Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security & Foreign Affairs addresses the 29th Special Session of the UN General Assembly on follow-up to the programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)

Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs represented Pakistan in the “29thSpecial Session of the UN General Assembly on follow-up to the Programme of Action of International Conference on Population and Development” which was held on the 22nd of September at the UN Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly. Addressing the gathering of world leaders, the Adviser reiterated Pakistan’s abiding commitment to the objectives of the 1994 landmark Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and highlighted the salient achievements made in this regard. The Adviser said the Pakistan had pioneered the launch of Population Programme in SAARC region.

Successes government had focused resources on raising awareness, providing healthcare and building capacity for effective implementation of population control strategies. These included National Population Policy of 2002, establishment of nation-wide help lines for counseling, incorporation of population and health-related contents in text books and whole range of new legislation for protection and empowerment of women in social, economic and political spheres. Moreover, the subject of population welfare had been devolved to provinces for greater efficiency.

The Adviser conveyed appreciation for the vision presented in the report of the Secretary General and expressed Pakistan’s support for including the issued population planning in the post-2015 development agenda.

Islamabad
24 september,2014