Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 28 June 2022

UNHABITAT

PRESS RELEASE

MoU signed between Government of Pakistan and Korea Land and Housing Corporation for sustainable urban development in Pakistan through emission reduction activities under the framework of the Paris Agreement

Korea Land and Housing Corporation signed MoU with Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan to support sustainable urban development in Pakistan through emission reduction activities under the framework of the Paris Agreement. Signing ceremony was held in Katowice, Poland at the sidelines of World Urban Forum 11 on June 28, 2022. MoU was signed by Mr. Muhammad Jaffar, Charge d’ Affairs of Pakistan Embassy, Poland and Mr. Shin, Koung Choul, Vice President.

The MoU aims to implement interventions for GHG emission reduction and improved living environment in the urban areas in Pakistan in order to contribute to improving the quality of life of the residents and sustainable development of Pakistan. Korea Land and Housing Corporation will establish implementation plans for GHG emission reduction and improved living environment in urban areas of Pakistan. Ministry of Climate Change will prepare measures and policies to support and facilitate for GHG emission reduction in Urban Areas of Pakistan by including communications between Korea Land and Housing Corporation, municipalities, local governments, communities and residents

Mr. Muhammad Jaffar appreciated the Korean government who is faithfully fulfilling the Paris Agreement to set itself onto a sustainable, low-carbon path. He added that In order to make urbanization sustainable, our urban areas need to be visualized as a part of the socially transformed spatial regions, which requires inclusiveness, competitiveness, building safer cities and promoting energy efficient utilization of resources. Pakistan has devised a three prong strategy to reduce GHG emissions, focusing on overall environmental surroundings, houses and transportation.  This strategy includes flagship initiatives of Clean Green Pakistan Movement, Greening of Building Sector, and National Electric Policy.

UNICEF

PRESS RELEASE

Staggering scale of grave violations against children in conflict revealed in new UNICEF analysis

Between 2016 and 2020, average of 71 verified grave violations against children every day

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 28 June 2022 – Between 2005 and 2020, the United Nations verified over 266,000 grave violations against children committed by parties to conflict in more than 30 conflict situations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, UNICEF said today in a new report[1].  This figure is a fraction of the violations believed to have occurred, as access and security constraints, among others, and the shame, pain, and fear that child and family survivors suffer often hamper the reporting, documentation and verification of grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict.

The report – 25 years of children and armed conflict: Taking action to protect children in war – found that between 2005 and 2020 more than 104,100 children have been verified as killed or maimed in situations of armed conflict; more than 93,000 children have been verified as recruited and used by parties to conflict; at least 25,700 children have been verified as abducted by parties to conflict; parties to conflict have raped, forcibly married, sexually exploited, and committed other grave forms of sexual violence against at least 14,200 children. The United Nations verified more than 13,900 incidents of attacks against schools and hospitals and verified no fewer than 14,900 incidents of denial of humanitarian access for children since 2005.

“This report lays out in the starkest possible terms the world’s failure to protect its children from grave violations during times of armed conflict,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Grave violations devastate children, families, and communities – and they tear at the fabric of society, making it even harder to restore and sustain peace, security, and stability. We must refuse to accept violations against children as an unavoidable outcome of war.”

Based on sixteen years of data from the Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, the report illustrates the impact that armed conflicts have had on children, by presenting trends of grave violations across the world and over time. The report examines how information on the documented patterns of grave violations is being used to respond to children’s needs and how engagement with parties to conflict – State and non-State actors alike[2]– enables ending and preventing grave violations.

The annual number of verified violations has gradually increased since 2005[3], surpassing 20,000 in a year for the first time in 2014 and reaching 26,425 in 2020. Between 2016 and 2020, the daily global average of verified grave violations stood at an alarming 71 violations. The elevated number of violations observed in recent years demonstrates the dramatic impact that armed conflict – and increasingly complex and protracted protection crises[4] – have on children.

The report notes that many children suffer from more than one violation, increasing their vulnerability. For example, abduction is often combined with or leads to other violations, particularly recruitment and use and sexual violence. Children – especially girls – who have been abducted and/or associated with parties to conflict are exposed to elevated risks of sexual violence, including rape, sexual exploitation and forced marriage.

