10 February 2006

Islamabad, Pakistan: The newly launched National United Nations Volunteers (UNV) scheme in Pakistan will help maintain the momentum of support following the 8 October 2005 earthquake, according to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Mr. Aziz introduced the National UNV scheme to the Pakistani public earlier this week at an official gathering in the capital city of Islamabad.

Addressing representatives from the government, the United Nations in Pakistan and the press on 6 February, he said that volunteerism is a recognized way to mobilize the nation and the people.

“The role of the UN and its agencies in the earthquake [response] has been terrific”, he said, adding that the UNV scheme is another demonstration of the commitment of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNV.

The Prime Minister reminded the gathering of the scores of ordinary citizens who in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake volunteered to help the victims. He cited instances of roads blocked by thousands of people wanting to get to cities in the north. He said people from all over the world eventually arrived in the country eager to help communities pull through the disaster.

“The nation woke up to this natural catastrophe and for the first time we saw the country galvanized and gelled together,” he remarked.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, Mr. Jan Vandemoortele, told the audience that “volunteerism makes the impossible possible” and “it is this spirit that we channelize through the National UNV scheme.”

Mr. Mohammad Ali Durrani, the Chairman of Pakistan’s National Volunteer Movement—an initiative supported by UNDP and UNV to mobilize Pakistanis in earthquake recovery efforts—encouraged all involved in the earthquake response to work together to ensure that volunteerism becomes a permanent feature in the country, one that can contribute to the government’s development priorities.

UNDP’s Country Director in Pakistan, Mr. Haoliang Xu, briefed the audience on the work of the UNV programme throughout the world and the specifics of the National UNV scheme in Pakistan, which will support the National Volunteer Movement. He also shared examples of several UN Volunteers originating outside of Pakistan who are engaged in recovery operations.

The launch of the National UNV scheme is a follow up activity stemming from the International Conference on Volunteerism and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) hosted by the Government of Pakistan in Islamabad in December 2004.