THE SECRETARY-GENERAL Message for WORLD CITIES DAY31 October 2025  In our increasingly digital world, technology is reshaping urban life.From early warning systems to geospatial mapping to ever more participatory platforms, digital tools can improve basic services, strengthen resilience, and create greener spaces for all.But innovation must close gaps – not widen them. Right now, the global housing crisis and the growth of informal settlements are leaving billions without adequate housing. A truly smart city puts people first – especially the most vulnerable.On this World Cities Day, we celebrate local and national governments working with residents — including women, youth, older people and people with disabilities — as co-creators of a more sustainable urban future.Cities are engines of opportunity. When we place people at the centre, digital innovation can help drive fairness and sustainability for all.Cities are now becoming digital spaces. Let us ensure they are also inclusive, green and just. ***ILOPRESS RELEASE ILO calls for greater recognition and investment in Pakistan’s care economy ISLAMABAD (ILO News) – 117.4 million women and men in Pakistan are engaged in unpaid care and domestic work — 66.7 million of them are women. As the world observes the International Day of Care and Support, the International Labour Organization (ILO) calls for stronger recognition of care work and coordinated action to ensure decent work, social protection, and equality for all care workers across the country.Women are overrepresented in nearly all unpaid domestic and care roles — from cooking and cleaning to livestock tending and childcare. Around 60 per cent of women spend over 15 hours a week on domestic tasks, while less than 7 per cent of men do the same. Women also spend significantly more time on livestock management and caring for children, the elderly, or the ill.This over representation leads to a time and opportunity poverty for women, creating direct barriers to entering and advancing in the paid domestic and care sectors and segregating them into lower-status roles, and a systemic gender pay gap.Globally, women represent two-thirds of the health workforce yet earn on average 20 per cent less than men and remain underrepresented in leadership roles.The ILO’s Decent Work Country Programme (2023–27) identifies domestic, home-based, sanitation and nurses and community health workers as priority groups for enhanced rights and social protection, while promoting safe and gender-responsive workplaces across the economy.Geir Tonstol, Country Director for ILO Pakistan emphasized, “The ILO in Pakistan aims to transform care work into decent work, providing care workers with dignity, fair wages, and comprehensive social protection. As a pathfinder country to the Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection, Pakistan has the opportunity to leverage global partnerships and experience to scale up domestic investments — creating a virtuous cycle where decent jobs and stronger social protection foster more resilient economies and more just societies.”Through the ILO–OECD–WHO Working for Health (W4H) initiative, the ILO supports Pakistan’s efforts to integrate occupational safety and health (OSH) into healthcare regulations, improve working conditions, and build workforce capacity.Investing strategically in the care economy of Pakistan is essential for growth, equity, and gender equality — and it starts with the people who care for us. In the National Health Vision for Pakistan, the government pledges to raise health sector allocation to at least 3% of GDP by the next decade. This investment will help create safer workplaces, strengthen training, and retain quality healthcare professionals. The ILO together with the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (MoNHSR&C) is committed to developing a national OSH policy for the health sector to enhance worker safety and progress toward Universal Health Coverage.Building on this momentum, the ILO’s Promoting Rights and Social Inclusion (PRS) Project, supported by the Government of Japan, has strengthened voice and representation for domestic workers in Punjab. In 2025, the United Domestic Workers Federation was registered, representing domestic workers across the province.“The PRS Project has given voice and visibility to domestic workers in Punjab,” said Arooma Shahzad, General Secretary, United Domestic Workers Federation. “The registration of the Domestic Workers Employers Association and the development of a Code of Conduct for employers are concrete steps that show the commitment of the employers to sit down and open dialogue on this critical issue,” she added.To sustain progress in the care sector, Pakistan requires coordinated efforts and increased investment to transform the care economy. This means establishing minimum education and training requirements, ensuring access to lifelong learning, improving career pathways for new entrants while retaining experienced workers, guaranteeing fair wages, promoting safe and healthy working conditions, providing adequate rest periods, and extending comprehensive social protection, including maternity benefits and safeguards against excessive or non-standard work arrangements.The ILO’s 5R Framework aims to address unpaid care work by reducing, recognizing, and redistributing it, while also rewarding and representing care workers. Pakistan’s adoption of this framework will help protect workers’ rights and support sector growth.For further information please contact:Muhammad NumanCommunication OfficerEmail: numan@ilo.orgMobile: +92 303 5000041 

