Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 18 June 2026

This Media Update includes:

• UNDP-PRESS RELEASE: Policy dialogue explores rights-based approaches to climate security in Balochistan
• UNFPA - PRESS STATEMENT : UNFPA Welcomes Pakistan's Moves to support Population and Development Agenda.

UNDP

PRESS RELEASE

Policy dialogue explores rights-based approaches to climate security in Balochistan

Quetta, 17 June 2026: Funded by the German Embassy in Pakistan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan, in partnership with the Government of Balochistan and the University of Balochistan, convened a policy dialogue on "Rights-Based Climate Security in Balochistan: From Local Evidence to Policy Action" in Quetta on 15 June 2026.

Organized under UNDP's Community Stabilization initiative, the dialogue brought together senior provincial officials, academia, civil society, young people, environmental experts, and community representatives from Gwadar to examine climate security as a question of governance, rights, and human development in Balochistan.

H.E. Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, Governor of Balochistan, welcomed the dialogue and appreciated the platform in bringing together government, academia, civil society, and frontline communities to advance locally grounded climate action. "A rights-based approach is the need of the hour. It reminds us that climate action must be centered on people. Climate resilience is strongest when citizens are heard, vulnerable communities are protected & public institutions are supported to respond effectively", he said.

Convened against the backdrop of growing climate pressures across the province, discussions focused on how these challenges can be addressed through stronger institutions, more responsive service delivery, and the protection of vulnerable communities.

UNDP's rights-based approach to community stabilization and climate security in Gwadar links community resilience with institutional reform, responsive service delivery, and grievance redress mechanisms for vulnerable and underserved communities. The dialogue brought local evidence from Gwadar into the policy space, highlighting how rising sea levels, water and food insecurity, and pressure on fisheries are reshaping livelihoods and access to services.

Community mediators also shared their experiences in facilitating access to environmental justice, underscoring the importance of treating communities not only as beneficiaries, but as rights-holders and partners in designing climate responses.

In his keynote address, Dr. Zahoor Ahmed Bazai, Vice Chancellor at the University of Balochistan, highlighted the role of academia, young people, and provincial institutions in advancing climate resilience and evidence-based policymaking. He underscored the importance of translating the Balochistan Climate Change Policy 2024 into implementation pathways responsive to the province's ecological diversity, social inequalities, and development priorities.

The dialogue also highlighted the gender-climate nexus, emphasizing that gender equality must be integrated into climate policy, finance, and security responses from the outset. Participants noted that climate security is ultimately about protecting lives, rights, and trust, and that stabilization efforts in Balochistan must help communities and institutions manage climate pressures, address grievances, and build resilience without leaving women and girls behind.

A panel discussion on "The Rights-Security Nexus: Climate Governance, Responsible Mining, and Community Stabilization" further examined how climate governance, resource accountability, and community stabilization intersect in Balochistan. Panelists reflected on the need for institutions to anticipate and respond to climate-related grievances in ways that protect rights, strengthen coordination, build public trust, and support peaceful and inclusive development.

Dr. Samuel Rizk, UNDP Resident Representative, emphasized that climate security must be grounded in inclusive development and institutional accountability. "Development cannot be for the few who are shielded from the devastating impacts of climate change. It must be for everyone," said Dr. Rizk, reaffirming UNDP's commitment to support people-centered climate action. "A rights-based approach to climate security means strengthening institutions so they can protect development gains, respond to grievances, and deliver services equitably even when calamities strike."

The dialogue forms part of UNDP's broader efforts to support climate resilience, social cohesion, and rights-based development in Balochistan through partnerships with government institutions, academia, civil society, and local communities.

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For further details, please contact:

· Fizza Bangash, Communications Analyst, UNDP Pakistan, at [email protected]

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UNFPA

PRESS STATEMENT

UNFPA Welcomes Pakistan's Moves to support Population and Development Agenda.

Statement by Dr. Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Representative in Pakistan.

June 16, 2026: UNFPA welcomes the steps the Government of Pakistan is taking to strengthen its national population and development agenda. Recent fiscal, legislative, and institutional reforms reflect a growing commitment to the health, rights, and well-being of the people of Pakistan, especially women and young people.

UNFPA particularly commends the government's decision to remove all taxes on contraceptives and menstrual hygiene products. This landmark fiscal move lowers the cost of essential reproductive health supplies, especially for the marginalized communities, and has the potential to improve access to family planning, improve maternal health outcomes, and support informed reproductive choices.

Pakistan has also made notable progress on its legal and institutional framework. Efforts to advance Child Marriage Restraint legislation, including setting 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for girls, represent an important step for the rights of adolescents. Along with initiatives for stronger protections against sexual violence and continued progress on the Reproductive Health Bill, these measures help build a safer environment for women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.

At the institutional level, the establishment of the National Population Council under the chair of Prime Minister and including Chief Ministers is a significant step toward better coordination on population and development issues. The Council brings together key government institutions, including the Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination and the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. It offers a platform for a whole-of-government approach that can help ensure demographic issues are effectively addressed across federal and provincial governments and embedded in national planning and sustainable development efforts.

Looking ahead, UNFPA welcomes ongoing discussions on using the National Finance Commission (NFC) framework as a tool to support inclusive population management and human development goals. Linking provincial incentives to demographic and social outcomes could encourage more equitable progress nationwide while strengthening accountability for results.

While these developments are promising, continued progress will require continued investment and coordination across sectors. UNFPA encourages the government to keep expanding access to family planning and reproductive health services, strengthen the implementation of protective legislation, invest in adolescent girls and young people, and fully integrate population issues into national and provincial planning. Long-term progress depends on predictable domestic financing for population and reproductive health programmes. UNFPA remains a committed partner to the Government of Pakistan and stands ready to provide technical and strategic support to help turn these policy gains into lasting improvements in people's lives.

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For more information

Mariyam Nawaz, Communications Analyst, UNFPA Pakistan | [email protected]