Forty years into the HIV epidemic, AIDS remains the leading cause of death of women of reproductive age – UNAIDS calls for bold action
Geneva, March 05, 2020 (PPI-OT): Ahead of International Women’s Day, UNAIDS has launched a new report showing that the stark inequalities and inequities between men and women are continuing to make women and girls more vulnerable to HIV. We’ve got the power urges governments to do more to empower women and girls and fulfil their human rights. “The HIV epidemic holds a mirror up to the inequalities and injustices faced by women and girls and how the gaps in rights and services are exacerbating the epidemic,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “This is unacceptable, it is avoidable…
Government of Sindh launches a counter-terrorism project in collaboration with the European Union and UNODC
Islamabad, February 27, 2020 (PPI-OT): In their resolve to support the efforts of Government of Sindh to counter the threats of terrorism, the European Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Office Pakistan, have launched a 18 months technical assistance programme to strengthen the criminal justice to terrorism with a specific reference to Sindh Province. The project will improve the investigative processes and promote the use of forensic evidence during the prosecution stages of terrorism related cases. It will also strengthen the co-ordination between Sindh Province including Police, Prosecution and Judiciary while enhancing information…
Pakistan and FAO to join hands to fight the Desert Locust emergency
Islamabad, February 27, 2020 (PPI-OT): FAO representative in Pakistan Mina Dowlatchahi met Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar in Islamabad today following the first national locust coordination meeting on Friday. The discussion focused on better understanding of unusual behaviour of the locust in Punjab, options for chemical and biological control measures and locust surveillance system being introduced by FAO. Mina Dowlatchahi, FAO Representative in Pakistan said that FAO as a neutral coordinator is organizing a meeting of locust affected countries in the region including Pakistan, India, Iran and Afghanistan next month. Federal Minister, Khusro…
43 prison facilities in Punjab automated by UNODC with INL funding
Lahore, February 25, 2020 (PPI-OT):The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) jointly handed over the formal control and implementation of the Prison Management Information System (PMIS) to the Punjab Prisons Department, Government of the Punjab through a special ceremony in Lahore. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Zawar Hussain Warraich, Minister for Prisons, Punjab hailed the automation of prison records as a breakthrough in prison administration across the entire chain of prisons in Punjab. He appreciated the support from UNODC and INL that went beyond the provision of…
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government committed to accelerate actions for the implementation of Women Empowerment Policy 2017
Peshawar, February 18, 2020 (PPI-OT):The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is striving to improve the implementation of its Women Empowerment Policy, which was developed and approved in 2017 for creating an inclusive and enabling environment for the women of KP. The policy has identified social, economic, political and legal empowerment including access to justice as key areas for the provincial government to work on for enhancing the role of women in society. The measures taken by the government will contribute towards ending gender disparities in the province and help achieve the targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. “KP’s…
The Secretary-General’s remarks to Press
Kartarpur, February 18, 2020 (PPI-OT):This is a very emotional moment - and I cannot be here without having a very strong feeling. It is wonderful to see interfaith dialogue. It is wonderful to see in the same shrine today Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, maybe Hindus - all worshipping in harmony and in peace. This is the best symbol that we can give for a world in peace and for a world in which there is mutual respect and there is the acceptance of what is different - recognizing that diversity is a blessing, is a richness, not a threat.…
The Secretary-General’s remarks on Future Challenges to Global Peace: The Role of the United Nations Vis-a-Vis A4P
Islamabad, February 18, 2020 (PPI-OT):Rector, Dear Members of the Faculty, Dear students, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to ask you to join me in paying tribute to the heroic 157 Pakistani peacekeepers that sacrificed their lives to protect the lives of some of the most vulnerable populations in the world. So, I would ask you please to join me in a moment of silence. Thank you. I am very proud to be a colleague of theirs. It is a great pleasure and an honour for me to be here in the Centre for International Peace…
Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with Mr. Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan
Islamabad, February 18, 2020 (PPI-OT):The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Arif Alvi, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Secretary-General thanked Pakistan for its support to the United Nations. The Secretary-General reiterated the UN’s commitment to support the country’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. They exchanged views on regional developments. For more information, contact: National Information Officer United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Islamabad, Pakistan Tel: +92-51-8355720 Cell: +92-300-8553790 Email: ishrat.rizvi@unic.org
The Secretary-General remarks to the High-Level Segment of the International Conference on 40 Years of Hosting Afghan Refugees in Pakistan: A New Partnership for Solidarity
Islamabad, February 17, 2020 (PPI-OT): As-salam alaikum. We come together to recognize a remarkable story of solidarity and compassion. It is important to do so for many reasons, not least because it is a story that is sorely lacking in much of our world today. For forty years, the people of Afghanistan have faced successive crises. For forty years, the people of Pakistan have responded with solidarity. That generosity now spans across decades and generations. This is the world’s largest protracted refugee situation in recorded history. This is also a story that is…