In a significant step forward towards building a resilient, inclusive, and climate-adaptive social protection system in Pakistan, the Government of Sindh and GIZ Pakistan, with support from the European Union (EU) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), reached another important milestone and signed Implementation Agreement.
Convened under the leadership of the Minister for Planning and Development, Mr. Syed Nasir Shah, and the Chairman of the Planning and Development Board, Mr. Najam Ahmad Shah, the ceremony brought together key stakeholders from the Sindh Government. On this occasion, Ms. Johanna Knoess, Head of Adaptive Social Protection at GIZ Pakistan, emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration and reaffirmed the shared commitment to driving systemic reform through data integration, policy innovation, and institutional coordination.
The Implementation Agreement was signed by representatives from Sindh Planning and Development Board, Social Protection Department, Social Protection Authority, Sindh Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Rehabilitation Department, GIZ Pakistan’s Country Director as well as Head of Adaptive Social Protection Project. The agreement reinforces a shared commitment to strengthening social protection systems through coordinated policymaking, institutional partnerships, and integrated programming.
Re-iterating the objectives of the Adaptive Social Protection Project at GIZ, Ms. Johanna Knoess emphasized the importance of an integrated approach for Adaptive Social Protection in Pakistan. She highlighted five critical areas of collaboration: Policy, Institutions & Partnerships for Social Protection; Program Delivery; Data Integration; and Climate Change Adaptation for Livelihood Resilience. She underscored that these pillars are essential to ensuring a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to social protection. Ms. Knoess noted that this agreement, followed by Letters of Understanding and joint workplans must translate into real-world impact – ensuring that collective efforts lead to tangible improvements in the lives of vulnerable communities.
Concluding the ceremony, Mr. Syed Nasir Shah, Minister for Planning and Development, expressed appreciation for EU and BMZ’s support through GIZ in Sindh and reiterated the province’s dedication to adaptive social protection as a key strategy for reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing crisis response. He voiced confidence that the project would lead to meaningful progress towards a better social protection system for the future.
