Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 6 March 2024

ILO

MEDIA ADVISORY

Brown Bag Lunch: Towards a more inclusive world of work without violence and harassment

When: Thursday, 07 February 2024, at 12:00 p.m

Where: ILO Building, Near State Bank, G-5/2, Islamabad.

What: The International Labour Organization cordially invites you to a panel discussion to learn about the challenges of violence and harassment in the world of work and to examine how laws and policy measures are required to shape a future of work based on dignity and respect for all.

The session will provide a platform for knowledge-sharing among stakeholders from government, social partners, civil society, development partners, and gender equality experts on effective ways to make workplaces more inclusive.

Who:

• Romina Khurshid Alam, Member of the National Assembly, PML-N
• Reem Sharif, Deputy Director, Transgender Protection Centre, Ministry of Human Rights
• Tayyba Abbasi, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan
• ASP Kainat Azhar Khan, Police Officer
• Ishtiak Chaudhry, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan and Human Rights Activist

For information contact:

Muhammad Numan

Communication Officer

Email: numan@ilo.org

Mobile: +92 303 5000041

Background:

Discrimination, violence, and harassment perpetuate inequalities in the world of work. The ILO has established a global standard aimed at ending violence and harassment in the world of work.

Convention No 190 is the first international treaty to recognize the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.

UNICEF

PRESS RELEASE

ADB and UNICEF join hands to strengthen climate resilient water and sanitation services in two major cities of Pakistan

New partnership will benefit up to 1.5 million people

Islamabad, Pakistan, 6 March 2024 — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today signed a Letter of Understanding (LOU) to collaborate on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and solid waste management interventions under an ADB-funded project in the cities of Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur in Punjab province of Pakistan.  

The agreement was signed by Yong Ye, ADB Country Director for Pakistan, and Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF’s Representative in Pakistan, at UNICEF’s Pakistan office in Islamabad.

“ADB and UNICEF are joining forces and renewing our shared commitment to strengthen policy, legislative framework, and institutional capacity in municipal service delivery, this time to improve the quality, coverage, and reliability of urban services under the Developing Resilient Environments and Advancing Municipal Services (DREAMS) Project,” said Mr. Ye. “The collaboration will enable us to support the government’s efforts to address water supply and solid waste management challenges in these two important and rapidly growing cities.”  

Under the new partnership, ADB and UNICEF will collaborate to support inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban infrastructure and services in Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur through public awareness and communication campaigns that will improve behaviours and practices related to water, sanitation, and solid waste management.  

The understanding reached between ADB and UNICEF Pakistan offices will help promote sustainable, inclusive, and low carbon municipal services that will benefit up to 1.5 million urban dwellers in the two cities of Punjab, the most populous province of the country.  

“Signing of this agreement further strengthens the existing collaboration between ADB and UNICEF in Pakistan,” said Mr. Fadil. “Both organisations are committed to leveraging collective expertise and knowledge to help increase equitable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and to reduce vulnerability of citizens, especially children and women, to growing climate change and environmental degradation.” 

The close synergies between ADB’s DREAMS project and UNICEF's WASH program present a significant opportunity to enhance the impact of the programs, ultimately leading to positive outcomes in water, sanitation, and hygiene that will benefit communities in Pakistan. The agreement will also pave the way for collaboration in future phases of the DREAMS project and other projects in Pakistan.  

This is the second formal agreement between the two organisations at the country level, following the collaboration to procure emergency medical supplies and equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region. 

About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

For more information about UNICEF’s work for children in Pakistan, visit www.unicef.org/pakistan.

Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About ADB
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. It assists its members and partners by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development.

For more information about ADB’s work for children in Pakistan, visit www.adb.org/pakistan.

Follow ADB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

For further information, please contact:

Helen Wylie

Communication Manager – UNICEF

hwylie@unicef.org

M. Ismail Khan

Senior Communication Officer – ADB Pakistan

+92-51-2087326

+92-301-8554764

Email: mikhan@adb.org