Youth Will Play a Key Role in Achieving the UNO’s 4RF Agenda to Build a Resilient Pakistan

Pakistani youth will play a key role in achieving the UNO’s 4RF objective which includes Resilient, Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF), said by Rizwan Anwar, the global Youth Ambassador of United Nations and executive director Kinnaird Center for Learning and Cultural Development (KCLCD). Rizwan Anwar also attended the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan, co-hosted by the Government of Pakistan and the United Nations, at UN Head quarters Geneva, Switzerland with the Pakistan official delegation. Rizwan welcomed that UN’s recent 4 RF agenda and vowed that it will also provide a foundation on which the country will build and strengthen long-term resilience to climate-induced disasters.

The conference laid out a multi sectoral strategy for rehabilitation and reconstruction in a climate-resilient and inclusive manner, Securing international support and forge long-term partnerships for building Pakistan’s climate resilience and adaptation. Rizwan Anwar said that Youth of Pakistan is prepared to work voluntarily in close association with CSO’s, Government Organizations and INGO’s to achieve the goals of preparing the Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework (4RF). He mentioned that Pakistan has a Youth Bulge which can be engaged to ensure transformational measures are put into place to ensure resilient recovery, and to reduce the impact on developmental gains, so as not to hinder the progress of future generations.

The Conference brought together Governments, leaders from the public and private sectors and civil society to support the people and the Government of Pakistan after the devastating floods of 2022. It was also discussed that the enormous challenge of reconstruction and rehabilitation lies ahead. With the support of the United Nations system, the World Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank, and the European Union, Pakistan has prepared a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), which estimates flood damages to exceed US$14.9 billion, economic losses over US$15.2 billion and reconstruction needs over US$16.3 billion.