ISLAMABAD, APR 17 /DNA/ – AMBASSADOR BLOME: Good evening. I hope you had a joyous Eid with family and friends. It is an honor to join you for the first-ever PUAN Accessibility and Inclusion Job Fair and the 5th Khadija Tul Kubra Awards Ceremony.

I want to thank our event organizers from PUAN, STEP, and the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan. Thank you, Abia, Atif, Rita and Syed Moeez Ud Din for the hard work you and your teams put in to make this program a success.

This is an important collaboration and speaks to the mission of the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network – which at its heart aims to support U.S. exchange alumni like Abia and Atif to make Pakistan, the United States, and the world a better and more inclusive place.

It’s remarkable – and inspiring – to see so many members of the business community, along with all the qualified jobseekers, here tonight. Equity, accessibility, and inclusion in hiring and in the workplace should be a cornerstone principle for any organization, business, and government. Ensuring all employees have the tools and resources to succeed in the workplace benefits us all.

This is because our jobs are not just a means to earn a living and care for ourselves and our families. When we find a career we are passionate about, we are dedicating our time, energy, and skills to a larger mission. We help our communities grow and prosper. And we offer irrefutable proof that diversity in the workplace is an invaluable asset.

These are principles we live by at the U.S. Embassy and in our Consulates throughout Pakistan, which makes me especially proud that our Human Resources Office is here today. The United States truly believes in the skills and talents of Pakistan’s people, and we look forward to taking advantage of STEP and PUAN’s great efforts today – and in the future – to ensure we are recruiting new team members with inclusion and accessibility in mind.

Finally, I want to congratulate each award recipient. Collectively, you pioneered new ways to think about and advocate for mental healthcare, accessible public facilities, local and national policy recommendations, and much more. Your passion, dedication, and determination to advance the rights of persons with disabilities is not just recognized here tonight – your work is seen throughout Pakistan, the region, and in the United States.

I encourage you to reach out to members of my team here tonight to learn about opportunities to partner with the U.S. Mission to continue your important work. Thank you for all you have done.

Once again, congratulations to all of tonight’s awardees and the success of this important event. Thank you.

ISLAMABAD, APR 17 /DNA/ – Ambassador of The Republic of Uzbekistan Oybek Arif Usmanov called on FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh at capital office Islamabad and discussed various issues including bilateral trade, mutual cooperation, investment, Pakistan Uzbekistan Business Council and exchange of trade delegations. The Uzbek ambassador was accompanied by Bakurum Yusov Economic and Trade Consul Uzbekistan.

FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh said on the occasion that Pakistan is a brotherly country of Uzbekistan, Pakistan’s exports with Uzbekistan have increased gradually in the last years, which has to be further increased, bilateral trade can be promoted in textile, pharmaceutical, rice, machinery, agriculture machinery, electrotechnical and other sectors. We have to explore different avenues to further promote this bilateral trade.

Atif Ikram added that we will participate in the single country exhibition to be held in Uzbekistan on June 28. Pakistanis have the problem of business visa, tourist visa, flights to Uzbekistan which should be solved. The first Gems and Jewellery Exhibition is being held in Pakistan in collaboration with TDAP and Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in which Uzbek businessmen who belong to this sector should participate and you provide us their names too.

Uzbek Ambassador Oybek Arif Usmanov said that Uzbekistan is organizing an International Business Forum on May 3 and 4, in which the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the business community are invited to participate, while the Minister of Uzbek Foreign Affairs will visit Pakistan on May 9-10. There will be G2B and B2B meetings. Trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan is suffering due to Afghanistan, we have to start The Afghanistan-Pakistan Corridor. Direct flights will be started from Islamabad and Lahore, resolving visa issues soon.

Chairman FPCCI Capital Office Karim Aziz Malik, Convener Diplomatic Committee FPCCI Ahmed Waheed, Vice President FPCCI Ashfaq Ahmed, Chairman Coordination Malik Sohail Hussain, Acting President ICCI Fahad Waheed, Vice President Engineer Azharul Islam, Advisor President FPCCI Dr Afshan Malik, Executive Member FPCCI Farrukh Alvi, Chairman Pakistan Russia Business Council Mohsin Sheikh and others were also present in the meeting.

We indeed believe that the contribution of the private sector is critical to achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals by creating employment, building skills, giving opportunities and reducing poverty and inequalities: Nicolas Galey

Ansar M Bhatti/DNA

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of France to Pakistan Niclas Galey has said women’s empowerment and gender equality are priorities of French foreign policy, which includes an ambitious “feminist diplomacy.

‘Today we have a perfect demonstration of this convergence with this series of “inspiring stories” – short videos which highlight the contribution of four French companies to the promotion of women’s empowerment in Pakistan’.

Ambassador of France made these remarks during a ceremony held to honour the contribution of French companies in Pakistan to women empowerment and corporate social responsibility.

A panel discussion was also arranged on the occasion where representatives of the four companies detailed their activities undertaken under their corporate social responsibility initiative.

The ambassador further said,’ We are gathered here to recognize the role of the private sector for causes of general interest, which are often considered to be the responsibility of public institutions. But fortunately, times are changing, and for the better’.

Ambassador Galey said, some companies have been pioneers in this regard and have introduced CSR before the concept was even known. Others became aware of this responsibility following legislations which organized CSR in many countries.

He noted that companies are not philanthropic organizations. But what is important, and which is a very significant development over the last few decades, is that public and private interests and concerns have converged more and more to promote developments and changes that, in certain cases, societies were expecting and, in other situations, which societies find difficult to engage in spontaneously.

While giving the background of the project, he said it was launched by four French companies and the Embassy – namely L’Oréal, Schneider, IPSOS and Servier.

‘We indeed believe that the contribution of the private sector is critical to achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals by creating employment, building skills, giving opportunities and reducing poverty and inequalities, and we are convinced that, in this regard, French investors abroad have duties and responsibilities in their host countries’.

For their activities have both a systemic impact though the promotion of values and standards, but also an impact on individuals – and this exactly what these short videos are about, as you will see in a few minutes, he added.

He said he was  very happy and proud that French companies in Pakistan developed good practices in terms of governance, gender equality and human rights, as well as working relations and conditions, environment, and local development.

He mentioned about a legislation adopted in France in 2019 to include consideration of social and environmental issues in the management of French companies. And as far as public and government policies are concerned, all our international development and cooperation projects must now systematically integrate actions related to women’s rights and gender equality, as well as climate change issues.

The ambassador was of the view, the initiative that brought them together was also an opportunity to highlight that the French economic presence in Pakistan – 20 subsidiaries, 1,2 billion Euros of investments – was beneficial not only to the economy of this country but also to its people, and to show that these companies, apart from the business perspectives, actively participate and locally contribute to the development of Pakistan.

‘Also, in some particularly tragic moments, like the floods of summer 2022, French companies demonstrated their solidarity and their involvement in the Pakistani social and economic fabric by helping local communities, directly or through funding of NGOs, some of them represented here ’.

Despite difficult economic conditions for all businesses in Pakistan during the recent years, these NGOs have not given up on this essential part of identity, which is to be more than a business – a responsible actor in the Pakistani society.