Aseefa Bhutto vows closer cooperation with UN on SDGs

ISLAMABAD: First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday met United Nations Resident Coordina­tor Mohamed Yahya and representatives of different UN agencies in Pakistan at Aiwan-i-Sadr and vowed to work together with the world body on development and climate change.

According to the Presidency, the meeting focused on Pakistan’s cooperation with the United Nations system, national development priorities, climate resilience, education, social protection, health and sustainable development.

Welcoming the UN resident coordinator, the first lady said Pakistan highly valued its close and multifaceted cooperation with the United Nations and attached great importance to the work of the UN country team in Pakistan.

She appreciated the contributions of UN agencies, funds and programmes working across the country and expressed the desire to further strengthen cooperation, particularly in the areas of public health, children, sustainable development goals and climate change.

UN says next 12 months crucial for polio eradication as first lady calls for AI use to improve outreach

The first lady reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working closely with the UN country team in advancing national development priorities and plans.

During the briefing, she was briefed on the work of various UN agencies in supporting Pakistan’s development, humanitarian and social sector priorities.

Mohamed Yahya thanked her for championing the cause of polio eradication and noted that the next 12 months would be crucial for achieving this objective.

The first lady underscored the importance of innovation in public health and said emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, should be utilised to help ensure that polio vaccines reached every household.

She also acknowledged the UN’s continued assistance in strengthening maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition services across Pakistan.

In this regard, she noted the im­­portance of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme in improving outcomes for women and children nationwide.

Ms Bhutto-Zardari was informed that approximately 41 per cent of children in Pakistan suffered from stunting, one of the highest rates globally, and that malnutrition adversely affected children’s health, learning outcomes and future opportunities.

The briefing also highlighted challenges related to maternal health, anaemia, adolescent pregnancies and access to skilled healthcare services.

She said child health and maternal care formed an important part of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s manifesto and stressed the need for collective efforts to improve healthcare and nutrition outcomes for women and children.

The meeting also discussed women’s health, girls’ education, economic participation and protection from gender-based violence.

The first lady hoped that the United Nations would continue supporting Pakistan during the transition phase as its humanitarian coordination presence in the country scaled down, particularly in strengthening the disaster response capacities of national institutions.

Mohamed Yahya reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to supporting Pakistan’s development priorities through continued cooperation with national institutions and stakeholders. The meeting was attended by Senator Saleem Mandviwala, MNA Shazia Marri and representatives of WFP, Unicef, WHO, UNFPA, UNHCR, IOM, Unesco and UN Women.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2026