ISSUE N0.

04/09(17
FEBRUARY, 2009)

A weekly Newsletter,
published by the UN
Information Centre, focused
on the Thematic Working
Areas and the Cross Cutting
Themes of the United
Nations -Pakistan

Agriculture, Rural Development, and

Poverty Reduction
United Nations Pakistan’s “One Programme” Combines the Inside This Issue:
Strength of all UN Agencies in Pakistan
PAGE 3: UN emergency aid
United Nations Pakistan commits to joint development reaches Pakistanis uprooted
by conflict
interventions in five key areas
PAGE 3: Minister inaugurates
Islamabad, February 4, 2009: The United Nations the ILO Skills Development
Pakistan’s One Programme Document was signed at the Center in Balakot
Prime Minister House. Mr. Farrukh Qayum, Federal Secretary
Economic Affairs Division (EAD) and Mr. Fikret Akcura, United PAGE 5: UNDP reiterates its
Nations Resident Coordinator signed the document on behalf commitment towards helping
of the Government of Pakistan and the United Nations in Pakistan achieve
Pakistan, respectively. The signing ceremony was overseen PAGE 9: Japan Provides Us$
by the Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Yousaf Raza 4.7 Million To UNICEF For
Gillani, His Excellency the Secretary-General for United Eradication Of Polio In
Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon and Minister of State for Pakistan
EAD/Special Advisor to the PM Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar.
PAGE 7: ILO GLOBAL
The One Program is the central pillar in piloting UN Reform in EMPLOYMENT TRENDS REPORT 2009
Pakistan, with “Delivering as One” being the motto and Continued…
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
The One Program is the central pillar in piloting UN Reform
PAGE 10: Networks of care
in Pakistan, with “Delivering as One” being the motto and
for mothers and children in
ultimate objective of the Pilot. The pilot experiment is a Pakistan
reflection of the Government of Pakistan’s effort at the
highest level towards reforming for improved coherent PAGE 11: Population issues
development delivery. The “One Program” is the framework key to fighting poverty, other
that encompasses major strategies, initiatives, approaches, ills in Asia
and tools through which 60-80% of the UN’s resources in
Pakistan will be channeled through the period of 2008-2010 PAGE 12: WFP Steps In As
with the possibility of going beyond 2010. Fighting Displaces People In
Pakistan
Stemming from, and responding to established national
PAGE 13: Government and
priorities, the One Program identifies five Joint Programs,
UN to Launch Major
reflecting the major areas of UN support to the Environmental Protection
developmental processes in Pakistan. These Joint Programs Programme during 2009
include: agriculture rural development and poverty
reduction; education; health and population; PAGE 15: Global fiscal
environment; and disaster risk management. Four cross stimulus funds could jump-
start world economy – UN
cutting issues are addressed in all of the five Joint Programs:
report
civil society engagement, human rights, gender
equality and refugees. These represent the anchors of the PAGE 16: NDMA and the
One Program and the detailed formulation of all Joint United Nations Signs Joint
Programs and their Components has been in accordance Programme on Disaster Risk
with those. Management

PAGE 17: FAO focuses on

“Disaster Preparedness” by
developing Livelihoods
Baseline and Contingency
Plans for 5 hazard-prone
Districts

PAGE 18: Ban repeats call for

release of kidnapped UN staff
member in Pakistan

PAGE 19: Ban to set up

independent probe into
assassination of former
Pakistani leader
While commenting on the Delivering as One pilot initiative
PAGE 19: Hundreds displaced
Mr. Ban Ki Moon said that “by realigning the UN to combine by conflict arriving daily at
the strengths of the individual strengths of the UN agencies, Pakistani camp, UN reports
I am confident that the UN will be able to better serve the
Government, the Donors and most importantly the people.” PAGE 20: Human trafficking:
He said that he was “happy to see that despite the very The faces and sorrow at the
heart of a UN report
challenging situations the commitment of the Government
and the Country Office has remained at the highest level PAGE 21: UNODC and
towards the reform process.”Mr. Yousaf Raza Gillani, Prime UNICEF Present UN Joint
Minister of Pakistan expressed his support to the Delivering Programme for Countering
as One pilot. He said that especially “in light of the very Human Trafficking to Interior
difficult times that the country and its people have been Ministry
through and are still going through, a more unified and
effective response by the development sector and in PAGE 22: United Nations
particular the United Nations, will greatly benefit the people. Pakistan Honors the
I hope that the UN will continue to work closely with the Ambassador of Spain
Government of Pakistan to ensure that the progress towards
development moves without any hurdles.”

ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009) 2

The Government of Pakistan has been leading
the UN Reform process ensuring the planning
and development of the Joint initiatives under
the One Programme were in line with the
national priorities encompassing the
prioritized needs of the people throughout the
country with special attention to the
marginalized groups.
Ms. Hina Rabbani, Minister of State for EAD
said that she was confident that the “UN will
make tremendous headway in the progress
towards development through the initiatives
outlined in the One Programme.” She
encouraged donors to contribute towards the
One Programme to ensure that the reform
could be effectively piloted.
Mr. Fikret Akcura, Resident Coordinator UN
Pakistan stated that the UN system in
Pakistan was “strongly committed to piloting
the UN reform to ensure an improved
response to the development needs of the
people of Pakistan. The exemplary support of
the Government, donors and other
development partners has allowed Pakistan to
be the highest endowed pilot with a most
thorough planning pilot amongst all eight
pilots.”
“Delivering as One” is the central pillar for
piloting UN Reform in Pakistan through
maximizing its normative and analytical
expertise, its operational and coordination
capabilities and its advocacy role in a
coherent, effective and efficient manner. The
UN entities will come together as One Leader,
One Program, One Office and One Budget,
with the One Program being the central pillar
of the Reform. The other three “Ones” will
support the formulation and implementation
of the One Program.
UN emergency aid reaches Pakistanis
uprooted by conflict
Small businesses have
sprouted as displaced
Pakistanis try to make
a living in Katcha
Garhi camp
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
9 February 2009 – Several United Nations
agencies have begun delivering urgent
humanitarian relief to thousands of people
forced from their homes as a result of a
military offensive against insurgents in
Pakistan’s north-western Swat Valley region.
Twelve truck loads of aid have been shipped
to some 2,000 families displaced by the
ongoing troop surge in the area bordering
Afghanistan, UN spokesperson Michele
Montas told the press.
The convoy of food and non-food assistance
reached the outskirts of the Swat Valley
safely at the weekend amid intensified
fighting, which has severely affected an
estimated 1.8 million people.
“We have to provide life-saving support to
the population dispersed within the conflict
zone as well as those who manage to move
beyond,” said UN Resident and Humanitarian
Coordinator Fikret Akcura.
Mr. Akcura noted that since the internally
displaced persons (IDPs) are expected to
remain in makeshift camps for an extended
period of time, the international community
must look beyond immediate emergency
relief.
“We have to cover such needs as education
to children, literacy classes and skills
development to [the] adult population so that
they return as empowered citizens to their
homes, once the conflict ends,” he stressed.
The relief supplies, including food, shelter
materials, clothing, kitchen utensils as well as
water and sanitation facilities, were provided
to the displaced by the World Food
Programme (WFP), the UN Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Health
Organization (WHO).
Minister inaugurates the ILO Skills
Development Center in Balakot
Balakot: Monday, February 2, 2009: The
International Labour Organization (ILO), in
collaboration with the Directorate of Technical
3
Education & Manpower Training, Government
of NWFP, has established one Skills
Development Center and an Employment
Information Center in Tehsil Balakot –
primarily for supporting earthquake-affected
communities.
The Skills Development Center and
Employment Information Center have been
presently started in rented premises whereas
the Government has provided 10 kanals land
for these two facilities and ILO has provided
funds to construct permanent (prefab)
buildings for the two institutions.
The two facilities were formally inaugurated
on February 2, 2009 by Provincial Minister for
Industries, Mr. Ahmed Hussain Shah. The
Director General of Manpower Training, Mr.
Iqbal Shad, Chairman Skills Development
Council, Haji Muhammad Javed, General
Secretary Pakistan Workers Federation, Mr.
Zahoor Awan, Senior ILO Analyst, Ms.
Margaret Reade Rounds and officials from
District and Town administration and NGOs
were also present in the ceremony – along
with a large number of local residents.
The same day, a “Skills Exhibition” has also
been organized in Balakot where a number of
small local NGOs and other technical agencies
showcased their vocational training initiatives
they are implementing in Balakot with the
financial and technical support of ILO. The
Exhibition had more than 20 stalls of different
skills / trades – both for women and men.
These trainings were imparted in static
training centers as well as in mobile training
units. The major highlight was training in
more than 10 heavy construction machineries
which is rarely available in this area.
These initiatives are part of ILO’s project
titled “Community-Based Livelihood Recovery
Project (CBLRP)” which is a joint initiative of
four UN Agencies including UNDP, ILO, FAO
and UNIDO. CBLRP is being jointly funded by
European Commission (EC) and UNDP. The
three year duration project covers Tehsil
Balakot in NWFP and Tehsil Muzaffarabad in
AJK.
Under CBLRP, ILO has trained more than
2,800 men and women in more than 30
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
employable trades and by the end of Project
it aims to train 4,500 men and women.
The speakers highly appreciated the efforts of
ILO in particular and that of other UN
Agencies in general, for helping the
earthquake-affected people in rebuilding their
lives. They noted with concern that the
Project is going to close in April this year and
strongly advocated for the extension of these
projects which are highly beneficial for people
of the area.
The Skills Development Center (SDC) is
imparting trainings in six trades which are
highly demanded in the job market but are
rarely taught in any public sector training
institute in the province. These trades
include Aluminum Doors & Windows Making,
False Ceiling, Steel Fabricator Works, Marble
& Tiles Fixing, Paint & Wall Graphy Works and
Surveying on Total Station. First batch of
trainees for these trades have started course
work in January 2009.
The Employment Information Center (EIC)
will provide support to the unemployed young
people of the area in identifying appropriate
sources to start self or wage employment
activities. The EIC will impart career
counseling sessions, business counseling,
marketing linkages, linkages with loan-
providers and will document employment
trends in the area.
World’s poor should not have to bear brunt
of financial crisis – Assembly President
General
Assembly
President Miguel
d'Escoto
Brockmann
12 February 2009 – Countries must work
together in the face of the worst global
economic crisis in decades to ensure that the
world’s most vulnerable – who are the least
responsible for the meltdown – do not bear
the brunt of the turmoil, the President of the
General Assembly said.
4

