Our Agenda

2nd National Social Protection Conference

Date: 24-26 February 2025
Location: Karachi

Day 1 - Monday, 24 February

Time Sessions and Speakers
0900-0930 Registration of Participants and Welcome Coffee
0930-0935 Recitation
0935-0940 National Anthem
0940-0950 Welcome and Introduction to Agenda, Ms. Maria-Jose Poddey, Country Director, GIZ
0950-1000 Opening remarks and Welcome, Mr. Najam Ahmed Shah, Chairman Planning and Development Board, Government of Sindh
1000-1010 Recap of the First Social Protection Conference:
  • Mr. Naveed Akbar, Director General, BISP
  • Ms. Shereen Mustafa, Chairperson Chief Minister Inspection Team, Government of Sindh
  • Ms. Johanna Knoess, Head of Social Protection, GIZ
1010-1015 Key address by Dr. Ruediger Lotz, German Consul General
1015-1020 Key address by Sébastien Lorion, Team Leader - Governance and Human Capital Development, European Union
1020-1035 Strategic Priorities and Insights on Advancing Investments in Social Protection
  • Ms. Masuma Zaidi, Senior Sector Specialist Health and Social Protection, KfW
  • Ms. Sofia Shakil, Director Human and Social Development, Asian Development Bank
  • Mr. Sohail Saeed Abbasi, Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank
1035-1045 Special remarks by Madam Senator Rubina Khalid, Chairperson BISP
1045-1100 Special remarks Mr. Sarfaraz Rajar, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh (SACM) on Social Protection, Government of Sindh
1100-1130 Housekeeping, Speed Networking and Group Photo, Mr. Jost Wagner, Lead Facilitator
1130-1200 Tea and Coffee Break
1200-1210 Framing presentation on Adaptive Social Protection in South Asia: Challenges, Opportunities and lessons learnt by Ms. Melis Guven, Lead Economist and Global Lead for Social Protection Delivery Systems, World Bank (virtual)
Building Block 1: Policy, Institutions & Partnerships for Social Protection
Session 1: Collaborative Governance: The Role of the Provinces in Pakistan’s Social Protection Landscape
1210-1220 Framing Presentation: Mr. Yusuf Khan, Ex-Secretary Pakistan Administrative Services
1220-1320 Panel Discussion on Provincial and Federal joint implementation and devolution Moderation:
  • Mr. Shahzad Nawaz Cheema, Joint Secretary MoPASS
  • Mr. Ali Shehzad, CEO, Punjab Social Protection Authority
  • Mr. Samiullah Shaikh, CEO, Sindh Social Protection Authority
  • Ms. Shazia Atta, Chief Social Protection and Gender Mainstreaming (SP&GM), Planning & Development Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Mr. Imran Baloch, Chief of Section Foreign Aid, Planning and Development, Balochistan
1320-1330 Reflections, Questions and Answers
1330-1430 Networking Lunch
Introduction: Inter-Provincial Social Protection Forum
1430-1445 Introduction by Ms. JahanAra Wattoo, Vice Chairperson, Punjab Social Protection Authority
1445-1515 Reflections from other provincial governments:
  • Mr. Samiullah Shaikh, CEO, Sindh Social Protection Authority
  • Ms. Shazia Atta, Chief Social Protection and Gender Mainstreaming (SP&GM), Planning & Development Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Haji Wali Muhammad Noorzai, Minister Social Welfare Department, Balochistan
Tea and Marketplace on Research and Evidence
1515-1520 Introduction to Marketplace on Evidence and Research in Social Protection
1520-1615 Marketplace featuring IBA, IRD, WWF, Akhtar Hameed Khan Foundation/RADS, and Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam
Building Block 2: Financing Social Protection
Session 2: Charting the Path for Collaborative Planning and Sustainable Financing in Social Protection
1615-1625 Moderation: Ms. Maheen Zahra, Senior Consultant, Poverty and Social Protection Practice, Oxford Policy Management
1625-1635 Framing presentation: Mr. Ali Raza Bhutta, Ex-Secretary BISP
1635-1715 Panel:
  • Dr. Muhammad Nadeem Memon, Joint Secretary Finance Division, Ministry of Finance
  • Mr. Muhammad Taufique, Additional Secretary, Planning and Development Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Mr. Noor Ul Haq Baloch, Focal Person to Chief Minister Social Protection, Balochistan
  • Mr. Ali Shehzad, CEO, Punjab Social Protection Authority
  • Mr. Zubair Channa, Special Secretary Planning and Development, Sindh
  • Mr. Irshad Ahmad Quereshi, Secretary Social Welfare Department, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
1715-1725 Reflections, Questions and Answers
1725-1745 Wrap Up: Buzz Group/Reflections at the table

