Shafqat Ali

 

Islamabad, February 12: An MoU was signed between the National Assembly and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Pakistan Office in the Parliament House on Thursday afternoon to cooperate on CPEC.

 

The MoU is aimed at including all stakeholders to expedite the CPEC related projects in the best interest of the country, said an official statement.

 

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) is a private German political foundation committed to promoting social democracy around the world. The main work of FES in Pakistan focuses on cooperating with local partners in the fields of conflict management, promotion of democracy, youth development, industrial relations, and regional dialogue.

 

Under its core theme of 'Creating Peace and Security', the FES office in Pakistan has set up a 'Topic Centre for Civil Conflict Management' where experiences relating to conflict sensitive program management and civil conflict transformation are being processed and shared with relevant actors in South Asia.

 

The center has developed tools and guidelines on 'Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA)' to ensure sensitivity in conflicts and conflict-prone regions. The FES Pakistan office has also been implementing projects to promote understanding and peace between India and Pakistan.

 

At the national level in Pakistan, FES has developed a youth leadership program, Young Professionals’ Network (YPN), to encourage young people to play active roles in society.

 

YPN participants are exposed to various training programs, including a workshop on 'interpersonal conflict management' which teaches important skills on resolving conflicts in their immediate environments.

 

Witnessing the signing ceremony of MoU, Chairman Parliamentary Committee on CPEC Arbab Shair Ali said that CPEC would prove a vital factor for socio-economic development of the country. He said that CPEC would amplify employment opportunities and would bring regional prosperity.

 

“This MoU would be for inclusion of all stakeholders to expedite the CPEC related projects in the best interest of the country,” he elaborated.

 

The Chairman Parliamentary Committee on CPEC remarked that the parliamentary committee on CPEC would take all stakeholders into consideration to enhance the efficacy of CPEC related projects across the country.

 

Dr. Jochen Hippler, Country Director FES appreciated the importance of CPEC. He also expressed his gratitude to the chairman of the Parliamentary committee on CPEC for signing this MoU. He said that this MoU would prove a step for cooperation and supporting the CPEC Parliamentary Committee.