“Our first and overriding task must be to
solve this problem by mobilizing the financial
resources needed to avert a human
catastrophe,” Miguel d’Escoto told an informal
meeting of the Assembly convened to discuss
the holding of United Nations conference to
tackle the financial crisis and its impact on
development.
“This task will require immense focus,
flexibility on the part of all stakeholders, a
shared sense of overwhelming urgency, and a
commitment to using every resource –
economic and political, moral and religious –
to find our way forward,” he told Member
States.
The Assembly President has been tasked with
organizing the conference, which was called
for by participants at a financing for
development meeting held in Qatar late last
year. Among the issues that need to be
decided by March are the dates for the
conference and whether there should be an
outcome document.
“This body has a unique role to play in leading
and facilitating a coordinated global effort
that will not let the most vulnerable among us
– who are, after all, least responsible for the
crisis – bear the brunt of its impact,” said Mr.
d’Escoto.
The Assembly President said he believes the
current global economic situation is the result
of a “deep systematic crisis, and of a deeper
moral and ethical failure.”
It may not be possible to address all the
underlying failures right away, he noted.
“We cannot create a new architecture for our
vast global economic, financial, and trading
system by June,” he said, referring to the
possible timeframe for the holding of the
conference. “We can point out some of the
most important weaknesses, and begin to
identify the priorities, the direction and the
process that reconstruction must take.”
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
UNDP reiterates its commitment towards
helping Pakistan achieve its national
development goals.
Islamabad, 10th February 2009: Deputy
Director, Regional Bureau for Asia & the
Pacific, United Nations Development
Programme, Ms. Ligia Elizondo visited
Pakistan on a five-day mission to further
cement UNDP’s relationship with a wide
range of development partners including the
government and donors.
Ms. Elizondo’s visit coincides with a crucial
time in Pakistan given the host of challenges
and developments faced by the country.
Despite these challenges, UNDP continues to
fortify its programmatic focus and operational
management processes to enhance the value
of its services while ensuring the highest
levels of management accountability and
transparency.
UNDP is strengthening its programme in the
country while playing a leadership role in the
implementation of the recently-signed One
UN Programme, specifically in the areas of
disaster management and environment.
Pakistan is one of the largest and most
inclusive of the 8 UN reform pilots and UNDP
will continue to collaborate with the
Government, civil society and other UN
agencies towards the advancement of
nationally identified development priorities.
The prevailing security situation also presents
challenges to the implementation of UNDP’s
projects in Baluchistan and NWFP especially
in the wake of the recent kidnapping of the
UNHCR official in Quetta. Despite these
challenges, UNDP’s development assistance
across 87 districts in Pakistan amounted to
USD 28.56 million in 2008.
In her meetings with key development
partners such as the Election Commission of
Pakistan, National Disaster Management
Authority and other stakeholders, Ms.
Elizondo ensured the continued commitment
of UNDP towards the issues of poverty
reduction, gender, disaster management,
energy, environment and democratic
5
governance in Pakistan. The partners were
also briefed about UNDP’s plan to implement
programmes that are aligned with the
country’s development priorities.
The Deputy Director also met with Ms. Hina
Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Economic
Affairs and apprised her of UNDP’s resource
mobilization efforts to reposition its
programme within the One UN. Commenting
on UNDP’s long-standing relationship with the
Economic Affairs Division, she stated, ‘We
hope that the new challenges Pakistan faces
can be overcome through UNDP’s well
established capacities and look forward to
EAD’s role in guiding this coordinated effort in
keeping with the national goals’.
The Deputy Director also visited key areas of
UNDP’s recovery interventions in the
earthquake-affected district of Muzaffarabad
where she directly interacted with the
affected communities. UNDP’s earthquake
response programme is based on the needs
identified by the communities and has helped
livelihoods of more than 10,000 people and
reactivated local government institutions to
respond to the disaster.
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
Economic crisis set to drive 53 million more
people into poverty in 2009 – World Bank
13 February
2009 – The
spreading global
economic crisis
is set to trap up
to 53 million
more people in
poverty in
developing countries this year on top of the
130-155 million driven into poverty in 2008
by soaring food and fuel prices, bringing the
total of those living on less than $2 a day to
over 1.5 billion, according to the World
Bank.
The new forecast highlights the serious threat
to achieving the United Nation's Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), which aim to
slash poverty, hunger, infant and maternal
mortality, and lack of access to health care
and education, all by 2015. Preliminary
estimates for 2009 to 2015 forecast that an
average 200,000 to 400,000 more children a
year may die if the crisis persists, making a
total of 1.4 to 2.8 million over the period.
“The global economic crisis threatens to
become a human crisis in many developing
countries unless they can take targeted
measures to protect vulnerable people in
their communities,” World Bank President
Robert B. Zoellick said on the eve of the
Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers'
meeting of leading industrial countries in
Rome on Saturday, which he will attend.
“While much of the world is focused on bank
rescues and stimulus packages, we should
not forget that poor people in developing
countries are far more exposed if their
economies falter. This is a global crisis
requiring a global solution. The needs of poor
people in developing countries must be on
the table.”
New estimates for 2009 suggest that lower
economic growth rates will trap 46 million
more people on less than $1.25 a day than
was expected prior to the crisis, for a total of
an extra 53 million trapped on less than $2 a
6
day, on top of the 1.37 billion before the
current crises.
A World Bank policy note issued in the run up
to the G7 meeting reports that almost 40 per
cent of 107 developing countries were highly
exposed to the effects of the crisis and the
remainder were moderately exposed, with
less than 10 percent facing little risk.
It is critical for exposed countries to finance
job creation, delivery of essential services and
infrastructure, and safety net programmes for
the vulnerable, according to the note, entitled
The Global Economic Crisis: Assessing
Vulnerability with a Poverty Lens.
Yet three quarters of these countries cannot
raise funds domestically or internationally to
finance programmes to curb the effects of the
downturn. One quarter of them also lack the
institutional capacity to expand spending to
protect vulnerable groups. The note urges
financial support in the form of grants and
low or zero interest loans for these countries.
Mr. Zoellick recently called for the
establishment of a Vulnerability Fund in which
each developed country would devote 0.7 per
cent of its stimulus package to aid poorer
countries set up safety net programmes,
invest in infrastructure, and support small
and medium-sized enterprises and
microfinance institutions.
ILO GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT TRENDS REPORT
2009
UNEMPLOYMENT, WORKING POOR, VULNERABLE
EMPLOYMENT TO INCREASE DRAMATICALLY DUE
TO GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS
BANGKOK (ILO
News) – The
global economic
crisis is expected
to lead to a
dramatic increase in the number of people
joining the ranks of the unemployed, working
poor and those in vulnerable employment, the
International Labour Office (ILO) says in its
annual Global Employment Trends report
(GET).
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
Based on new developments in the labour
market and depending on the timeliness and
effectiveness of recovery efforts, the report
has developed three scenarios which
illustrate that global unemployment in 2009
could increase over 2007 by a range of 18
million, 30 million workers to more than 50
million if the situation continues to
deteriorate. For the Asia Pacific region as a
whole, the three scenarios suggest
unemployment increases of 8 million, 15
million or 27 million.
The ILO report’s third scenario also suggests
that some 200 million workers, mostly in
developing economies, could be pushed into
extreme poverty (an income of below
US$1.25 per person per day). Of these more
than 140 million would be in Asia. The same
scenario suggests that those in working
poverty (below US$2 per person per day)
could rise by 176 million, of whom 119
million would be in Asia Pacific
“The ILO message is realistic, not alarmist.
We are now facing a global jobs crisis. Many
governments are aware and acting, but more
decisive and coordinated international action
is needed to avert a global social recession.
Progress in poverty reduction is unravelling
and middle classes worldwide are weakening.
The political and security implications are
daunting.” said ILO Director-General, Juan
Somavia.
“The crisis is underscoring the relevance of
the ILO Decent Work Agenda. We find many
elements of this Agenda in current measures
to promote job creation, deepening and
expanding social protection and more use of
social dialogue,” Mr. Somavia said. He called
on the upcoming meeting of the G-20 on 2
April in London, alongside financial issues, to
urgently agree on priority measures to
promote productive investments, decent
work and social protection objectives, and
policy coordination.
Key projections of the GET report
The new report updates a preliminary
estimate released last October that indicated
that the global financial crisis could increase
7
unemployment between 15 to 20 million
people by 2009. Its key conclusions are as
follows:
ƒ Based on November 2008 IMF economic
growth forecasts, the global
unemployment rate would rise to 6.1
percent in 2009 compared to 5.7 per
cent in 2007, resulting in an increase of
the number of unemployed by 18 million
people in 2009 in comparison with 2007.
ƒ If the economic outlook deteriorates
beyond what was envisaged in November
2008, which is likely, the global
unemployment rate could rise to 6.5 per
cent, corresponding to an increase of the
global number of unemployed by 30
million people in comparison with 2007.
ƒ In a current worst case scenario, the
global unemployment rate could rise to
7.1 per cent ( for East Asia, South-East
Asia and the Pacific and South Asia the
figures would be 5.5 per cent, 6.4 per
cent and 6.3 per cent respectively) and
result in an increase in the global
number of unemployed of more than 50
million people.
ƒ The number of working poor - people
who are unable to earn enough to lift
themselves and their families above the
US$2 per person, per day, poverty line,
may rise up to 1.4 billion, or 45 percent
of all the world’s employed. For East Asia
the figure would be 37 per cent, for
South-East Asia and the Pacific, 55 per
cent and for South Asia 85 per cent.
ƒ In 2009, the proportion of people in
vulnerable employment – either
contributing family workers or own-
account workers who are less likely to
benefit from safety nets that guard
against loss of incomes during economic
hardship – could rise considerably in the
worst case scenario to reach a level of 53
percent of the employed population. For
East Asia, South-East Asia and the
Pacific and South Asia the figures would
be 56 per cent, 64 per cent and 77 per
cent, respectively.
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
Other findings
In 2008 North Africa and the Middle East
still had the highest unemployment rates at
10.3 and 9.4 per cent respectively. The
lowest unemployment rate was once again
observed in East Asia at 3.8 per cent,
followed by South Asia and South-East
Asia & the Pacific where respectively 5.4
and 5.7 per cent of the labour force was
unemployed in 2008
The three Asian regions - South Asia,
South-East Asia & the Pacific and East
Asia - accounted for the lion’s share - 57 per
cent - of global employment creation in 2008.
In the Developed Economies & European
Union region, on the other hand, net
employment creation in 2008 was negative,
minus 900,000 which explains in part the low
global employment creation in this year.
Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia stand
out as regions with extremely harsh labour
market conditions and with the highest
shares of working poor of all regions.
Although the trend has been declining over
the past ten years, around four fifths of the
employed were still classified as working poor
in these regions in 2007.
Policy measures
The economic crisis of 2008 has deepened
the concern over the social impacts of
globalization which the ILO had previously
raised. Stressing the need to take measures
to support vulnerable groups in the labour
market, such as youth and women, the ILO
report observes that a huge labour potential
remains untapped worldwide. Economic
growth and development could be much
higher if people are given the chance of a
decent job through productive investment
and active labour market policies.
“The Decent Work Agenda is an appropriate
policy framework to confront the crisis. There
is a powerful message that tripartite dialogue
with employers and workers organizations
should play a central role in addressing the
economic crisis, and in developing policy
responses,” Mr. Somavia said.
8

