Government of Punjab and the United Nations enters into a partnership

Lahore: Recognizing youth as vital agents for social change, economic growth and technological progress, the Government of Punjab and the United Nations entered into a partnership for enhancing outreach to the Pakistani youth.

Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Minister for School Education, Higher Education, Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism, Government of Punjab and Mr. Vittorio Cammarota, Director UN Information Centre, signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for enhancing dissemination of values and core messages of the United Nations through the educational institutions based in Punjab.

The partnership aims at actively engaging youth in promoting  the values of the United Nations in their educational institutions and among their communities. In fact, through the UN Wall campaign, schools and universities will have the opportunity to share core values of the United Nations on a dedicated wall on their premises. All participating institutions will be listed in an interactive map and the information will be shared globally.

In addition, the collaboration between the Government of Punjab and the United Nations Information Centre aims at strengthening collaboration between Pakistani universities and the United Nations System by establishing the UN Corner, which will provide students with access to publications, reports and campaigns released by the UN Secretariat and by agencies, funds and programmes of the UN System on national, regional and global issues.

Education Minister Rana Mashhood assured his full support for promoting the UN’s ideals and values through the network of the schools and colleges in the Punjab and said: “I hope this MOU will be fruitful both for the awareness about activities of UN and the development of young citizens of Punjab. In fact, a good liaison with UNIC will also help them get good exposure at global level and, consequently, an increased number of opportunities for their future.”

Mr Cammarota thanked the honourable Minister for his valuable support and noted that empowering youth is essential for promoting peace and harmony in the country. He said: “The 70^thanniversary of the United Nations is a great opportunity for having youth of Pakistan to showcase a positive image of their country through their active contribution as messengers of the core values of the United Nations in their schools and communities.”

The UN Wall and UN Corner campaigns are part of a large series of initiatives being organized this year to celebrate the70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations.