Statement by H.E. Senator Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa, Minister-In-Charge and Advisor to the Prime Minister on Information Technology and Telecommunication at the High Level Segment, ECOSOC Substantive Session 2010 (New York, 1 July 2010)

Mr. Chairman

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We align ourselves with the statement made by Yemen on behalf of G77 and China.

  1. We have closely followed the debates this week in the Annual Ministerial Review including the Voluntary National Presentations. These discussions provide us important insights into the national perspectives as well as the many common challenges we face as a global community in achieving the internationally agreed goals on gender.
  2. As we share our experiences and learn from each other, we hope that this debate will substantially contribute to the process of accelerating our efforts to achieve the MDGs.

Mr. President,

  1. In Pakistan, the inspiration for gender equality and empowerment of women comes from the vision of our founding father Quad-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who said “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you”.
  2. Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees equal rights for all its citizens without any discrimination on the basis of cast, colour, sex, or race. It further ensures full participation of women in all spheres of national life.
  3. Noting the role of women in our nation building Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto wrote in her book “Reconciliation Islam, Democracy, And the West” that “When the time came to pick up my father’s mantle and legacy and lead the Pakistan People’s Party, I, as his eldest child present in Pakistan, led the struggle for democracy. No one among my father’s followers opposed this on the ground of gender. This was the gender equality in Islam under which I was brought up.”
  4. The democratically elected Government in Pakistan is moving forward the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for gender equality and empowerment of women under a four pronged strategy, which includes:

Mr. President,

  1. I would take this opportunity to share with you some of the steps that we have taken in Pakistan to realize gender equality and empowerment of women:
  1. Among other initiatives taken for economic empowerment of women, the Benazir Income Support Programme is an innovative scheme, which provides cash grants to female head of a poor household. This improves the decision making role of the female head of the family and allows her to spend that cash grant on a priority laid down by her. Another initiative is a Programme for the grant of State Land to poor women tenant farmers in the rural areas.
  2. Acknowledging that adult functional literacy for women particularly in rural areas contribute substantially to empowerment of women, the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) has helped gain functional literacy to over 2 million women in rural areas. Pakistan’s Gender Parity Index for adult literacy has increased in the last six years.
  3. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and Medium Term Budgetary Framework have incorporated various gender-sensitive amendments.
  4. The Ministry of Women Development’s "Gender Reform Action Plan (GRAP)" is aimed at undertaking a coherent gender reform agenda through phased implementation processes, including political participation, institutional restructuring, women employment in the public sector, and gender responsive policy and budgeting.

Mr. President,

  1. The Second Development Cooperation Forum, being convened as part of the High Level Segment this year, will provide a useful opportunity to undertake indepth discussions on ways to enhance and further strengthen global development cooperation.
  2. Our deliberations at the Forum this year assume particular significance as the world passes through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
  3. The troubled state of global economy and the resulting squeeze in resource flows to the developing countries is expected to undermine their efforts to realize in a timely manner the internationally agreed development goals including MDGs.

Mr. President,

  1. We recall with pride and happiness our contributions in the creation of ECOSOC’s new functions as Development Cooperation Forum and Annual Ministerial Review as the President of the Council in 2005.
  2. We view DCF as a unique and inclusive platform where all countries can voice their concerns to help shape international development cooperation framework. Importantly, we see DCF as an institution with the potential to further evolve into a more robust, dynamic and effective platform capable of enhancing coherence in global development cooperation and promoting a partnership based on mutual responsibility and accountability.

Mr. President,

  1. We look forward to closely engaging with all those interested in strengthening the DCF and making it a platform for a real and meaningful dialogue on global development cooperation. In this regard, we also look forward to the review of the implementation of UN General Assembly resolution 61/16 during the 65th Session of the General Assembly.
  2. All this in our view is in line with and contribute to placing the Economic and Social Council at the center of UN’s Development activities.

Mr. President,

  1. Pakistan welcomes the creation of new Gender Entity at the United Nations and believes that this consolidation will help achieve gender equality and empowerment in a more co-ordinated and coherent fashion throughout the World.
  2. In conclusion, I would focus on the need for increased international cooperation and fulfilling development assistance promises as a major catalyst for implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

I thank you.