Pakistan to Achieve Global Development Goals, UNICEF Told
By Sonita Taylor 'Pakistan Times' UN Special Correspondent

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan told the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Tuesday that it was well on the way to achieving the child health and education-related Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)- a set of global anti-poverty targets to be accomplished by 2015.

"Pakistan recognizes and acknowledges the access to essential healthcare as a basic human right," Acting Permanent Representative Farukh Amil said, while reiterating Islamabad's full commitment to implementing the MDG's.

The board, which began its annual four-day meeting, will review the organization's 2006 Annual Report, discuss country programmes and look back at the results achieved in education, gender equality, child nutrition and other areas.

Noting that UNICEF Pakistan worked in coordination with the Pakistani government, Amil said the organisation's country programme (2004-2008) reflected Pakistan's poverty reduction strategy and its pursuit of a world fit for child.

Pakistan, he said, has a vast network of healthcare facilities -- 946 hospitals, 4554 dispensaries, 5290 basic health units and sub-health centres, 907 mother and child health centres, 552 rural health centres and 289 TB centres -- to treat the menace of disease.

Amil said the baord was meeting at a time when the UN was in the process of intergovernmentally reviewing the recommendations of the Secretary General's High Level Panel Report on System Wide Coherence.

"We do hope that our work here and the outcome of other processes would make the system more responsive to the needs and priorities of the programme countries," he said, noting that Pakistan, as one of the pilots for the "One UN" at country level. Pakistan would do its best to make a modest contribution in ensuring its success.

The Board President, Javier Loayza Barea, in his opening remarks, said, "We will have the opportunity to review the progress done to achieve the Millennium Development Goals."

Programme documents from some 25 countries will be reviewed by the board members here this week. UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman noted that although discussions here are vitally important, the
organization’s most important work is done in the field.

In the field, outcomes are delivered that make a difference to the lives of millions of children, Ms. Veneman said. Some programmes target children in countries ranked among the poorest in the world, she noted.●