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International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan - Stake-out (continuity)
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Edited News , Press Conferences | UNDP , UNITED NATIONS , UNOG
International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan - Stake-out
- Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
- Wide shot, press stakeout at UN Palais des Nations
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - António Guterres, UN Secretary-General: “This conference is focused on resilience, and I have seen resilience time and time again from the women and men of Pakistan. From enduring the scourge of natural disaster and terrorism to Pakistan’s long and proud history of welcoming, protecting and supporting millions of Afghan refugees currently living in Pakistan”.
- Medium shot, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan at stake out position
- Close-up shot, hands typing on laptop
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan: “I have not seen in my entire lifetime this kind of devastation which has not only crippled our economy but has posed a challenge which Pakistan alone cannot negotiate with – 30 billion dollars as the loss to our economy”.
- Medium shot, camera view finder with Pakistan’s Prime Minister in background
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan: “As I speak, we have already spent about 400 million dollars to provide basic support to 2.7 million households and this includes repurposed amounts as well given by World Bank and other institutions”.
- Close up, journalist taking notes
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan: “It’s a huge challenge and we have to put back people on the tune of 33 million and that is, I think, unprecedented in the contemporary history”.
- Medium shot, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan at stake out position
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - António Guterres, UN Secretary-General: “In addition to natural disasters, Pakistan is also a victim of the manmade disaster of a morally bankrupt global financial system. A system that denies middle-income countries debt relief and concessional financing to invest in resilience and recovery. And that must change”.
- Medium shot, taking photo with cellphone
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan: “Every penny will be spent in the most transparent fashion. I have put in place third party validation mechanisms so that every penny is accounted for and is invested in the interest of the needy and helpless people who have been badly affected by these ferocious floods”.
- Close-up, camera view finder featuring UN SG Antonio Guterres
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - António Guterres, UN Secretary-General: “Today it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow it could be in your country. And I am deeply frustrated that global leaders are not giving this life-or-death emergency the action and investment it requires. Because words are not enough. Without action, climate catastrophe is coming for all of us”.
- Wide shot, camerapersons and journalists at stake-out position
- Wide shot, journalists at stake-out position
- Two shot, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan at stake out position
At the International Conference on Climate-Resilient Pakistan, co-hosted by the Government of Pakistan and the United Nations, which took place today at the UN Office in Geneva, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for support to help Pakistan with a $16 billion rebuilding effort following devastating floods.
“This conference is focused on resilience, and I have seen resilience time and time again from the women and men of Pakistan. From enduring the scourge of natural disaster and terrorism to Pakistan’s long and proud history of welcoming, protecting and supporting millions of Afghan refugees currently living in Pakistan”, the UN Secretary-General said on the sidelines of the conference.
Catastrophic floods in September 2022 left 33 million Pakistanis affected and displaced 8 million, killing over 1,700 and injuring thousands, and destroying more than 2 million homes. The ferocity of the flowing water damaged over 8,000 km of roads, 3,000 km of railway track. This calamity has led to the complete collapse of health and education services in the most affected areas. Education has been disrupted for 2.6 million students.
According to Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, the country requires $8 billion from its global allies in the next three years to recover from the devastating floods.
“I have not seen in my entire lifetime this kind of devastation which has not only crippled our economy but has posed a challenge which Pakistan alone cannot negotiate with – 30 billion dollars as the loss to our economy”, he said.
Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world and responsible for less than one percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet it is one of the most vulnerable to the increasing number of extreme weather events. While Pakistan hasn’t recovered from losses during the flood, the country’s economy remains in turmoil.
“In addition to natural disasters, Pakistan is also a victim of the manmade disaster of a morally bankrupt global financial system. A system that denies middle-income countries debt relief and concessional financing to invest in resilience and recovery. And that must change”, said António Guterres.
Massive investments are now needed to supporting Pakistan to rebuild homes, buildings and infrastructure, to jump-start jobs and agriculture and to ensure access to technology and knowledge to help withstand future disasters.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured that “every penny will be spent in the most transparent fashion. I have put in place third party validation mechanisms so that every penny is accounted for and is invested in the interest of the needy and helpless people who have been badly affected by these ferocious floods”.
According to Antonio Guterres, countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis need massive support. Developed countries must deliver on their commitment to double adaptation finance, without delay.
“Today it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow it could be in your country. And I am deeply frustrated that global leaders are not giving this life-or-death emergency the action and investment it requires. Because words are not enough. Without action, climate catastrophe is coming for all of us”.
-ends-
More information on: https://www.undp.org/international-conference-climate-resilient-pakistan
More Photos available on: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unisgeneva/albums/72177720305114603
Teleprompter
Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you so much for coming.
We are extremely pleased to have with us the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Secretary General.