 THE SECRETARY-GENERALMESSAGE FOR UNITED NATIONS DAY24 October 2025  “We the peoples of the United Nations...”These are not just the opening words of the United Nations Charter – they define who we are.The United Nations is more than an institution.  It is a living promise – spanning borders, bridging continents, inspiring generations.For eighty years, we have worked to forge peace, tackle poverty and hunger, advance human rights, and build a more sustainable world – together.As we look ahead, we confront challenges of staggering scale: escalating conflicts, climate chaos, runaway technologies, and threats to the very fabric of our institution.This is no time for timidity or retreat. Now, more than ever, the world must recommit to solving problems no nation can solve alone.On this UN Day, let’s stand together and fulfil the extraordinary promise of your United Nations.Let’s show the world what is possible when “we the peoples” choose to act as one.  *** UNODCPRESS RELEASE Through EU funding, the Balochistan Criminal Justice leadership learned about the justice system in Ireland Islamabad, 24 October 2025 — A high-level delegation from Balochistan’s criminal justice institutions undertook a four-day study visit to Ireland (20–23 October 2025) to learn about criminal justice practices in Ireland and how coordination, accountability, and performance management could be strengthened across the province’s justice sector. The visit was organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Pakistan and facilitated by the Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI), through generous funding from the European Union under the ‘Deliver Justice Project’. The study visit aimed to provide senior decision-makers from Balochistan’s justice institutions with first-hand exposure to Ireland’s integrated criminal justice system, including its coordination mechanisms between police, prosecution, judiciary, the prison and probation services. Participants explored how data-driven management and evidence-based policies , strategic planning, and public accountability contribute to strengthening the rule of law and enhancing citizen trust in justice institutions. The delegation included senior representatives from the Balochistan High Court, Home Department, Police, Prosecution, Prisons, Reclamation and Probation, and Women Development Departments. During the visit, delegates engaged with senior officials from key Irish institutions, including An Garda Síochána (the national police service), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Courts Service, the Legal Aid Board, and the Irish Prison and Probation Services. The programme also featured briefings at the Law Society of Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs, to explore the evolution of Ireland’s justice system. Speaking about the visit, Justice Rozi Khan, Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in advancing justice reform. “This visit has provided valuable insight into how institutions can work together to deliver justice more effectively and transparently,” he said. Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Government of Balochistan, reinforced the benefits of the study tour and said, “In our pursuit of effective governance, we can draw valuable lessons from Ireland's remarkable reforms in rule of law and criminal justice. As a common law country, Ireland's experiences can inform our efforts to build a more effective and citizen-centric justice system in Balochistan.” Úna Kelly, First Secretary for the Rule of Law at the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan noted the commonalities in the justice systems between Ireland and Pakistan.  She mentioned that the study visit had exposed the senior justice officials of Balochistan to core parts of the Irish criminal justice chain including ensuring human rights in all aspects of the system. It had also exposed the participants to the contribution of civil society organisations in helping the Irish authorities address some of the many challenges around crime and ultimately ensuring safer societies. The study visit exemplifies how global exchange, international cooperation and peer learning can help local institutions translate shared values of fairness, accountability, and integrity into concrete results for communities in Balochistan. ******* About the Deliver Justice Project The 20 Million Euro  “Deliver Justice Project” aims to support reform processes to ensure the delivery of people-centered justice, enhance access to justice for all, particularly women and less privileged groups, and improve service delivery of the security sector in line with constitutional safeguards and international standards in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The programme is funded by the EU and jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). For media enquiries, please contact:Ms Rizwana Rahoolrizwana.rahool@un.org📞 +92-51-2601468