The report lists a number of ILO
recommended policy measures being applied
by many governments, as discussed by the
ILO Governing Body in November of 2008,
namely:
i) wider coverage of unemployment
benefits and insurance schemes,
re-skilling redundant workers and
protecting pensions from
devastating declines in financial
markets;
ii) public investment in infrastructure
and housing, community
infrastructure and green jobs,
including through emergency public
works;
iii) support to small and medium
enterprises;
iv) social dialogue at enterprise,
sectoral and national levels.
If a large number of countries, using their
own accumulated reserves, emergency IMF
loans and stronger aid mechanisms, put in
place coordinated policies in line with the ILO
Decent Work Agenda, then the effects of the
downturn on enterprises, workers and their
families could be cushioned and the recovery
better prepared.
The ILO, in collaboration with the Asian
Development Bank, is organizing a High-Level
Regional Forum in Manila from 18-20
February on “Responding to the Economic
Crisis - Coherent policies for Growth,
Employment and Decent work in Asia and the
Pacific” to promote policy dialogue between
regional and international experts and policy
makers from governments, business and
labour on concrete steps to counter the
economic and social consequences’ of the
crisis.
Health & Population
Japan Provides Us$ 4.7 Million To UNICEF
For Eradication Of Polio In Pakistan
Islamabad: January 29, 2009: A Signing
Ceremony and Exchange of Notes was held
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
here between the Government of Japan and
the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
whereby Japan would provide further funds of
422 million yen equivalent to US$ 4.7 million
to continue its support to the National Polio
Eradication Programme in Pakistan. The
Federal Minister for Health, Mir Ejaz Hussain
Jakhrani witnessed the ceremony while His
Excellency, Mr. Chihiro Atsumi, Ambassador
of Japan and Mr. Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF
Representative signed the agreement and
exchanged notes. Funds provided by the
Government of Japan would be used to
procure 26 million doses of oral polio vaccine
during 2009 that constitutes 7 per cent of the
total requirement.
“The ongoing support of Japan and UNICEF is
a great source of strength and a reflection of
their strong commitment and concern about
the state of polio programme in Pakistan”,
said the Health Minister, Ejaz Jakharani.
“Protecting the health and wellbeing of our
children through immunization is the
collective responsibility of us all. Let me
assure you that the Government’s resolve to
eradicate polio is stronger than ever before”,
he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador
Chihiro Atsumi said that Japan is proud of
one decade long partnership with UNICEF and
the Government of Pakistan. He also stated
that the target is to bring the transmission of
the debilitating poliovirus to an end, and this
is certainly achievable through continuous
collaboration and the involvement of tireless
assistance of thousands of health workers,
volunteers and community workers.
UNICEF Representative, Martin Mogwanja
said: “The eradication of polio is the largest
public health initiative ever undertaken. It
has been noted that the eradication of polio
is such a complex and demanding task that it
would be impossible for one government, one
donor, or one NGO to undertake on its own.
The partnership established to eradicate polio
is one of the most unique and innovative,
bringing together governments, development
agencies, donor governments, private sector,
NGOs and most importantly, health workers.
We are all part of this and the ceremony is
9
symbolic of this strong polio partnership in
Pakistan”.
© UNICEF Pakistan/2008/ Moore
Dr Aisha Iram examines three-month-
old Omair. Omair's mother, Humera
Afzal, had regular antenatal care
during her pregnancy.
The Government of Japan has supported the
Polio Eradication Programme in Pakistan since
1996. Total contribution made so far by the
Government of Japan comes up to US$ 77.76
million, a sum which is a significant
contribution towards reducing the number of
polio cases in Pakistan. For the past 13 years
Japan’s support has been instrumental in
ensuring sufficient quantities of vaccine are in
place and to ensure a sustained cold chain to
protect the potency of the vaccine.
The transfer of funds to UNICEF will be
channeled through the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA); the implementing
body for grant assistance that is involved in
implementing the Expanded Programme for
Immunization and the Polio Eradication
Project in N.W.F.P.
UNICEF, along with other partners, continues
to provide technical assistance to the
Government of Pakistan to support polio
eradication activities. Since the programme
was launched in 1994, the number of cases
has been reduced from more than 30,000 in
1994 down to 118 in 2008. Global experts
have reinforced that Pakistan’s polio
programme is the strongest ever and that
polio can be eradicated if there is
commitment at all levels to overcome the
remaining operational challenges.
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
Networks of care for mothers and children
in Pakistan
By Fatima Raja
KHANPUR, Pakistan, 28 January 2009 – A
row of women sit in a brightly decorated
waiting room at the Khanpur Basic Health
Unit. The women have either come for their
monthly antenatal checkups or postnatal
visits, healthy babies in tow.
Inside the facility, Dr. Aisha Iram, the
Medical Officer at BHU Khanpur, smiles down
at Mahvish. Only seven-months-old, Mahvish
squirms at the cold touch of the stethoscope
as her mother holds her close.
"Mahvish was born by C-section at the
Headquarter Hospital in Sheikhupura City,"
said Dr. Aisha. "We knew her mother's case
history – she had had a prior C-section as
well – and told her to go straight there for
her delivery."
Dr. Aisha is one of only four women doctors
who run a Basic Health Unit (BHU), a rural
primary care facility in Sheikhupura District –
a critical shortfall in a society where women
regularly go without antenatal or postnatal
care. Rather than see a male doctor, many
women consult traditional birth attendants
known as ‘dais’.
Rural communities face roadblocks
Despite apparent need, most doctors prefer
to work in cities or overseas where salaries
are higher. Lack of security and mobility are
other major deterrents.
Born and raised in nearby Sheikhupura Town,
Dr. Aisha entered a residency programme at
Lady Willingdon Hospital in nearby Lahore
after studying medicine in Moscow. It was at
this specialised obstetrics facility that Dr.
Aisha discovered the Punjab Safe Motherhood
Initiative, a pilot project supported by the
government of the Punjab Province.
The initiative seeks to reduce maternal and
infant mortality in Sheikhupura District by
rotating ten female postgraduate doctors to
10
the district's hospitals. Equipped with a
mobile ultrasound unit, they visit 12 rural
BHUs every month to provide on-site
antenatal care.
Dr. Aisha made it her mission to initiate
improvements in Sheikhupura. She set up a
labour room, conducted discussion groups
with community-based Lady Health Workers
to better assess the needs of pregnant
women, and created a network of emergency
help-lines, ready to request ambulances and
alert doctors in higher level facilities to her
patients' critical needs.
'The difference between life and death'
The intrepid doctor’s efforts yielded tangible
results. In 2007, the year in which Dr. Aisha
joined the BHU team, the number of
antenatal visits jumped to over 3,700 – up
from about 800 in the previous year. Many
women now come for eight or more antenatal
visits, and continue for postnatal care.
"These linkages can make the difference
between life and death," says Dr. Tahir
Manzoor, the Health Specialist at UNICEF's
provincial office in Lahore. “We can train
people in the communities, we can even have
doctors working there, but in an emergency,
the only thing that may save a woman's life is
prompt and appropriate referral."
The success of the Safe Motherhood Initiative
has engendered similar projects in two other
districts with the support of the Punjabi
government, UNICEF and the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA).
Dr. Aisha is among several Safe Motherhood
Initiative alums who now intend to practice in
their home communities. Armed with a deep
understanding of their own districts’ specific