Prime Minister, you have the floor.
Good afternoon, Assalamu alaikum guten Tag.
I'd like to once again thank my dear friend, Second General United Nations, Antonio Guterres and honourable members of press.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's really a a great pleasure to be here and I'd like to convey my sincere gratitude to Second General United Nations for coasting this conference on Resilient Pakistan with me.
Ever since 10th of September last year when Pakistan was hit by the most ferocious and devastating floods, I met my friend for the first time when he was very kind to visit Pakistan and we were together in the camps where affected people were spending their days and nights under sultry weather, atrocious sun and all kind of infections flying all over.
Undaunted by the sultry weather.
Sex journal was mixing up with mothers and children knowing after their welfare and UNICEF had also established A makeshift school for children.
And I tell you very frankly that he was sweating, but he was not stopping shaking hands, hugging children.
And believe me, he won the hearts and souls of millions of Pakistanis.
And then he he didn't know Urdu, he doesn't know Urdu, but he spoke the language.
He conveyed their feelings of a cloudburst which devastated millions of people.
So as I speak, 33 million people have been affected, 1700 people have died including children, 8 million people dislocated and more than 8000 kilometres of roads *******, more than 3000 kilometres of railway track devastated and damaged, standing crops worth billions of dollars gone and about 2 million houses completely or partially damaged.
I have not seen in my entire lifetime this kind of devastation which has not only crippled our economy but has posed a challenge which Pakistan alone cannot negotiate with $30 billion is the loss to our economy.
And I'm very grateful to 2nd United Nations, to multilateral institutions like IMF, World Bank and UNDPAIIB, and friendly countries around the globe who came to our rescue and to support us.
But as I speak, we have already spent about $400 million to provide basic support to 2.7 million households and this includes repurposed amounts as well given by World Bank and other institutions.
And about $575 million all told have been spent, cash and kind have been contributed by friends and brothers around the globe.
But now we have to go for rehabilitation, reconstruction of our infrastructure to put people back on their feet.
It's a huge challenge that we have to put back people on the feet to the tune of 33 million that is, I think unpresented in the contemporary history.
Therefore, today this conference on resilient Pakistan is being undertaken and I'm glad to announce and share with you as you must have all known by now that various representatives from various part of the world, French President, President Macron and Turkish President Erdogan and other international dignitaries have either spoken through Zoom or through video messages sporting and inspiring all of us to undertake this gigantic task.
I would like to conclude by saying that Pakistan today in consultation with its friends and institutions, presented comprehensive framework plan for resilient recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction and includes A robust financing mechanism.
We would be able to generate close to about $8 billion domestically, but we're looking forward to an amount of equal share of $8 billion internationally.
Of course, today hefty amounts have been announced ranging from €300 million to $100 million and $80 million and so on and so forth.
Islamic Development Bank has announced a figure of $4.2 billion, which is one of the largest contribution so far doing the progress of this conference.
I want to say and say without any fear of contradiction yet we look forward to working very closely with our great friend.
I must tell you that people of Pakistan will remember you for all time to come.
You don't know Urdu yet, you spoke the language.
You don't know them yet you are one of them, mixed with them, shook hands with them and hugged them.
Sikh Jain, I am personally obliged to you and very grateful to you.
And you have inspired millions around the globe.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm grateful for this wonderful arrangement made here in Geneva.
I'm very grateful to the host country, Switzerland, and very grateful to all relevant members, states, ministers and other dignitaries who have been able to find time to participate physically in this conference.
We are extremely grateful to all of them and I want to make the statement categorically without any fear of conviction that every penny will be spent in the most transparent fashion.
I have put in place third party validation mechanism so that every penny is accounted for and is invested in the interest of the needy and happiness people who have been badly affected by these ferocious floods.
Thank you very much and thank you all.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, I'm indeed very pleased to be joined by Prime Minister Sharif.
And dear Prime Minister, I want to thank you very much for your kind words, but you have nothing to thank.
I did my strict duty for many years since I was **** Commissioner for Refugees.
I visited Pakistan in different occasions and I always witnessed an enormous generosity of the Pakistani people.
You have received millions of Afghan refugees.
You have hosted them, you have protected them, you have shared your resources with them in a way that is unparalleled in the world.
At the same time, I could witness in difficult moments of your country with the the earthquake, with the the floods, previous floods, with the the impact of terrorist activities.
I've always seen in relation to Pakistan is displaced inside their own country an enormous generosity of the Pakistani people.
And so it is the duty of international community to correspond to that generosity, expressing the full solidarity with Pakistan in this moment of truth.
It is not solidarity, it is justice.
And I think that justice will start to be made today, here in this conference.
Now, this is a conference with lots of numbers and figures and statistics.
