Joint Technical Working Group Meeting Held in Quetta, Balochistan

 

 

On 18 March 2014, UNODC Pakistan and the Government of Balochistan jointly convened the 2014 Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting.  The meeting was held in Quetta, Balochistan and reviewed UNODC's 2014 - 2015 Workplan to implement its Country Programme (2010 - 2015) and related Subprogrammes in Balochistan.  

The TWG is part of the governance structure of the Country Programme, which provides for review and feedback from UNODC government counterparts.  The meeting was chaired by Mr. Noor Ahmed Samoo, Additional Home Secretary of Balochistan with participation from the Additional Secretary of Prosecution Balochistan, Inspector General of the Prisons Balochistan, Director FIA Balochistan, AIG Training Balochistan Police, Deputy Commandant Police Training College Balochistan and Deputy Director FC Balochistan.  The Home Secretary and other government officials were unable to participate in the meeting due to an emergency meeting called by the Prime Minister in Islamabad.

Mr. Collie F. Brown, Officer-in-Charge along with members of each Sub Programme also attended and presented the Country and Subprogrammes, their implementation in 2013 and the current status of implementation for the remainder of 2014.

UNODC past and present support have focused on building capacities of law enforcement agencies addressing human trafficking and migrant smuggling, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment along with police, prosecution and prison reform.  Mr. Samoo noted the varied and complex natures of crime in the province - bomb blasts, terrorism, robberies, kidnapping and trafficking - and welcomed UNODC's continued partnership to address them.

Commenting on the meeting, Mr. Brown stated, "This meeting provides an opportunity for our provincial partners to review our work and ensure that it being delivered in a manner that serves their needs."  He further added that the results of the meeting demonstrate UNODC's ongoing commitment to consult with our counterparts to maintain the relevance of our work."    Mr. Samoo noted the significance of the meeting and commended UNODC for travelling to Balochistan instead of staying in Islamabad and inviting them there.   Mr. Samoo emphasized that this joint review was invaluable as it gave the province a chance to gauge UNODC's work in Balochistan while at the same time allowing meaningful dialogue and consultation with provincial officials.