needs, the doctors bring an unprecedented
level of care to rural areas.
The Safe Motherhood Initiative provides a
system in which local doctors are part of a
holistic network that links homes with tertiary
care hospitals, ensuring that the appropriate
level of care is available to rural mothers.
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Prime Minister AJK Inaugurates a Basic
Health Unit Constructed by UNICEF in
Muzaffarabad
Islamabad, February 11, 2009: Prime
Minister of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir,
Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan inaugurated
a Basic Health Unit (BHU) constructed by the
United Nations Children’s Fund in
Muzaffarabad city on Tuesday afternoon.
Construction of the BHU has been completed
at a cost of Rupees 22 million provided by
the Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan
Earthquake Victims (SPAPEV).
Representative UNICEF Pakistan, Martin
Mogwanja; Representative of the SPAPEV,
Bandar bin Qublan Al Ajmi; Director
General/Secretary State Earthquake
Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority,
Dr. Syed Asif Hussain, a number of senior
officials of the Government of AJK along with
representatives of the, international and
national Non-Governmental Organisations
and other dignitaries were present on the
occasion.
The BHU Muzaffarabad HQ, originally
constructed in 1960, was completely
destroyed by the 2005 earthquake leaving 35
dead and many injured. It has been
reconstructed by UNICEF at a cost of Rupees
22 million which includes construction of the
building, furniture and medical equipment
has been funded by the Saudi Public
Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims
(SPAPEV), a Riyadh based relief organization
formed to ensure best utilization of the
donations made by Saudi people on the call
of Saudi Government to help 2005
earthquake affectees in Pakistan.
The newly reconstructed BHU is expected to
provide round the clock services to a
population of nearly 100,000. It is expected
that nearly 900 women will receive antenatal,
delivery and post delivery care while around
600 children will receive preventive care and
treatment.
11
Population issues key to fighting poverty,
other ills in Asia, UN-backed forum agrees
5 February 2009 – Population policy,
reproductive health and gender
equality remain central to
reducing poverty in the Asia and
the Pacific region despite recent
economic growth, specialists
agreed at a conference convened by United
Nations agencies in Bangkok this week.
In the three-day review of progress since the
Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference
(APPC) held in Bangkok in 2002, experts
concluded that its plan of Action on Population
and Poverty is needed more than ever in light
of the global economic crisis and its likely
impact on the poor.
Hundreds of millions have been left behind
despite the progress made in the fight against
poverty over the past few decades, with a
quarter of a million women, mostly poor,
dying each year in the region as a result of
failing maternal health services.
Without swift action, there is little hope of
attaining the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), which aim to reduce extreme
poverty and other global ills by 2015,
according to a press release by the UN
Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (ESCAP).
“The strategies and actions planned to
achieve the population goals are crucial for
the realization of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs),” Director of the UN Social
Development Division, Thelma Kay, told the
meeting.
“The goals are too important and their
implications too far-reaching for the well-
being of humanity to be disputed or neglected
– especially now that the global economic
crisis threatens to unravel much of the
progress accomplished,” Ms. Kay added.
The expert meeting, convened by the ESCAP
in collaboration with UNFPA, called for the
integration of population concerns and
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
women’s empowerment in the broader
development agenda.
Participants also stressed that health systems
must be strengthened to ensure universal
access to reproductive health services
including family planning, with no
discrimination against adolescents.
In addition, they called for HIV prevention
efforts that reach groups most at risk of
infection, more resources and better data to
address gender inequality and marginalized
populations, as well as viable social security
systems for the elderly.
More regional reviews were proposed on the
implementation of the 2002 Bangkok
recommendations, which were based on the
Programme of Action adopted by the 1994
International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD) in Cairo.
“Evidence-based advocacy and partnerships
are essential in this process,” said G.
Giridhar, Special Adviser in the Asia-Pacific
Regional Office of UNFPA.
WFP Steps In As Fighting Displaces
People In Pakistan
Published on 12 February 2009
Noor Muhammed is relying on WFP food
assistance as he waits to take his family
home again.(Copyright: WFP/Amjad Jamal)
"As the fighting increased, we had no other
option but to leave our home. Life is so
12
difficult my children are traumatized; my wife
and mother are scared."
Once famous for its serenity, tourism and
hospitality, the beautiful valley of Swat in
North West Frontier Province (NWFP) now has
a deserted look. The ongoing fighting
between the armed forces and militants has
forced hundreds of thousands of people to
migrate to safer places.
Inter-tribal violence in the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has also
resulted in large numbers of internally
displaced persons (IDPs). For all these
people, food and shelter are the primary
needs.
Noor Muhammad, with a family of eight to
feed, tells his story: "I came from
Khawazakhella town where I was working as
a labourer for a daily wage that enabled my
family to survive. As the fighting increased,
we had no other option but to leave our
home. Life is so difficult my children are
traumatized; my wife and mother are
scared."
WFP has been able to provide food assistance
to 208,000 displaced people, 171,000 of them
living in host communities and 37,000 were in
IDP camps.
Distribution points have been established in
Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Charsada and
Nowshera districts, whereas Kohat will soon
be operational to cater to the growing number
and needs of the IDPs.
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
Aside from wheat flour, vegetable oil, pulses
and salt, WFP food assistance also includes
high energy biscuits and nutrient rich blended
food for vulnerable mothers and children.
"We really don’t know who is fighting who
and for what reasons," said Noor Muhammad
after receiving his ration at a WFP food
distribution point in the Mardan district. "We
always hear 10 Taliban have been killed here,
five soldiers died there. We have been here
for the last month and have got by thanks to
the month’s food ration that WFP has
provided us with. We are hoping that the
fighting will soon end and we will go back to
our homeland
The challenge for WFP and other
humanitarian agencies in the coming months
will be to better assist the vast majority of
IDPs that are still residing with host
communities. This is important so as to
prevent a potential “pull-factor” from well
serviced camps. Repatriation from these
camps may become difficult in the future
Environment
Government and UN to Launch Major
Environmental Protection Programme
during 2009
The Ministry of Environment in collaboration
with the UN System in Pakistan has
developed a comprehensive Joint Programme
on Environment which will be implemented
during 2009-10 to protect, conserve and
improve the environment in line with the
national priorities and international
commitments.
This was stated by Mr. Hameed Ullah Jan
Afridi, Federal Minister for Environment while
addressing the signing ceremony of the Joint
Programme.
"This is the first joint programme of its
nature developed in Pakistan and brings the
commitments and resources of 12 UN
Agencies working in Pakistan for
13
improvement of environment under one
umbrella', he said.
The Minister said the Government has
declared 2009 as the National Year of
Environment and implementation of the Joint
Programme would greatly contribute to
realization of the objectives of the National
Year of Environment and improving the
quality of life of people of Pakistan.
Speaking on behalf of UN System in Pakistan,
