United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres visited National Emergencies Operations Centre (NEOC) at NDMA Headquarters, Islamabad. The UN Secretary-General was accompanied by Ms. Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, along with senior United Nations officials. During the visit, the UN delegation was given a comprehensive briefing on Pakistan’s evolving disaster management architecture, with particular focus on the country’s transition from reactive disaster response towards a proactive, technology-driven and pre-emptive disaster risk management system.

Chairman NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik briefed the UN Secretary-General on the strategic role of NEOC as the central hub for disaster monitoring, Disaster Early Warnings (DEWs), preparedness and coordinated emergency response.

The UN Secretary-General appreciated Pakistan’s efforts towards strengthening disaster preparedness, early warning and resilience, particularly in the face of increasing climate-related risks and recurring natural hazards. He also admired the proactive disaster management approach of Pakistan and stressed on the replication of this template in disaster prone region of world.

The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of Pakistan and the United Nations to further strengthen cooperation in disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, early warning, anticipatory action, humanitarian coordination and emergency preparedness and response. Both sides emphasized the importance of innovation, technology and international partnerships in advancing a more resilient and disaster-prepared future.