But when I look at the challenge, what I see are faces, human faces.
I hear stories like the ones I heard when I visited Pakistan in September.
Stories of lost lives, lost jobs, lost crops, lost homes, lost communities, and stories of sacrifice, generosity, and solidarity.
Now, this conference is focused on resilience.
And I've seen resilience time and time again from the women and men of Pakistan, from enduring the scourge of natural disasters and terrorism to Pakistan's long and proud history of welcoming, protecting and supporting millions of Afghan refugees currently living in Pakistan.
But that spirit of generosity and resilience needs to be matched with support for resilience from the global community.
And it needs to happen in three fundamental ways.
First, with massive investment supporting Pakistan to rebuild homes, buildings and infrastructure, to jump start jobs and agriculture and ensure access to technology and knowledge to help withstand future disasters.
And I hope this conference will be the beginning of this massive investment.
Absolutely seconds with revolutionary action on finance.
In addition to natural disasters, Pakistan is also a victim of the man made disaster of a morally bankrupt global financial system, a system that denies middle income countries debt relief and concessional financing to invest in resilience and recovery.
And debt must change.
I renew my call to global leaders and multilateral development banks to join forces and develop creative ways for developing countries to access debt relief and concessional financing when they need it most.
And 3rd, resilience requires meaningful climate action.
Now, if there is any doubt about loss and damage, go to Pakistan.
You'll see loss and you'll see damage and you'll see our common future.
The decision taking at top 27 in Sharm El Sheikh on loss and damage must be implemented and developed countries must also deliver on their commitment to double adaptation finance and provide the 100 billion U.S.
dollars annually in support to the developing world.
But ladies and gentlemen of the press, we are on the road to climate ruin.
The 1.5° warming limit, universally agreed as the only way to safeguard our planet and our future, is on the verge of collapse.
The risk is an irreversible collapse of the 1.5° goal.
Moving.
As we are moving, we will get to 2.8° of increased temperature.
Imagine what will happen in Pakistan and everywhere in the world if things do not change now as global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
We are all in danger.
Today it's Pakistan, tomorrow it could be in your country.
And I am deeply frustrated that global leaders are not giving this life for this emergency, the action and the investment it requires, because words are not enough without action.
Climate catastrophe is coming for all of us.
So, dear Prime Minister, I stand with you and we stand with Pakistan.
Now is the time to invest in the resilience of the Pakistani people to mobilise massive investments from the world in order to pay tribute to the enormous generosity that the Pakistanis have always shown.
Thank you very much.
We will have time to take a few questions.
I would like to give the first question to the President of the UN Correspondents Association.
Please identify yourself as well with the media you represent.
And good morning, Mr Secretary General.
Good morning.
Mr.
Prime Minister on behalf.
Of ACC news association of Journalists accredited that Geneva I would like to welcome.
You in wishing.
You a Happy New Year.
My question to you, Mr.
Secretary General, I'm working also.
For the Kuwait News Agency.
You mentioned today in your opening remarks the need of.
Moral or more moral?
Financial global system.
How?
Can the UN help to create?
Such.
A moral global.
Ethical global financial systems.
Thank you.
Well, I think we have been very active in different circumstances, in different forum with our own initiative on financing for development in the post COVID situation, in our interventions in the G7, in the G20 and in the spring and autumn meetings of the World Bank and the IMF.
It is very clear that the present system is biassed.
The system was conceived by a group of rich countries and naturally it basically benefits rich countries.
So we need first of all to recognise that we have presently a situation in the developing world in which countries are strangled by debt and countries have no access to the financial resources they need in order to be able not only to address the dramatic challenges they face, but also to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.
We need a new depth architecture and we need to make sure that depth relief is effectively provided by the system, even to middle income countries that are on the verge of very difficult, very dramatic situations, including suspending their payments.
On the other hand, we need multilateral development banks to change their business model.
We need them to assume more risks and to be able to leverage more systematically private finance.
That is essential, but private finance today is only excessive, accessible to many developing countries at very **** interest rates that do not allow for the solution of their problems, so multilateral development cans.
In.
Beyond their loans, need to provide more guarantees to bring private finance at reasonable costs, must be first risk takers in coalitions of financial institutions to support developing countries.
And this is true in relation to situations like the situation in Pakistan, but also to build resilience in all other aspects, facing climate, facing the risk of pandemic situations and taking into account the need to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.
And on the other hands, it is absolutely essential that concessional funding is made available to middle income countries that are particularly vulnerable when a lease developed country graduates that graduation brings with with it a cost, the loss of concessional funding.
And in many situations they are still extremely vulnerable.
So we need to redesign our financial system in order to be able to take into account vulnerability and not only GDP when decisions are made about concessional funding to countries around the world.