Martin Mogwanja, Co-chair of the Thematic
Working Group on Environment appreciated
the leadership of the Ministry in development
of the Joint Programme through an extensive
consultative process involving line federal
ministries, provincial governments NGOs and
other partners. He reiterated the UN System's
commitment to support the Ministry of
Environment towards furthering the
environment agenda in Pakistan. UNDP is the
other Co-Chair for this thematic group as per
its area of expertise.
The UN Secretary General constituted a High-
level Panel to review the functioning of UN
System and suggest recommendations to
reduce fragmentation and improve efficiency
and effectiveness of UN Agencies. A key
recommendation of the Panel, which was also
co-chaired by Pakistan, UN reforms with focus
on 'One UN' at the country level to have one
leader, one programme, one budgetary
framework, one management practice, and
whenever appropriate, one office. Pakistan,
where some 18 UN entities are operational,
with different mandates, different sets of
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
global priorities, and different operational,
managerial and delivery systems,
volunteered to be one of the pilot countries
for UN reform.
Environment is one of the five thematic
programme areas of UN System Pakistan
during 2009-10. The Joint Programme would
focus on five key areas i.e. enabling
environment for improved environmental
management and development; safe water
and improved sanitation; integrated natural
resources management; and sustainable
urban development; green industries, energy
and jobs. The programme would be
implemented over a period of 2 years at a
cost of US$ 76.3 million.
Hundreds of millions in South Asia face
growing water stress, UN report warns
6 February 2009
– Hundreds of
millions of South
Asians face
growing water
stress due to
over
exploitation,
climate change and inadequate cooperation
among countries, which are threatening river
basins that sustain about half of the region’s
1.5 billion people, the United Nations warns
in a new report.
South Asia is home to one-fourth of the
global population, including some of the
world’s poorest people, who have access to
less than 5 per cent of the planet’s
freshwater resources, according to the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP).
“Freshwater Under Threat: South Asia,” a
new report produced by UNEP and the Asian
Institute of Technology (AIT), examines the
state of freshwater resources in selected
major river basins in the region, identifies
key threats to water resources development
and management, and assesses the
challenges in coping with these threats.
14
The three transboundary river basins
assessed in the report include the largest in
South Asia: the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna
(GBM) river basin (which spans Bangladesh,
Bhutan, China, India and Nepal), the Indus
river basin (in Afghanistan, China, India,
Nepal and Pakistan) and the Helmand river
basin (which covers Afghanistan, Iran and
Pakistan).
“Water is a vital resource for people’s health
and livelihoods, especially in South Asia
where these three transboundary river basins
sustain about half of the region’s 1.5 billion
people, and some of the poorest people in the
world,” said Young-Woo Park, UNEP Regional
Director and Representative for Asia and the
Pacific, as he launched the report at the Delhi
Sustainable Development Summit.
The report calls for urgent policy attention
and more research into the impact of climate
change on water resources, infrastructure and
management practices, as well as improved
cooperation among the affected countries and
integrated basin management.
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner
stressed the need to invest in the sustainable
management of these vital river basins.
“These river systems are major economic
arteries as well as social and environmental
assets for South Asia,” he stated. “Investing
in sustainable management is thus an
investment in the current and future
prosperity of Asia and will be a central and
determining factor underpinning the transition
to a resource efficient, sustainable green
economy.”
The report is the first of a series produced by
UNEP that covers three sub-regions, North-
East Asia, South Asia and South-East Asia. A
similar assessment was completed for
selected river basins in Africa.
They are intended to complement the efforts
of Governments, non-governmental
organizations and development agencies
engaged in improving the status of water
systems in Asia.
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
Global fiscal stimulus funds could jump-
start world economy – UN report
16 February
2009 – Investing
one-third of the
roughly $2.5
trillion planned
stimulus funds in
“greening” the
global economy will give a large boost to
efforts to lift the world out of recession,
according to a new United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) released.
The estimated $750 million – or some 1 per
cent of current global Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) – could spur significant returns,
including stimulating innovation and job
growth, slashing greenhouse gas emissions
and making strides towards curbing poverty.
The 154-page “Global Green New Deal”
report – written in consultation with experts
from over two dozen UN and external
organizations, including the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank –
was released as more than 100 Environment
Ministers have converged in Nairobi, Kenya,
for UNEP's four-day Governing Council/Global
Ministerial Environment Forum, which began
today.
“Spent wisely and creatively [the stimulus
funds] offer the chance to deal with the
today''s immediate crises and begin focusing
and framing a response to those on the
horizon from future food shortages, natural
resource scarcity, energy security and
climate change,” said the agency's Executive
Director Achim Steiner.
The new publication “represents an
opportunity to accelerate towards innovation-
led, low carbon, low waste Green Economy
societies with decent employment prospects
for many more millions of people,” he added.
The Republic of Korea is putting nearly $40
billion – or 3 per cent of its GDP – towards its
Green New Deal, which could generate
almost 1 million new jobs, the report said.
For its part, China is expected to spend close
to $600 billion on a fiscal stimulus package,
15
of which it will dedicate $140 billion – just
under 2 per cent of its GDP – for green
investments, adding to its $17 billion
renewable energy sector which already
employs some 1 million people.
The United States will direct almost 1 per cent
of its stimulus funds towards environmental
restoration, making federal office buildings
more energy-efficient, creating a smart power
grid and other green measures.
Also issued at the Nairobi gathering was the
UNEP Year Book 2009, which stresses the
critical need for switching to a low-carbon
green economy, spotlighting worrying trends,
such as over 2 billion tonnes being generated
worldwide annually and the number of cars on
the road forecasted to double to 1.3 billion by
2050.
But the Year Book also pointed out green
progress being made, including the projected
30-40 per cent drop in emissions in the
construction industry
Disaster Risk Management
NDMA and the United Nations Signs Joint
Programme on Disaster Risk Management
13 UN agencies combine their strengths to
ensure a comprehensive response to Disaster
Risk Management in Pakistan
Islamabad, February 10, 2009: Mr.
Shaukat N. Tahir. Senior Member, Natural
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and
the Co-Chairs of the Disaster Risk
Management (DRM) Joint Programme, Ms.
Mikiko Tanaka (Country Director a.i. UNDP)
and Wolfgang Herbinger (Representative
WFP), signed the United Nation’s Pakistan
Joint Programme Document in the presence •
of the Federal Secretary Mr. Farukkh Qayyum
and the Heads of the UN participating
agencies.
Thirteen UN agencies, operating in Pakistan •
have planned and developed a Joint
programme to address the needs for disaster
risk management in Pakistan. The programme
is planned for activities till 2010 with an •
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
estimated budget of around US$ 66.359
million.
The DRM joint programme will assist the
Government of Pakistan in developing
national capacities and systems for disaster
risk management on a sustainable basis.
These will reduce the impact of disasters on
