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Tracking the 'missing cases' of TB as it moves across borders
Decades of conflict, poverty, natural disasters, and drought have led to many people in Afghanistan being on the move. Close to six million have gone to neighbouring countries, including more than 2.2…
Not merely a seat at the table, but an inclusive voice
Owing to the pandemic, it was not until seven months into my assignment, as an Associate Experimentation and United Nations Volunteer (UNV) at UNDP, that I met my supervisor, Ehsan Gul, in-person. One…
Leveraging the Youth Dividend to harness the economic potential of South and Central Asia: Challenges and Opportunities
The world’s population is ageing fast, and it is estimated that the global population aged 65 and above, will reach 1.3 billion by 2040. A rapidly ageing population may result in a severe labour…
Pursuing a Connectivity Paradigm: Perils and Promise
This last October, I visited the Peshawar Museum to see its exquisite collection of Gandhara art. Gandhara was a mostly Buddhist region, with great Indo-Greek artistic traditions, which existed in…
Performance Agreements: how internal accountability leads to improved Public Sector Performance in Pakistan
Pakistan has witnessed numerous government regimes during the country’s 74 years of existence. Amongst the differing ideologies, priorities and approaches, a common agenda stands out: the goal of…
Walking the Climate Talk
Pakistan has reason to celebrate! It has been able to reduce its vulnerability to climate change by three points - from 5th in 2020, to 8th in 2021. Pakistan also earned the privilege of hosting the…
UNDP and University of Balochistan’s SDG Challenge Cup 2020 comes up with innovative solutions to improve public service delivery
UNDP has been supporting the University of Balochistan in the establishment of Government Innovation Lab (GIL) in the university premises. GIL works closely with academia, students, government…
UNDP expands scope and geographical reach of its Rule of Law programme
What began to strengthen Rule of Law in seven districts of Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2011, has over the years expanded its geographical outreach to the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP),…
The journey of a small start-up to becoming Pakistan's premier book publishing platform: How social enterprises can help Pakistan meet Sustainable Development Goals
Daastan is a social enterprise based in Pakistan that started off as a team of three people giving freelance writers the opportunity to publish their work. The team would try to find employment as…
Factoring Resilience in the Development Matrix
When I arrived in Pakistan as a UNDP surge staff one week after the deadly earthquake in 2005, over 70,000 people had lost their lives and 3.5 million people had been affected. The winter was also…
