Government of Japan

Japan is an essential partner of UNDP’s sustainable development work in Pakistan. Japan has established three priority areas for its assistance in Pakistan: improvement of economic infrastructure; ensuring human security and improvement of social infrastructure; and balanced and stable regional development, including in the border region.

Since September 2008 Japan has provided almost USD 44 million to deliver immediate relief to Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA through various international organizations. They have also joined forces with UN agencies to promote socio-economic development in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, most notably by supporting the UNDP Social Cohesion and Peace Building Programme for the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas. Their financial support of USD 34.8 million is directed to improving livelihoods and strengthening local governments, as well as improving public services. Interventions include improving community infrastructure and livelihoods, providing basic social services, and fostering social mobilization. The programme stresses the importance of developing the skills of provincial and local governments to better serve their communities.

Japan also supported UNDP’s work leading up to the May 2013 general elections. This included training polling staff, improving the elections results management system and extending the Election Commission of Pakistan’s voter education outreach.

To assist communities to recover from the 2010 floods, UNDP and the Government of Pakistan launched a USD 90 million Early Recovery Programme (ERP). The Government of Japan was the largest donor, contributing USD 50 million. This support played an essential role in reaching out to 4,000 villages across the country, benefiting more than 5.5 million people in the 29 most affected districts by adopting an area-based development approach to early recovery with a special focus on women. The total amount of Japan’s assistance related to the 2010 floods in Pakistan is USD 568 million.

The Government of Japan also contributed to sustainable development through peace building, governance and economic recovery in Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Funding of USD 12.6million was used to strengthen the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to help local partners in rebuilding livelihoods in the crisis affected areas of Malakand Region – Swat, Dir, Buner and Malakand.

The work of UNDP Pakistan is made possible by the personal, financial, and professional commitments of its international and national partners. We actively engage in an array of development partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, both national and international, working together in all phases of the development cycle, from programme design, implementation, review and revision, to lessons learned and best practices. Our partners play a crucial role in promoting and financing strategies that will help developing countries to achieve their national development goals.