October 18, 2002	Friday	Sha'aban 11, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Oct 17: Pakistan has become the first country to set up a human development fund to implement grass roots projects in primary education, skill training, income generation and primary health care.

This was stated by the chairman of National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), Dr Nasim Ashraf, who was speaking at a press conference, organized by the United Nations Information Centre in connection with the observance of International Day for Eradication of Poverty here on Thursday.

In this regard the NCHD and Pakistan-based United Nations Development Programme had already agreed to coordinate and assist each other.

He said the project would focus on the poorest communities in the four provinces and the UNDP would provide an assistance of $1.7 million for operational expenditures and some ground activities of the NCHD.

The commission will contribute $2.5 million donated by expatriate Pakistanis. These voluntary contributions will primarily be used for community programmes as opposed to operational costs. There is a funding gap of $5.8 million which the UNDP and NCHD will mobilize together from other sources, he added.

Dr Ashraf said the project would be nationally executed with the NCHD acting as the implementing agency. He said a steering committee comprising the UNDP and representatives of provincial governments would oversee and coordinate with the NCHD.

This project will continue up to September 2007 and will help improve the access of poor people to basic health care, primary education and markets thus supporting Pakistan’s progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

It may be added here that MDGs were adopted by world leaders at the Millennium Summit in 2001 to address global development challenges, poverty eradication, primary education, gender equality, child mortality, health and environment.

He said initially the NCHD planned its projects in around 18 districts, including those in FATA, FANA, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, in the first phase this year serving a population of 22 million. In the next five years, it would cover the entire country in the second and third phases.

“Within two months, the NCHD enrolled 52,000 children aged from five to seven years in the districts of Mardan and Narowal,” Mr Ashraf said.

Answering a question, he said at present 34 per cent population of the country was living below poverty line.

The government of Pakistan has already embarked upon Rs3 billion Public Sector Development Programme which is aimed at poverty eradication, primary education and easy availability of primary health services.

To another query, he said without streamlining women, it would be unjustifiable to even think about a positive change in the society.

The UNDP representative in Pakistan, Onder Yucer, read out the message of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the occasion.

“The international day for eradication of poverty is an occasion for all of us to recommit ourselves to these Millennium Development Goals and reflect on the progress — or lack of it — so far achieved,” Mr Annan was quoted as saying.