Family-oriented event at Alhamra Lahore to mark 80th anniversary of creation of UN and shared history with PakistanISLAMABAD, October 22, 2025 – This Saturday, the United Nations in Pakistan is inviting the public to join a family-oriented event that will celebrate “UN Day” and the 80th anniversary of the United Nations at Alhamra Arts Council on Mall Road in Lahore on Saturday 25th afternoon.UN Day in Lahore will feature free live performances by Pakistani artists, including Farhan Saeed, Urooj Fatima, Ali Ashraf ft. Dastaan, and Nazakat Ali Shad. A Career Booth will help people learn how they can apply for a career at the UN, with UN Human Resources teams sharing tips and advice. At a ‘UN Market Place’, the public will meet the teams of 22 UN agencies operating in Pakistan, and learn about their activities. An exhibition will feature the common history between the UN and Pakistan. Fun activities for children, selfie corners, food stalls and giveaways will also be featured. The doors of this family-oriented event will open at 3:00 pm; entry is free. Last year the UN celebrated UN Day in Islamabad; the annual event is expected to take place in a different city every year.This year is special as the UN is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a plan for change -- “Building Our Future Together” -- that focuses on global cooperation to address challenges such as climate change, inequality, and conflict.“Over the past 80 years, the UN has led the way to some of humanity’ greatest triumphs with the support of Member States, including Pakistan,” said Mohamed Yahya, UN Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator. “The tests of the next 80 years will be both familiar – the fight against the scourges of war, hunger, and poverty –  and new – climate change, which is already hitting Pakistan hard, artificial intelligence, increasingly lethal weapons, and things we have not imagined yet. To meet these challenges, and realize the universal aspiration to peace, prosperity, and happiness, we need to remember one thing: the only way forward is together. This is what we will celebrate in Lahore this Saturday.”During this week, UN staff is also organizing public service activities in the four provinces to support their local communities in honour of United Nations Day, which reaffirms the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Every year, it commemorates the ratification of the UN Charter by Member States on 24 October 1945. Pakistan joined the UN two years later.The country is currently serving its eighth term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and is one of the longest-serving and largest contributors to UN peacekeeping throughout the world. Several Pakistanis were instrumental to the development of the UN and of its values. As UN delegates, Begum Shaista Ikramullah and Ahmad Shah Bokhari supported the drafting of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the creation of the UN agency for children (UNICEF) respectively. Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq created the Human Development Index, and Dr. Nafis Sadik was the first woman to lead one of the UN’s major voluntarily funded programmes.There are 23 UN institutions based in Pakistan, with 266 offices across the country. They support the Government and people to bring about progress for all – better access to quality basic services, gender equality and women’s empowerment, climate action, economic growth and decent employment, and a more efficient governance. Note to editors:
The UN agencies working in Pakistan are FAO, IFAD, ILO, IOM, ITC, OCHA, UN-HABITAT, UN WOMEN, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIC, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNODC, UNOPS, UNV, WFP and WHO. They work together in support of five priorities agreed between the UN and Pakistan, and to help achieve the 17 Global Goals (SDGs) to end extreme poverty, inequality, and mitigate climate change. You can follow the UN in Pakistan onFacebook: UnitedNationsPakistan
Instagram: @uninpak
TikTok: @uninpak
Twitter: @UNinPak For more information, please contact:United Nations Information Centre in Pakistan (UNIC)Catherine Weibel, catherine.weibel@un.org, +92 300 854 0058Mahvash Ali, mahvash.ali@un.org, +92 319 071 2828Kainat Afridi, kainat.afridi@un.org, +92 300 856 9761  