So there are many other aspects in which we are working hard, and I hope that Member States that control the boards of these institutions will be able to implement the kind of reforms that are needed to establish more justice today.
Just to give you an example, my country, Portugal, even in this very difficult situation and with a very **** debt to GDP ratio, is still being able to get funding at 3 or 4% of interest rates.
I was with President Rutu of Kenya a few days ago and he told me that when they are trying to go to the market to finance the country, the best offer they had was 14%.
It shows that there is a basic injustice in today's system and that we need effective reform.
Let me go to Aaj Television, Eunice.
Yeah, my question with Prime Minister Sharif and I will ask.
In my own language in Urdu.
Or.
This is in my speech today that these programmes, through joint collaboration and with international support, will be undertaken in a very transparent fashion.
I said in my speech that since I believe in this mechanism, therefore I had given clear instructions to my team that third party, independent third party validation will be part and parcel of this programme.
All these interventions would be undertaken under these conditionalities.
To yeh Jo apni baat Ki hai bilku shahika ke shafiat yeh hamari padi tarji hai or kata yeah K international joke community yo funds Moya karegi aajin ke ela naat ho re hood humse yeh toko karenge ke hum Ek Pai ka hai Saab de kesare kasara nizam bought shafu or third party mechanism third party validation johe Jasmine hakumat or paisi kakoi third party.
Let me now go to IFPAFP.
I think the microphone will is making its way to you.
Sorry.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Nina Larson with AFPI had just a question for both of you.
I was wondering if you could say how confident you are that you'll be able to, to get the, the massive investments that you're asking for, the 8 billion from international sources that you're asking for.
And for Prime Minister Sharif, I was wondering if you could say how close close you are to a deal with the IMF for the next disbursement tranche and what the main stumbling blocks might be.
Thank you.
Well, it is my hope that we'll be able to come out of this conference with a support as close as possible to the 8 billion that, as the Prime Minister said, the international community is supposed to contribute in relation to this programme at this moment.
But this is not the end of the story.
I believe it will be very important as the programme of reconstruction moves on, to go on mobilising international supports.
Because when we see the situation in Pakistan and the level of devastation that took place and when you see the fragility of the country in relation to possible future natural disasters, I think that international solidarity will not stop at this conference.
But if we come close to the 8 billion, that means that there is a considerable success and a demonstration of trust in relation to the government and the people of Pakistan for the capacity to implement what is a very ambitious but very well structured programme that was also presented in this conference.
Thank you very much.
I would like to just answer your question that even before these floods hit Pakistan, we are already facing humongous challenges because of serious tension in Eastern Europe and as a result, food inflation.
The prices of oil and gas were skyrocketing and Pakistan was facing this imported inflation in a very, very difficult situation.
And how could you expect that after the floods hit Pakistan and almost destroyed everything that we would pass on this important inflation on the common man and he or she will accept it without even a squeak.
That is unnatural, and that is also not in line with the norms of justice and fair play that the rich can have.
Enjoy both the world's whether the prices of oil touch $200 a barrel or $30 a barrel and a poor man who is able to meet his 2 ends with great difficulty, you will expect that he will absorb this price hike without any protest and agitation.
That is not human, you know, strategy.
That is not normal.
It is absolutely abnormal.
Yet we had to again connect with IMF and resurrect that agreement which was violated by the previous government and accept even harsher conditionalities.
So that is our challenge and today while we are complying with IMF conditionalities as best as possible.
But how on earth can you expect from me that I am working out of Prime Minister House and a poor man in the far-flung areas of Pakistan, in the sand dunes in Rocky Mountains of Balochistan or snow covered peaks of KP or plains of of the province of sin which have been even today as you go over there, you will find standing water which has destroyed the livelihood that we should pass on this additional burden on them.
It has nightmarish to say the least.
Yet we are committed to IMF's programme.
We will do everything to comply with their terms and conditions.
Although I am, I'm constantly trying to persuade them that please give us a pause.
I'm very grateful to Secretary General, he's also in touch with them.
I spoke to the managing director the other day and tried to 1st assure her that we will comply with the terms and conditions and BI said.
You are a wonderful person, wonderful human being.
You have a heart of a of a gem and you know the plight of poor people in developing countries.
So kindly be considerate and compassionate and give us some breathing space.
Well, this is an ongoing dialogue.
I'm sure one day soon we will be able to convince them through logic and through facts.
That said, regardless we will comply with IMF programme.
Mr Prime Ministers, did you want to say something else, Secretary General?
Well, I, I'd like to say that economic stability is very important, but let's not forget that today.
We'll all be there.
That will be perfect economic stability.
Thank you so much, everybody.
This is all the time that we have.
Thank.
You.
Thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mr.
Prime Minister, Secretary General.