Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed committment to humanitarian causes being one of the world’s largest refugee hosting nations and its immense resilience in the face of recurring disasters.

Minister for States and Frontiers Regions (SAFRON) Lt Gen (retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch shared Pakistan’s perspective on global humanitarian issues at the first ever World Humanitarian Summit (COMMITMENT) being held in Istanbul, Turkey.

Convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and hosted by Government of Turkey, the World Humanitarian Summit (COMMITMENT) is taking place on May 23-24, a Foreign Office statement said. A large number of world leaders including heads of state and government, representatives of humanitarian and development agencies and civil society organizations have gathered in Istanbul for reaffirming commitment to humanitarian principles and crafting a response to the unprecedented global humanitarian challenges.

Speaking at the Summit’s Plenary Session, the minister underscored Pakistan’s commitment to the purposes and objectives of the UN charter and stressed the importance of resolving longstanding disputes, particularly those on the agenda of United Nations Security Council.

The Minister also highlighted that Pakistan has been one of the       largest contributors of United Nations Peace Keeping troops, and its troops have sacrificed their lives for the cause of humanity. The minister urged the international community to ensure that protracted refugee situations were not neglected in the wake of new crises.

He also stressed the urgent need to find equitable burden sharing mechanisms for refugee hosting nations. He underscored the importance and centrality of the UNGA Resolution 46/182 of December 1991 for humanitarian action.

Abdul Qadir Baloch underscored that Pakistan’s commitment to cope with the negative fallout of climate change and highlighted the need for availability of adequate finance as the ‘core of the battle’ against the adverse impacts of climate change.

On the sidelines of the summit, the Minister had a bilateral meeting with the head of the UNHCR Delegation Deputy High Commissioner Kelly T Clements. During the meeting, the minister hoped for early voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees.

Kelly Clements appreciated the Government and people of Pakistanfor having generously hosted the world’s largest protracted refugee population for nearly four decades. She assured that the UNHCR would continue supporting the Government of Pakistan in its efforts hosting Afghan refugees and would urge for concerted support of the international community in this context.

Earlier, the minister visited NDMA’s exhibition on the theme “Resilient Pakistan”, showcasing Pakistan’s experiences in disaster management and disaster risk reduction. The minister also visited “Innovation Marketplace” where NADRA had setup a stall to project Pakistan’s innovative financial compensation programmed for victims of natural disasters, especially 2010 floods. Besides governmental participation in the Summit, a number of humanitarian and civil society organisations are attending the summit.