Stressing on the need to involve every region, state and committee in the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic, Pakistan has urged the international community to develop a post-pandemic framework for development to recover from the shocks of the crisis.

“Every region, state and community have experiences and knowledge to share. We need to involve all in our fight against the pandemic.

“It is a moral imperative for the international system to prioritize the creation of a post-Covid framework for development — a framework that can bring together stakeholders to forge the response needed to better mitigate risks and recover from shocks,” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Safety Sania Nishtar said at the 2021 UN Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) meeting in New York.

Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram, who also heads the UN’s Economic and Social Council, emphasized the need for helping developing countries address the pandemic, reduce risks and build resilience. “This approach of addressing challenges and preventing crises should become a part of the new DNA of development cooperation,” he said.

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

Speaking virtually from Islamabad,  Nishtar informed the participants how the government succeeded in curbing the first wave of the pandemic with a smart lockdown.

She warned that even when the pandemic was over, the world would continue to face its consequences. “Streamlining and maximizing all forms of cooperation will be more important than ever in a time of squeezed global finances,” she said.

(SAM)