President Zardari stresses stronger UN partnership on development, climate resilience
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday emphasised further strengthening Pakistan’s partnership with the United Nations, particularly in sustainable development, climate change, poverty alleviation, education and social protection.
The president expressed these views during a meeting with the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, Mohamed Yahya, who paid a farewell call on him here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, a Presidency’s news release said.
President Zardari said Pakistan highly values its close and multifaceted cooperation with the UN and reaffirmed its commitment to working with the UN Country Team to advance national development priorities.
The president appreciated the UN’s sustained support for Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts as well as maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition services, including through the Benazir Nashonuma Programme.
He appreciated the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)’s role in coordinating international humanitarian assistance and supporting Pakistan during major climate-related disasters. He said Pakistan values continued engagement with OCHA in a manner that supports national systems and reinforces government-led disaster response.
The president said Pakistan remains committed to sustainable development and addressing the adverse impacts of climate change. He appreciated initiatives such as the Living Indus Initiative and Recharge Pakistan, and expressed hope that the UN would continue to support Pakistan’s efforts to mobilise development and climate finance. He also expressed confidence that Pakistan and the UN would continue making progress under the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-27.
Yahya informed the president that he had been appointed Assistant Secretary General for OCHA and was expected to take up his new position by September 2026. President Zardari congratulated him on his new assignment, conveyed his best wishes, and assured him of Pakistan’s full support.
Reference Link: https://www.nation.com.pk/12-Aug-2026/president-zardari-stresses-stronger-un-partnership-development-climate-resilience
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