The report found that grave violations against children were committed by all parties to conflict, States and non-State actors alike. Between 2016 and 2020, State actors – including national and international forces and coalitions – were responsible for at least 26% of all violations. In comparison, non-State actors accounted for about 58% of all verified violations, underscoring the importance of engagement with all parties to conflict, including non-state actors, to meaningfully end and prevent violations against children.

In order to bolster accountability, parties to conflict listed in the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict develop and implement Action Plans with specific, concrete, and time-bound actions to establish sustainable measures to protect children from the impact of conflict. Between 2005 and 2021, a total of 37 Action Plans have been signed by parties to conflict in 17 conflict situations. Around 70 per cent of Action Plans were signed with non-State actors, with the remaining 30 per cent signed with State actors. The report lays out several examples highlighting the critical value and impact of Action Plans in bringing about positive change for children, both in the immediate and long terms, as well as outlining challenges and obstacles.

The ever-growing number of armed non-State actors, the development and employment of new means and methods of warfare, the use of improvised explosive devices and other explosive weapons, particularly in populated areas, are just some of the many factors contributing to the creation of unprecedented challenges for the protection of children in situations of armed conflict.

The report also found:

·       Children from poorer backgrounds and children of specific status or characteristics[5]  – including refugee, internally displaced and indigenous children, among others – remain at heightened risk of grave violations.

·       Available sex-disaggregated data indicates that verified incidents of grave violations have predominantly affected boys. [6]For instance, in 2020, boys accounted for 73 per cent of all child victims, with the vast majority of child victims of recruitment and use (85 per cent boys), abduction (76 per cent boys) and killing and maiming (70 per cent boys) being boys. In comparison, girls accounted for one-fourth (26 per cent) of all child victims, including 98 per cent of child victims of rape and other grave forms of sexual violence.

·       Between 2016 and 2020, 79 per cent of all verified child casualties – or about 41,900 children – occurred in only five situations: Afghanistan (30 per cent), Israel and the State of Palestine (14 per cent), Syria (13 per cent), Yemen (13 per cent) and Somalia (9 per cent).

·       The use of explosive weapons, particularly in populated areas and those with wide area effect, are a persistent threat to children and their families. In 2020 alone, explosive weapons and explosive remnants of war were responsible for at least 47 per cent of all child casualties, resulting in more than 3,900 children killed and maimed.

It is important to note that the increase in verified violations over time also underscores the increasing strength of the monitoring and reporting mechanism over the years. The development of guidance on monitoring and reporting, the training and capacity building of UN and its partners’ staff on documenting grave violations, and the awareness raising of families and communities on the protection risks for children, have all contributed to strengthen the mechanism and enabled it to collect increased information on grave violations against children.

Whilst the overall ability of the United Nations to document and verify incidents of grave violations has increased over time, it has fluctuated from one year to another, from one situation to another, and from one violation to another. In this regard, and based on all of the above, direct comparisons between situations, years, or violations should be undertaken with caution.

“UNICEF and our partners will not waver in our work to prevent grave violations against children,” said Russell. “With more children affected by conflict, violence, and crises now than at any time since the Second World War, this work has never been more urgent.” 

The report recommendations, based on the evidence and analysis presented, aim to mobilize all concerned stakeholders, including parties to conflict, States, and the UN Security Council, to effectively and sustainably protect children and to accelerate action at local, national, regional, and global levels.

In addition to calling on parties to conflict, and states, to abide by their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, the report includes recommendations on:

·       how to better provide adequate care and response services to children affected by conflict,

·       ways to improve data disaggregation and analysis for better response and prevention,

·       how to support Country Task Forces on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMRs) to accelerate action, and improve CTFMR engagement with governments;

·       ways to better engage with parties to conflict to develop Action Plans and sustainably protect children.

#####

Notes to editors:

Full report and multimedia materials available here.

Find out more about UNICEF's work in Ukraine here.

