UNDP to support govt’s national climate response

Islamabad: The United Nations Development Programme’s Pakistan office has said that the international body supported logistically under its Glacial Lake Outburst Flood-II (GLOF) project only five official delegates, who had prior approval by the government of Pakistan to represent the country at the global climate conference held early last month in Glasgow UK, said a press release issued here on Sunday from the Climate Change Ministry.

In his official letter sent to the Climate Change Ministry dated December 4, the UNDP Resident Representative in Pakistan Knut Ostby said, “We would like to clarify that UNDP’ GLOF II project supported the logistical cost of 05 delegates to attend the two-week’s 26th session of the UN-led Conference of Parties (CoP 26) in Glasgow, UK. These five participants were as per the approved participation list of the Government of Pakistan. Funds for the participants were covered from the Annual Workplan 2021 of the GLOF-II project where the activity has dedicated budget lines for the purpose.”

In the letter, the UNDP official further said that It might be clarified that UNDP’s support to the government of Pakistan through mutually executed projects, amongst other activities, embed components to enable participation at international fora such as the CoP 26, which offer opportunities of learning, advancing collaboration, and securing technical and financial support for the management of Climate Change in the country. UNDP would like to clarify that the funds of the GLOF II project used for the 05 participants were already earmarked for the purpose.

Knut Ostby highlighted in his official document that “Pakistan remains amongst the top ten worst-affected countries by climate change; development partners facilitate partner organisations in cross learning at such for a, which includes reporting against commitments under international conventions. It may also be noted that Pakistan is a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change under the auspices of which the Conference of Parties is an annual feature”, according to the climate change ministry’s press release.

“We look forward to strengthening our partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan for the better and sustainable management of Pakistan’s issues in Climate Change,” he remarked in his signed letter addressed to ministry. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Knut Ostby has on various occasions lauded the Clean Green Pakistan vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government’s green and climate-resilient development agenda and concrete steps being taken to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change on various socio-economic sectors, lives and livelihoods of the people, according the climate change media focal person Muhammad Saleem Shaikh. The official said, “Appreciating various ongoing clean and green programmes and projects of the incumbent governments, the programmes and projects like the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami programme, Recharge Pakistan Programme, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood project, Electric Vehicle initiative, among others, the UNDP’s country representative has said that Imran Khan-led government’s these efforts of the unprecedented importance would help boost the country’s climate-resilience and achieve sustainable socio-economic development goals.”