the poor and most vulnerable segments of
the population, increase national and local
level community capacities to be better
prepared and to timely respond to the
occurrence of disaster and thus contribute to
the attainment of the Millennium
Development Goals. The Programme will also
address disasters resulting from
communicable diseases and food shortages.
The NDMA and UN will work with relevant
Government counterparts at the federal,
provincial and district level along with NGOs’
and the private sector for the implementation
of this Joint Programme.
On this occasion Shaukat Tahir expressed his
appreciation of the support provided by the
UN and said that he hoped that “ through
these initiatives the plight of the people of
Pakistan that suffer every time an earthquake
rocks the land beneath them, every time
floods wash away their lives, every time man
in his attempt to fight for his right tramples
on theirs, will be reduced.”
The joint programme will be implemented
over a period of two years with emphasis on
initiatives that will address the priority areas
of the Government of Pakistan. The DRM
joint programme outcomes aim to minimize
losses from natural hazards and enhance
coping capacities in high-risk communities.
The objectives are:
To strengthen institutional capacities at
federal, provincial and local levels to take
disaster risk management forward in the
policy making, planning and development
process.
To enhance understanding and develop
knowledge/ information management
systems on major hazards, vulnerabilities
and associated risks
To promote Community Based DRM
(CBDRM), develop guidelines, tools and
16
mechanisms for CBDRM and provide feedback
to the national policy-making process.
The participating UN agencies for this joint
programme are FAO, ILO, IOM, UNAIDS,
UNDP, UNESCO, UNIFEM, UNFPA,
UNHABITAT, UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, and WFP
bring their strengths together to ensure that
a cohesive and comprehensive effort is made
to achieve the outcomes set in this joint
programme. The joint programme is Co-
Chaired by UNDP and WFP.
After the signing ceremony both the Co-
Chairs said that they felt confident that after
the implementation of the joint programme
the Government and people of Pakistan will
be better prepared to face and respond to any
disaster in a timely and efficient manner.
Following the November 2006 report of the
High Level Panel on UN System-wide
Coherence, Pakistan was nominated as one of
eight pilots for One UN in January 2007.
Since inception of the pilot in Pakistan, it was
unanimously established that the way for
achieving unity would be through by UN
entities coming together as One Leader, One
Programme, One Office and One Budget, with
the One Programme being the centre pillar
and providing the rationale and strategic
framework for all UN joint initiatives to deliver
as one and improve lives and help people in
Pakistan.
The One Programme builds upon, and stems
from the reviewed and extended United
Nations Development Framework. It identifies
key areas of support, expected outcomes and
outputs that all UN entities shall jointly aim
for to ensure that the UN contributes to the
development goals of Pakistan in line with the
established national priorities, MDGs, and
relevant international norms and conventions.
The UN support to Pakistan was regrouped
around five thematic areas and four cross-
cutting issues. These thematic areas are:
Health and Population; Education; Disaster
Risk Management; Environment; and
Agriculture, Rural Development and Poverty
Reduction. The four cross-cutting themes
are: civil society participation, gender,
refugees, and rights approach to development
(details in annex3).
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
Programmes jointly planned and jointly
implemented, not just stapled together,
stemming from the outcomes of the UNDAF,
will come together as Joint Programmes
falling under the identified thematic areas
ensuring that the cross-cutting issues are
well addressed.
FAO focuses on “Disaster Preparedness”
by developing Livelihoods Baseline and
Contingency Plans for 5 hazard-prone
Districts
11 February 2009, Islamabad – Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) together with World Food
Programme (WFP) and National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) has
developed livelihoods baselines and
contingency plans for disaster-prone pilot
districts. The aim is to strengthen the
capacity of national, provincial and district
level Governments, NGO and UN agencies to
respond better to natural disasters.
In a one-year pilot project, five districts were
targeted: Badin (Sindh) for cyclones and
associated floods; Tharparkar (Sindh) for
droughts; Rajanpur (Punjab) for riverine
floods and hill torrents; Bagh (PAK) for
earthquake and landslides; and Astor
(Northern Areas) for Glacier Lake Outburst
Floods-GLOF).
The goal was to develop need-based
contingency plans focussing on immediate
livelihoods recovery in case of disaster; and
to compile quantitative and qualitative data
to support more rapid and accurate post-
disaster damage assessments and in
addressing immediate livelihoods response
needs in case of disasters.
Mr Syed Mohammad Ali, Assistant
Representative FAO while commenting on
Hazards, Livelihoods and Vulnerabilities
(HLV) baselines said, “ The baselines seek to
answer questions like: which natural hazards
affect the area in question? Where do they
strike? When do they strike? Who do they
strike? How do people in areas at risk
normally make a living?, and how can they
17
 used in a rapid one-day assessment of floods
in Peshawar, and this shows its practical
applicability within a disaster context.
For wider circulation, the baseline reports will
be published after their finalization in two
consultative workshops on 9th and 11th
February in Islamabad. It is planned that the
District Consultative Workshop on project will be scaled up to further 20-30
"Disaster Preparedness" at a local hotel in hazard-prone districts.
Islamabad, 11 February 2009- Syed
Mohammad Ali Assistant Representative
FAO and Shaukat Nawaz Tahir Cross Cutting Themes/Other Issues
Deputy Chairman NDMA addressing the
workshop participants.
be supported in maintaining their livelihoods Ban repeats call for release of kidnapped
after a disaster? ” He explained that the UN staff member in Pakistan
contingency plans will go a long way in pre-
empting the natural disaster situations in Secretary-
future. General Ban Ki-
moon
The tools and approaches developed for the
14 February
project were: an approach for collating
2009 –
secondary quantitative data on demography,
Secretary-
housing, agriculture, and employment in the
General Ban Ki-
districts; simple qualitative and participatory
Moon, who
tools for use with district and tehsil officials,
spoke with President Asif Ali Zardari of
key informants at village level and focus
Pakistan, reiterated his appeal for the release
groups for women and
of a United Nations staff member abducted
men; an inclusive and
nearly two weeks ago in the west of the
participatory
South Asian nation.
consultative process
with a wide range of
According to a statement issued by Mr. Ban's
stakeholders from
spokesperson, the two leaders “agreed on
officials at the higher
the need to secure the safe and immediate
echelons in the
release of John Solecki,” the UN High
Government to the local community
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
members; and a website with an interactive
representative in the city of Quetta.
database which can be scaled-up as more
districts are covered.
Mr. Solecki, who has been with the UN since
1991, was kidnapped on 2 February and his
NGO partners and district government
driver, Syed Hashim, was killed in the attack.
officials are actively involved in the field work.
As the baseline is used by all, therefore, the
In a statement, the Secretary-General
aim is to ensure ownership and a “buy-in” of
emphasized the importance of Mr. Solecki's
Government of Pakistan, UN agencies and
humanitarian work in helping the people of
NGOs.
Balochistan.
The baseline drafts for the pilot districts have
“He stresses that no cause can be served by
been compiled and these have been shared
prolonging the abduction of Mr Solecki.”
with district and provincial officials, and local
NGOs for comments. The impact of the recent
Earlier this week, the UN said it is seeking
floods in Rajanpur was assessed with baseline
information on a group called the Balochistan
methodology. The same approach was also

ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009) 18

Liberation United Front, which on 7 February
claimed in local media reports that it is
holding Mr. Solecki.
The world body said that he has a medical
condition requiring regular medication, adding
that delaying his release will lead to a
deterioration of health.
Pakistan will contribute “seed money” to help
set up security and technical assessment
missions, and the three-member body will be
funded by voluntary contributions from
Member States.
Hundreds displaced by conflict arriving
daily at Pakistani camp, UN reports

Ban to set up independent probe into

assassination of former Pakistani leader An internally
displaced Pakistani
man carries away a
Former Prime package of UNHCR
Minister of aid
Pakistan Benazir
Bhutto
5 February 2009
12 February 2009 – The United Nations
– Secretary-
refugee agency reports that more than 100
General Ban Ki-
families, or about 500 people, uprooted by
moon will establish an independent
fighting in northern Pakistan are arriving
Commission of Inquiry to determine the facts
daily at the Jalozai camp, which housed some
and circumstances of the December 2007
100,000 Afghan refugees before it was closed
assassination of former Pakistani Prime
down last year.
Minister Benazir Bhutto.
The escalating conflict between the
The Commission, which has been requested
Government and militants in the Swat district
by the Government of Pakistan, will be
of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province
composed of three eminent personalities and
(NWFP) and other areas of the Federally
will have a mandate of a maximum of six
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) had
months, Mr. Ban said in a letter to the
displaced around 450,000 so far.
Security Council President made public.
However, the UN High Commissioner for
Following discussions with Pakistani
Refugees (UNHCR) says that number, which
authorities and members of the Security
includes people made homeless by floods in
Council, it has been agreed that the new body
August, could top 600,000 within weeks.
should be “fact-finding in nature,” not
expanding into a criminal investigation, he
While UNHCR is working to expand the
noted.
capacity of camps like Jalozai to cope with
the new influx, it has also stepped up
“The duty of determining criminal
distribution of basic relief supplies to help
responsibility of the perpetrators of the
people living outside the camps – where 80
assassination would remain with the Pakistani
per cent of registered internally displaced
authorities,” the letter said.
Pakistanis reside – as part of a broader
coordinated humanitarian effort.
The Secretary-General, who made his first
state visit to Pakistan yesterday, said that the
The agency has already assisted more than
South Asian nation’s authorities will cooperate
8,000 families with items such as sleeping
with the Commission, which will be given
mats, blankets and kitchen sets in the
“unhindered access to all relevant sources of
Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Lower Dir, Upper
information.”
Dir and Kohat districts.

ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009) 19

The rising tensions, coupled with a general
economic crisis in what is already among the
poorest areas of Pakistan, is putting huge
strains on the resources of the displaced as
well as host communities. Although it is
providing relief, UNHCR emphasized that
people needed much more help. “The
humanitarian community as a whole, in
collaboration with the Government of
Pakistan, needs to expand the range of
assistance we can provide, so people can rent
houses, restart livelihoods and access
services. They need to regain their dignity,”
stressed Kilian Kleinschmidt, UNHCR's
assistant representative in Pakistan.
More than 64,500 people in 12 camps in
NWFP have now been registered by the
Pakistani Government, with UNHCR’s help, up
from around 15,000 from the previous month.
Another 245,000 people living outside camps
have been registered, while many more are
expected to be registered in weeks to come.
Mr. Kleinschmidt noted that the registration of
a significant portion of displaced people has
been a critical step in managing the crisis.
“Registration is always a complex task, but
we now have much better information to plan
and distribute the assistance required,” he
said.
UNHCR, as part of an overall $98 million UN
appeal launched last week, is seeking a
further $16.8 million to boost aid to displaced
Pakistanis.
Human trafficking: The faces and sorrow at
the heart of a UN report
13 February
2009 – Rose was
just a teenager
in Cameroon
when she was
promised a Sokha
chance to go to
school in the
United States. What she got was – slavery,
working 15 hours a day for years, paid
nothing, and beaten.
Anna (not their real names) was beaten
throughout her childhood in Moldova, and fled
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
her home in despair at age 12. But those who
“helped” her run away to a supposedly better
life trafficked her to Poland where she was
forced to beg on the streets and beaten if she
did not make enough money.
Sokha was 14 when she was trafficked across
the border from Cambodia into Thailand to
sell fruit – and was then forced into
prostitution when her “boss” found the fruit
trade not sufficiently lucrative.
And Kwame’s young life embraced a dream
when his parents were told he would join a
sales business. Instead, he was trafficked to
the infamous fishing region around Ghana’s
Lake Volta where he was forced to do dirty,
dangerous jobs for eight long years.
These are the human faces, and the sorrow,
of just four of the victims whose terrible
plight is highlighted by the Global Report
on Trafficking in Persons issued by the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) – four young people whose sagas
can be multiplied several million-fold.
According to the UN International Labour
Organization (ILO), two million more people
are enslaved each year.
Rose finally opened the door in suburban
Washington, D.C., and ran shoelesss
although it was October and bitterly cold. She
called the number of a Cameroonian man
who visited her slave owner’s house
occasionally and seemed concerned about
her. He picked her up hours later. Another
Cameroonian took her into his home and she
was eventually reunited with other young
Cameroonian girls who had been enslaved.
Ana spent five years begging in Poland before
she managed to escape and was returned to
Moldova by the local police.
was eventually saved by an
organization in Thailand that rescues girls
from prostitution. Now she hopes to set up
her own sewing business and employ other
girls trafficked as she was.
After eight years of backbreaking labour and
heartbreaking abuse, Kwame was freed by an
anti-slavery group in Ghana. He is now
20
recovering and wants to go to school “so that
I can grow up to become somebody.”
There are so many others who have suffered
a similar fate that it would take a whole forest
of trees to produce the paper to record their
plight. The lack of reliable statistics go to the
core of the problem – so little is known that
no estimate can be given of the magnitude of
those caught up in this modern-day slavery.
“Many governments are in denial,” said
Antonio Costa, the UNODC Executive
Director. They don’t report adequately or
prosecute cases of what is often referred to
as people-trafficking, he added.
While the most common manifestation of
trafficking is sexual exploitation (accounting
for 80 per cent of the phenomenon), other
activities such as forced labour in mines,
factories, sweatshops or domestic servitude,
as well as child soldiers, are less frequently
detected.
Also, while trafficking seems to imply
movement across continents, sadly most
exploitation takes place close to home, within
countries or regions.
On the plus side, the number of countries
implementing the international agreement
that addresses trafficking in persons has
doubled. Of the 155 countries that were
surveyed, over 60 per cent had enacted laws
to following a special UN protocol to fight
human trafficking adopted in 2003. However,
many governments still resist enforcement,
said Mr. Costa. According to the UN's chief
crime fighter, “This is a crime that shames us
all.”
“Over the past decade, trafficking in persons
has reached epidemic proportions. No country
is immune,” warned UNODC.
UNODC and UNICEF Present UN Joint
Programme for Countering Human
Trafficking to Interior Ministry
Islamabad, February 13, 2009: The Minister
of State for Interior, Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi
was presented the Comprehensive UN Joint
ISSUE N0. 04/09 (17 FEBRUARY, 2009)
Programme for Countering Human Trafficking
by the Representative United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Christy
McCampbell and the Representative United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Martin
Mogwanja
UNODC’s Global Report on Trafficking in
Persons, released under the framework of the
United Nations Global Initiative to Fight
Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) contains data
collected from 155 countries. It offers an
unprecedented view of the scope of human
trafficking in the world and of the measures
taken to counter it. The study, however,
reveals the relative lack of knowledge and
information about the scope of the problem in
Pakistan. The country faces a very complex
and challenging human trafficking situation.
It is reported as a source, transit, and
destination location for all sorts of human
trafficking both on a national and on a
transnational level.
The Comprehensive Programme for
Combating and Preventing Human Trafficking
in Pakistan has been jointly developed by
UNODC and UNICEF under the UN.GIFT. It is
a joint programme partnering the
Government of Pakistan, Federal and
Provincial entities within the country and a
number of members of the United Nations
family. It aims at increasing the human
trafficking knowledge, enhancing the capacity
of government agencies to combat and
prevent transnational and national forms of
human trafficking, and providing victims with
adequate support.
The Government of Pakistan has been
cognizant of the issue of human trafficking. It
has issued directives (such as the Prevention
of Human Trafficking Ordinance) and created
institutions to fight this menace. It has,
however, not signed the United Nations
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, and there is a need to
make these institutions more functional and
capable of implementing governmental
policy.
UNICEF focuses on the prevention of child
trafficking and the protection of victims of
21
 child trafficking. It has assisted numerous
countries, including Pakistan, in identifying
law enforcement gaps, and training
investigators on the protection of children’s
right.
UNODC, UNICEF and other UN agencies in
Pakistan are committed to assist and support
the Government of Pakistan in preventing its
citizen from falling prey to perpetrators of this
crime and landing into vulnerable situations.
We are greatly encouraged by the interest
shown by the Ministry of Interior in this
programme and its resolve to combat human
trafficking.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime, which has improved crime prevention
and supported criminal justice reform in a
significant number of countries, has been an
active player in assisting the Government of
Pakistan in its fight against drug abuse and
organized crime. This is done mainly through
strengthening the rule of law, promote stable
and viable criminal justice systems and
combat the growing threats of transnational
crime and corruption. UNODC has notably
worked, together with national and regional
Pakistan law enforcement agencies, on such
issues as drug demand reduction, countering
illicit drug trafficking and drug related
diseases, improving border security and
enhancing the security of container cargo
trade.
Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery,
involving victims which are forced, coerced
into labour or sexual exploitation. Annually,
hundreds of thousands of people – mostly
women and children – are trafficked across
national borders, not counting millions
trafficked within their own countries.
Islamabad, February 11 2009: The
Resident Coordinator UN Pakistan Mr. Fikret
Akcura presented a shield to His Excellency
Mr. Jose-Maria Robles in honor of the
exemplary support that he has given the
United Nations in its efforts to address
gender issues in Pakistan. The Gender Parity
Joint Programme that 13 entities of the UN
will implement together is to be funded by
the Government of Spain. All of this has been
possible due to the commitment and support
of the current Ambassador.
This function was one of the last that Mr.
Robles attends as the Ambassador of Spain in
Pakistan as he moves towards another
assignment. During his time here he has
proved to be a very close partner and ally of
the Government of Pakistan demonstrated
through his support to the development
initiatives for the people of Pakistan.
As said by the Resident Coordinator “he will
be truly missed” and “will remain a close
friend of the UN and the people of Pakistan.”
The event was also attended by other donors,
representatives of the Government of kistan
and Heads of UN agencies in Pakistan.

United Nations Pakistan Honors the For more information on the United Nations
Ambassador of Spain and its activities, please visit the main UN
website at www.un.org or the UN Pakistan
website at www.un.org.pk
Fikret Akcura, Resident Coordinator UN
Pakistan Presents a Shield in Recognition of
the Exemplary Support Provided by H.E. Mr.
Jose-Maria Robles

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