ABOUT UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org   

Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

For more information please contact:

Sara Alhattab, UNICEF New York, +1 917 957 6536, salhattab@unicef.org  

UNODC

MEDIA ADVISORY

Launch of the World Drug Report 2022

Wednesday 29 June 2022, 11:45 hrs at Crystal Ball Room Marriott Hotel, Islamabad

28 June 2022, Islamabad – UNODC Country Office Pakistan together with the Government of Pakistan is launching World Drug Report 2022 on Wednesday 29 June 2022 at Crystal Ball Room, Marriot Hotel Islamabad.

Dr Jeremy Milsom Country Representative UNODC shall unveil the four priority areas on Country Programme which will be much more innovative and will better integrate and synergize all thematic areas at national, regional, and global level.

Federal Minister for Narcotics Control, Honourable Nawabzada Shazain Bugti has kindly consented to be the Chief Guest of the World Drug Report launch ceremony. The launch will be co-chaired by Federal Secretary Ms Humaira Ahmed and attended by counterparts, senior government officials, international community, representatives of private-sector associations, development partners, Academia, Ambassadors, Diplomats, and colleagues from UN agencies.

You are cordially invited to do the coverage and attend the World Drug Report Launch 2022 on Wednesday 29 June 2022, 11:45 hrs at Crystal Ball Room Marriott Hotel, Islamabad followed by lunch

For further information or media enquiries please contact:

Ms Rizwana Rahool, Communication Officer; Email: rizwana.asad@un.org , Cell: 03018564255.

UNIDO

PRESS RELEASE

UNIDO together with the public and private partners recognizes and celebrates the Micro, Small, & Medium-sized Enterprise’s contributions in the Sustainable Development

Islamabad (27 June 2022), The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) organized a commemoration of Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day to recognize the MSMEs' contribution to the economic growth and sustainable development in Pakistan, and to identify synergies with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Additional Secretary of Ministry of Industries and Production, Govt of Pakistan, Mr. Iftikhar Ali Sahoo who was the Chief Guest of the event commended the contribution of UNIDO in strengthening the MSMEs in Pakistan and shared his remarks saying “SMEs play a pivotal role in the high-income sector. The Government of Pakistan’s SME policy is comprehensive, conducive, and user-friendly. UNIDO’s Country program is very much aligned with the national objectives. UNIDO has developed a valuable partnership with NRSP to strengthen and improve the incomes of the rural communities.” With this, he also extended a special thanks to UNIDO for developing this very important sector.

Earlier, opening the ceremony, Ms. Nadia Aftab, UNIDO Country Representative, extended appreciation to the guests and said, “the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution, in April 2017, recognizing the crucial role MSMEs play in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. She highlighted the COVID impact and said "Pakistan has managed the COVID-19 pandemic remarkably well as compared to other countries in the world. However, MSMEs are still in dire need of support for the enhancement of their business portfolios".  She re-iterated "UNIDO is geared and focused on spurring innovation, creativity, and decent work for all so that this sector would flourish as well”. She also underscored UNIDO’s mandate of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID) which implies that no one is left behind and all parts of society benefit from industrial progress, which also provides the means for tackling critical social and humanitarian needs.

The event featured detailed presentations on the results achieved by UNIDO Pakistan from a series of successful projects supporting the MSMEs through the years, and an overview of Renewable Energy Investment Projects Support for Small Businesses and Micro Enterprises funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This was followed up by special remarks by Dr. Rashid Bajwa, CEO of NRSP in which he presented the partnership of UNIDO with NRSP and its impacts which showed improved lives of smallholder farmers and micro-enterprises especially woman-owned small businesses.

The event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Industries and Production, Ministry of Climate Change, national and international development organizations, Microfinance banks, and academia. The participants appreciated the efforts of UNIDO on MSME's development initiatives.

UNIDO is a specialized agency of the United Nations focusing on inclusive and sustainable industrial development in the developing world. UNIDO works on different projects which are directly or indirectly related to inclusive and sustainable industrial development, Climate Change, Trade, etc. In all projects where UNIDO provides technical assistance, it is ensured that the project is sustainable and adaptable for the private sector.  UNIDO is fully working on its theme of ISID (Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development) which refers active participation of women along with men in all aspects of Inclusive and Sustainable industrial development. For more information, please visit the website https://www.unido.org

 For more information contact

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)

Phone: +92-51-835-4812

Fax: +92-51-835-4800

Email: a.nasimkhan@unido.org