Islamabad (GNP): UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, Muhammad Yahya, paid a courtesy call on National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq at Parliament House.
During the meeting, Speaker Sadiq praised Yahya’s work as UN Resident Coordinator, describing his efforts to strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and the United Nations as commendable. He noted that the Pakistan-UN relationship rests on mutual trust, partnership and common goals.
The Speaker said the United Nations’ contribution to Pakistan’s development and the welfare of its citizens has been of great value, and that the organization’s work in tackling humanitarian issues and crises has consistently stood out. He expressed hope that ties between Pakistan and the UN would continue to deepen going forward.
Turning to the subject of women’s empowerment, Speaker Sadiq pointed to the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and the Gender Mainstreaming Committee as initiatives designed to create a supportive environment for women, enhance their role, and bring greater focus to issues affecting them.
The Speaker closed the meeting by wishing Yahya continued success in his future endeavors.
In response, Yahya thanked the Speaker for his kind words, saying that throughout his time in Pakistan he had been met with warmth, respect and cooperation from both the government and the people — an experience he said he would carry with him.
The Resident Coordinator system brings together all UN entities involved in development-related operations within a country, regardless of their formal presence there, with the goal of improving coordination and effectiveness among UN agencies at the country level. Under the One UN initiative, the Resident Coordinator Office has taken on an expanded leadership role for the UN’s work in Pakistan.
The office supports the government in meeting its international obligations, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals, and as one of the original One UN pilot countries, Pakistan’s RCO has also been at the forefront of efforts to build a more unified and cost-effective UN presence in the country.
Yahya took up his post as UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan on January 21, 2024, and also serves as the country’s UN Humanitarian Coordinator. A Somali national, he brings more than two decades of experience in development and peacebuilding work.
Before this assignment, Yahya served as UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, managing one of the agency’s largest country programs in Africa across five of the country’s six geopolitical zones. Earlier still, he coordinated UNDP’s Africa Regional Programme from Addis Ababa, overseeing regional development work in support of the African Union and Africa’s Regional Economic Communities.
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His UN career also includes stints as a post-conflict recovery specialist in Afghanistan and Liberia, and as coordinator for a joint UN initiative on natural resource management. Prior to joining the UN, he worked as a senior peacebuilding advisor for the NGO International Alert. He holds a master’s degree in Violence, Conflict and Development and a bachelor’s degree in Politics and History, both from SOAS, University of London.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
