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PR.
No. 155. Planning and Development Division is organizing a round table/workshop on “Gender Mainstreamin2: throu2:h Le2:al Reforms” to be held from 21st July to 23rd July, 2008. The concluding session of the conference will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Speaker of National Assembly Dr. Fehmida Mirza will chair the inaugural session. The three day conference will be participated by Federal Ministers, parliamentarians and the members of civil society. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ms. Sherry Rehman and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mr. M. Salman Faruqui will be among the speakers on the first day of the conference. The main focus of the conference will be on devising a model for effective and proactive participation of women in the national affairs. The recommendation of the round table will form as policy guidelines for future plan of action in the national context.
Since the activity is high profile and touches a sensitive
area of social development which will have long term impact on policy
making and legal reforms being introduced by the present government, it
should be covered by the media widely. The contact persons in Planning
Commission are:
PR. No. 156.
President Pervez Musharraf arrived in Murree on a working
visit today.
PR. No. 157. Collaboration between the provinces and the Federal Government to offset the cost of environmental degradation, which is to the tune of Rs. 1 billion per day, is a key to the success for the effective implementation of national environment policy. These views were expressed by the Federal Secretary Mr. Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi, Ministry of Environment, while addressing a Consultative Workshop held in collaboration with the World Bank at a local hotel in Islamabad . The workshop was attended by the representatives of the World Bank, Provincial Authorities and concerned stake holders. He emphasized the necessity of having an effective implementation mechanism for incremental reductions of environmental degradation to implement the National Environment Policy. He indicated the need of involvement of all the stakeholders in the implementation process including media that can play an important role to create greater awareness of the environmental issues. Addressing the workshop, The World Bank representative said that Environmental Protection is necessary for economic growth and poverty reduction and the Bank is willing to provide assistance to the government in implementation of National Environment Policy. He stated that there is a need for dialogue with the concerned stakeholders and to get them involved in the implementation process. MoE, Pak EPA and provincial EPAs have broadly identified air pollution, water supply and sanitation and waste management as their environmental priorities. The workshop engaged provincial representatives to address environmental priorities and build consensus on the process of preparation of Technical Assistance Loan (Tal) which comprises of, incremental reduction of environmental degradation and its costs, gradual improvements in global competitiveness and to set up foundations to ultimately achieve sustainable economic growth. During the workshop the potential components of the proposed TAL were discussed that included Strengthening institutional Framework, Reducing the drivers of Environmental Degradation and Climate Change and Carbon Finance.
PR. No. 158. The First Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Kingdom of Morocco was held in Rabat on July 17-18, 2008. Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, Advisor to the Prime Minister/Minister for Industries and Production led the Pakistan side, while the Moroccan side was led by Mr. Ahmed Reda Chami, Minister of Industry, Commerce and New Technologies. The decisions taken in the JMC meeting and minutes recorded were signed in a ceremony held at the conclusion of the Session in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation at Rabat. The two sides committed to hold the Joint Ministerial Commission annually on a regular basis, alternately in Islamabad and Rabat. The two sides also agreed to accelerate the pace of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). It was decided to set the dateline of October 2008 to start the negotiations. The agenda and the roadmap to be followed would be prepared well before October 2008 and exchanged between the two sides. It was also decided that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) proceedings will also be undertaken at the earliest possible. It was agreed between Pakistan and Morocco to negotiate the possibility of the setting up a joint venture, for the production of DAP fertilizer either in the public or private sector. It was agreed that exchange visits of parliamentarians, businessmen, industrialists and scientists, will be arranged regularly through an institutionalized mechanism. During his stay in Rabat Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo called on Mr. Abbas El Fassi, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. Taib Fassi-Fihri, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Abdellatif Mazouz, Minister of External Trade and Mr Abdallah Baha, Vice President of the House of Representatives and exchanged views on a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. These meetings as well as the Inaugural Session of the Joint Economic Commission reflected the close fraternal ties which exist between the two countries. The meetings also provided an opportunity for both the sides to identify various fields of bilateral cooperation. During his meetings with the Moroccan dignitaries, Mr. Wattoo discussed issues relating to war against terror, the rising prices of oil and food commodities and a probable situation of food shortages globally calling for closer interaction between friendly countries. The Moroccan authorities assured the Advisor of their full support to Pakistan on all issues. The Foreign Minister further conveyed the desire of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to solidify cooperation with Pakistan in all fields and expressed Morocco’s will to implement the decisions taken by the JMC. The Moroccan side appreciated the advancements achieved by Pakistan in the field of agriculture and decided to institutionalize the cooperation. The Pakistan side would similarly benefit from the Moroccan expertise in the fisheries sector. It was decided that the students exchange programme would be revitalized. Mutual cooperation in the fields of science and technology, culture and tourism, customs, banking and financial services, telecommunication, information and broadcasting and postal services was also agreed upon. The Moroccan side also agreed to consider the Pakistani request to make some DAP fertilizer available on fast track before the coming Rabbi crop. AUR/wh
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