THE SECRETARY-GENERALMESSAGE FOR WORLD STATISTICS DAY20 October 2025 World Statistics Day is an occasion marked once every five years to spotlight the vital role of statistics in helping to address the challenges of our time.The Sustainable Development Goals have helped transform statistical systems and increase the availability of data.  In times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, statistical systems proved their resilience, delivering the data that guided life-saving decisions as well as social and economic recovery. As we confront increasingly inter-connected global challenges – from climate change to rising inequalities – timely, accurate, disaggregated, and independent data has never been more essential. This year’s observance reaffirms our commitment to the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics: impartiality, professionalism, and commitment to scientific principles and professional ethics.  Citizens everywhere deserve trustworthy data to inform public policy and strengthen accountability.Let us use this day to champion the power of data in advancing sustainable development for all. ***FAOPRESS RELEASE FAO and the Government of Balochistan Celebrate World Food Day 2025 with the Inauguration of 400 FAO Constructed Animal SheltersQuetta – Oct 17, 2025: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), in collaboration with the Government of Balochistan, commemorated World Food Day (WFD) 2025 – “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future” by celebrating the construction of 99 Climate-Adaptive and 300 Emergency Animal Shelters across the province.The inauguration underscored FAO’s collaboration with the European Union, the Government of Japan and the Government of Balochistan to promote climate-adaptive and sustainable livestock systems that improve productivity and strengthen rural livelihoods — echoing the spirit of World Food Day 2025 in building a more food-secure future.To mark the occasion, the inauguration of the Climate-Adaptive Animal Shelter in Killi Gul Muhammad, Quetta was held, and was jointly led by Mr. Tayyab Lehri, Secretary, Livestock and Dairy Development Department, and Mr. Waleed Mahdi, Head of Office, FAO Balochistan, in the presence of Dr. Farooq Tareen, Director General Livestock, agriculture and livestock officers, and community members.Mr. Tayyab Lehri, Secretary, Livestock and Dairy Development Department, and chief guest of the event, said, “Livestock is the backbone of Balochistan’s rural economy, and the Government greatly values the partnership with FAO and the European Union in building resilience at the community level. As we mark World Food Day 2025, these climate-adaptive shelters stand as a testament to our joint efforts to safeguard animal health and productivity while enhancing farmers’ capacity to cope with climate shocks.”Mr. Waleed Mehdi, Head of Office, FAO Balochistan remarked, “As we commemorate World Food Day 2025, FAO reaffirms its dedication to building climate resilience, enhancing animal husbandry practices, and promoting inclusive and sustainable livestock systems. Together with the European Union and the Government of Balochistan, we are working toward a more secure and sustainable future for our livestock-dependent communities.”Through the generous funding of the European Union (EU), FAO under the Revival of Balochistan Water Resources Programme (RBWRP) has provided livestock extension services to equip farmers with technical guidance on animal husbandry, nutrition, and health management. The programme has supported 490 farming households with high-quality fodder seeds covering 1,700 acres and distributed over 100,000 fruit and fodder plants across target districts to enhance feed security and promote ecosystem restoration. It has also introduced modern livestock and farm tools — including veterinary ultrasound machines, weighing scales, egg incubators, butter churners, electric shearing machines, weaving looms, and improved fodder varieties — enabling communities to protect their animals, boost productivity, and strengthen resilience against climate shocks.FAO, the European Union, and the Government of Balochistan, under the recently concluded Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) project, jointly facilitated large-scale deworming and vaccination campaigns for over 384,000 small ruminants, benefiting 4,000 farmers, including 1,000 women. The project also supported value addition and agribusiness development in the livestock and horticulture sectors by equipping farmers and entrepreneurs with modern technologies such as cabinet dryers for grapes, automatic date-pitting machines, and onion graders to enhance processing, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve rural incomes.The RBWRP represents a transformative model for climate-resilient agriculture in Balochistan — restoring traditional water systems, improving rangeland and livestock productivity, and empowering rural communities to build sustainable, low water use economy for food-secure futures. Its interventions include the rehabilitation of traditional Karez and spate