ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed Pakistan’s firm commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The prime minister, in a meeting with the UN Resident Coordinator Julien Harneis, highlighted that Pakistan had been contributing actively to the work of the UN, especially in the areas of peacekeeping, humanitarian action, climate change, and international cooperation for sustainable development.
Various areas of UN’s work and cooperation with Pakistan were discussed during the meeting including the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, flood relief, food security, and ecosystem restoration.
The prime minister appreciated the significant role played by the UN in supporting Pakistan’s progress towards the attainment of UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He expressed serious concern about the devastation caused by the recent floods across Pakistan, adding that the provision of humanitarian relief to the people in the affected areas was a high priority of his government.
The UN Resident Coordinator briefed the prime minister on the ongoing activities of the United Nations in Pakistan including in the areas of sustainable development, humanitarian assistance, environmental protection, food security, and climate change.
He also reiterated United Nations’ continued support to Pakistan in its ongoing endeavor for a resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and sustainable development. Julien Harneis is working as the UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan since January 2020. He chairs the UN Country Team comprising all UN Agencies, Funds, and Programmes that are operational in Pakistan, and coordinates their activities to ensure alignment of UN assistance with national development priorities and plans