Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 7 December 2020

UNDP

PRESS RELEASE

UNDP and Unilever Pakistan to work together to make Rahim Yar Khan a Zero Plastic Waste City

Islamabad, 7 December  2020— UNDP Pakistan and Unilever Pakistan announced their partnership today to test solutions in an effort to minimize plastic waste in Rahim Yar Khan city.

Through this partnership, Unilever and UNDP will work together to enable the plastic waste management ecosystem in Rahim Yar Khan. This initiative will test solutions to reduce plastic waste, and potentially turn waste into resource. The key goal is to create a circular economy system for plastics waste management in Pakistan— by testing new economic models, industrial, and consumer behavior, policy shift and, engaging private sector, and other non-traditional partners.

A virtual event was held today to commemorate this partnership. Present at the event were Ms. Aliona Niculita, Resident Representative a.i., UNDP Pakistan; Mr. Amanullah Khan, Assistant Resident Representative, and Head of Environment and Climate Change Unit (ECCU), UNDP Pakistan; and Mr. Amir Paracha, CEO Unilever Pakistan Ltd, along with relevant representatives of UNDP Pakistan, Unilever Pakistan Ltd, and local government of Rahim Yar Khan City.

Rahim Yar Khan city is home to Unilever’s first and largest factory in Pakistan, and is of key strategic importance to the company’s national footprint. Unilever recently announced a multipronged ambition to reduce its plastic footprint and to play its role towards a circular economy. The company has pledged to collect more plastic than it sells as part of its environmental responsibility.

This vision is also inline of UNDP’s global commitment to work with governments worldwide on business solutions for waste management. UNDP Pakistan is part of the regional cohort of five Countries (Pakistan, Maldives, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Philippines) that are working on the challenge of plastic waste management with the Regional Innovation Center in Bangkok. UNDP is also a regional partner to Unilever, and has been actively engaging with the company on its plastics waste management agenda.

“UNDP is committed to promote public private partnership  through innovative solutions to tackle complex development challenges,” stated Ms. Aliona Niculita, Resident Representative a.i. UNDP Pakistan. “UNDP’s plastic waste management portfolio is building a movement towards creating a circular economy for plastics in Pakistan. Through our partnership with Unilever Pakistan, we are working on creating innovative business solutions to turn waste into resource.”

Amir Paracha, Chairman & CEO, Unilever Pakistan added “Unilever has been a part of Pakistan since 1948, and we started that journey in the city of Rahim Yar Khan seven decades ago. This initiative is a means of giving back to our home city and to provide an economic model that can then be replicated across our country. We are confident that this partnership will identify a solution that will not only reduce plastic waste but also provide an opportunity for livelihoods to thousands of people across the country.”

The results from testing these solutions will provide field-tested and holistic insights on effective solutions to develop a larger programme and policy on plastic waste and circular economy.

For additional information, please contact

Ayesha Babar at ayesha.babar@undp.org  or +92 (51) 835 5650

Hussain Ali Talib at Hussain.Talib@unilever.com or  +92 301 8229546

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 UNDP

PRESS RELEASE

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and UNDP start week-long public awareness on human rights ahead of International Human Rights Day 2020

Peshawar, December 7, 2020—The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa together with UNDP Pakistan celebrated International Human Rights Day in Peshawar, under the slogan “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stands for Human Rights and Inclusive Recovery”. Due to recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the event was attended by limited number of people who strictly observed all SOPs.

The objective of the event was to raise public awareness on human rights principles and Pakistan’s national and international commitments of human rights, particularly the rights of marginalized communities including women, people with disabilities and transgender persons who have faced additional rights-based challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the event Mr. Masood Ahmad, Secretary for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said: “The Provincial Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is taking all possible measures to ensure human rights of its citizens are protected, especially those who are vulnerable and marginalized”. He further said, that “although International Human Rights Day is celebrated on 10th December each year, we in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are taking the opportunity to observe and celebrate human rights progress and International Human Rights Day for the entirety of this week”.

UNDP’s Representative Mr. Ejaz Mustafa congratulated the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on their ongoing commitment to the protection, promotion and enforcement of human rights, of all those living in the province, while recognizing the emerging rights-based challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He iterated  that “UNDP looks forward to continued collaboration with the Department of Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, including support to strengthening human rights policy implementation at all levels of governance, coordination and collection of human rights data and implementation of the Business and Human Rights National Action Plan.” 

Secretary Masood Ahmed and representatives of the Social Welfare Department jointly distributed relief packages to the transgender community whose incomes were affected by the prevailing COVID-19 crisis. In the current situation, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with facilitation from UNDP has taken several steps to ensure the protection and promotion of the rights of vulnerable populations who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic i.e. women, children, transgender persons and persons with disabilities.

For additional information, please contact Ayesha Babar at ayesha.babar@undp.org  or +92 (51) 835 5650