irrigation systems, construction of climate-adaptive and emergency animal shelters, promotion of sustainable rangeland and watershed management, and capacity building through Farmer Field Schools — collectively enhancing water availability, crop productivity, and animal health to help communities adapt to climate shocks. UNDPPRESS RELEASE Pakistan’s first National Judicial Educators Conference convenes judicial academies & key stakeholders from across the countryIslamabad, 11 October 2025 – In a landmark step to advance judicial education in Pakistan, the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the European Union (EU) under the Deliver Justice Project, convened the country’s first-ever National Judicial Educators Conference in Islamabad.The two-day conference brought together 37 judicial educators from across the country, creating Pakistan’s first dedicated platform that aims to promote excellence in judicial education at both national and provincial levels.In the opening ceremony, the Honorable Chief Justice of the High Court of Balochistan, Justice Rozi Khan Barrech, emphasized the significance of this platform, “This National Judicial Educators Conference provides an important platform to strengthen coordination among the academies, share experiences, and devise a collective vision for the future of judicial training in Pakistan. I expect consensus from the learned participants to develop a plan for stronger, more effective, and more coordinated judicial academies across our country. Balochistan will be the first province to implement the same.”Over two days of in-depth discussions, participants exchanged ideas, shared challenges, and explored innovative approaches to make judicial education more responsive to the country’s justice system and needs. The deliberations culminated in the adoption of a joint action plan to modernize training practices and strengthen institutions that deliver justice.Speaking on the occasion, the Director General of the Federal Judicial Academy, Mr. Hayat Ali Shah, underscored the importance of judicial education, “Judicial education is not a leisure; it is a necessity. Supervision may secure compliance, but education inspires conviction. If we truly wish to transform perception into respect, and compliance into conscience, we must redefine, restructure, and recommit ourselves to the true spirit of judicial education — embracing its full scope, despite its limitations.”Mr. Kaiser Ishaque, Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan, highlighted the broader vision of the partnership. “At UNDP, we believe capacity building is as much about strengthening institutions as it is about empowering individuals. When institutions grow more resilient, their impact becomes more sustainable, and justice reaches the people who need it most.” He thanked the FJA, provincial judicial academies, high courts, and the EU for their partnership and funding to UNDP in advancing the rule of law through the Deliver Justice Project.The conference was concluded by Honorable Mr. Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, Judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan, and Advisor to the Board of Governors, FJA of the Federal Judicial Academy. His Lordship highlighted, “Judicial education must evolve in tandem with the demands of justice. As educators and judges, we bear the responsibility to ensure that learning within our institutions translates into fairness, empathy, and excellence in our courts. This Conference marks not just a gathering of educators, but a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to justice that is informed, independent, and inclusive.” He also commended the collaborative efforts of FJA, provincial judicial academies, and development partners - UNDP and the EU - in elevating the standards of judicial learning nationwide.The two-day conference ended with a Declaration on Judicial Education, a collective pledge by all judicial academies to work together, exchange knowledge, and build stronger, more inclusive justice institutions in Pakistan. Contact Details: For additional information, please contact: Fizza Bangash at fizza.bangash@undp.org or +92 (51) 835 5631About the Deliver Justice Project:The 20 Million Euro  “Deliver Justice Programme”, is funded by the European Union and aims to support reform processes to ensure the delivery of people-centered justice, enhance access to justice for all, particularly women and less privileged groups, and improve service delivery of the security sector in line with constitutional safeguards and international standards in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including the Merged Districts and Balochistan. The programme is funded by the EU and jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).The UNDP Rule of Law Programme is implementing a range of interventions to enhance security and justice sector governance in Pakistan.About UNDP:UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.Learn more at undp.org.