UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan urged the international community to develop a post-pandemic development framework to recover from the shocks of the Covid-19 crisis.

At the 2021 United Nations Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) meeting in New York City, Pakistan suggested involving every region in the fight against the pandemic, noting that “every region, state and community has experiences and knowledge to share ”.

In her keynote address at Saturday’s forum, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Social Security, Dr Sania Nishtar, stressed the need for a new approach to deal with the pandemic and its social and economic impact.

“It is a moral imperative for the international system to prioritize the creation of a post-Covid development framework – one that can bring together stakeholders to forge the response needed to better mitigate risks and recover from shocks, ”she said.

Sania says maximizing cooperation will be more important than ever

Pakistani Ambassador to the UN Munir Akram, who also heads the UN Economic and Social Council, stressed the need to help developing countries cope with the pandemic, reduce risks and build resilience. “This approach of meeting challenges and preventing crises should be part of the new DNA of development cooperation,” he said.

The DCF meeting brought together governments, international organizations, development banks and philanthropic foundations to discuss options for dealing with Covid-19 and future crises.

Speaking virtually from Islamabad, Dr Nishtar explained to attendees how the Ehsaas program enabled the government to curb the first wave of the pandemic with a smart lockdown. The government, she said, has successfully managed the health risks without exacerbating the socio-economic damage caused by the pandemic.

“Our 24 million breadwinners, who depend on their daily wages or are self-employed, were practically on the verge of a devastating loss of income,” said Dr Nishtar while explaining how Pakistan handled the difficult situation. .

She warned that even after the pandemic is over, the world will continue to suffer the consequences. “Streamlining and maximizing all forms of cooperation will be more important than ever at a time of global financial crisis,” she said.

Noting that some major international donors had already announced record cuts to their programs, Dr Nishtar said: “The irony is that in times of crisis we should seek to strengthen solidarity, not weaken it.

Ambassador Akram suggested strengthening the national capacity system, increasing development and concessional finance, and strengthening solidarity. “Putting the furthest away first should be the focus of our efforts,” he noted.

Official development assistance (ODA) levels must be restored, created SDRs must be used and unallocated SDRs must be provided for development support, the ambassador said.

The SDR is an international reserve asset created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to supplement the official reserves of its member countries. The IMF currently makes about $ 250 billion, a quarter of its $ 1 trillion lending capacity, available to member countries.

Posted in Dawn on May 10, 2021