Jamshoro is a small drop in the ocean, but a project that is scalable and can be complemented through an integrated approach that provides health, education, social services, and protection to people along with daily wages for the work they carry out, commented Mr. Manzoor Khaliq, ILO Officer In charge for CO Pakistan. The project will ensure that employment opportunities created are in line with international labor standards and that no children are engaged in labor and that women and men are provided equal opportunities.

 

Secretary Workers Welfare Board, Mr. Saleh Jumani, ILO Officer In charge for CO Pakistan, Mr. Manzoor Khaliq, Mr. Waqar Memon, Pakistan Workers Federation joined the Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and HRD during his community visit where they met with those who have been registered with the emergency employment project and girls and boys who are enrolled with the nonformal education sessions organized in the community.

 

Explaining to the guests visiting the community of Manjhand, Mr. Asad Memon, PWF, said that women in Sindh have indigenous skills and we are leveraging these by helping them make rallies and other local crafts and they will be assisted in making market linkages so these products can be sold.

 

Medical Officers of Sindh Employees Social Security Institution examined the affected community and provided basic medicine. The launching ceremony was attended by the senior leadership of PWF.

 

Focal Person: Ms. Rabia Razzaque, razzaque@ilo.org, Phone – 051-2276456-8