Day 2 - Tuesday, 25 February

Time Sessions and Speakers
0900-0930 Registration and welcome coffee
0930-0940 Check-in and Insights from Day 1 (Ambassadors)
Session 3: Leveraging Climate Risk Transfer Instruments for Adaptive Social Protection (including Global Shield)
0940-0950 Framing presentation: Mr. Ali Tauqeer, Member of Board of Directors, Loss and Damage Fund
0950-1050 Panel Discussion
Moderation:
  • Ms. Sobiah Becker, Advisor Pak-German Climate and Energy Partnership, GIZ
  • Dr. Kamal Ahmed, Advisor Climate and Disaster Risk Finance, NDMA
  • Ms. Sana Ehsan, Financing for Development Analyst/National Project Coordinator, United Nations Development Programme
  • Mr. Mansoor Ali Masood, Senior Project Officer, BRACE Project, Asian Development Bank
  • Ms. Ermioni Sokou, Policy Officer, Social Inclusion and Protection, Health and Demography Unit, Directorate-General for International Partnership (INTPA), European Commission (virtual)
1050-1100 Reflections, Questions and Answers
1100-1130 Tea and Coffee Break
Building Block 3: Data and Information for Social Protection
Session 4: Digital Infrastructure for Adaptive Social Protection
1130-1140 Framing presentation: Mr. Ralf Rademacher, Coordinator Sector Initiative Social Protection & Global Alliances for Social Protection GIZ (virtual)
1140-1220 Presentations/ Case Studies
  • Mr. Naveed Akbar, Director General BISP
  • Mr. Mubushar Hussain, Manager DRR, NDRMF, NatCat model (virtual)
  • Mr. Muhammad Ismail Khan, DRM Specialist, PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Mr. Arif Goheer, Executive Director, Global Change Impact Studies Centre (virtual)
1220-1245 Fireside Chat: Role of AI an Cyber Security in Adaptive Social Protection
Moderation:
  • Dr. Hashim Chunpir, Digital Ambassador, Social Protection
  • Dr. Haider Abbas, Director General, National CERT
1245-1300 Reflections, Question and Answers
1300-1400 Networking Lunch
Session 5: Coming Together – Sharing Knowledge – Bringing Social Protection to the Next Level in Pakistan
1400-1530 Interactive Discussion of key topics, challenges and opportunities with all participants
Moderation: Jost Wagner
1530-1600 Tea and Coffee Break
Building Block 4: Programmes and Delivery Systems for Adaptive Social Protection
Session 6: Latest Interventions in Social Protection
1600-1610 Moderator: Ms. Meriem El Harouchi, First Secretary, Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan
1610-1640 Presentations:
  • Mr. Frank Schneider, Senior Policy Advisor, GIZ, Digital and Financial Literacy: Path Towards Financial Inclusion
  • Mr. Taimoor Ali, Chief Digital Officer, Karandaaz, Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment
  • Ms. Alba Riobo Souto, Policy Officer, Social Inclusion and Protection, Health and Demography Unit, Directorate-General for International Partnership (INTPA) European Commission, Global Gateways and Social Protection (virtual)
  • Ms. Melis Guven, Lead Economist and Global Lead for Social Protection Delivery Systems, World Bank, Hybrid Social Protection (virtual)
  • Ms. Zeina Sifri, Senior Program Officer, Gates Foundation, SOPRAN Project (virtual)
1640-1650 Reflections, Question and Answers
Session 7: Role of Evidence and Research in Social Protection
1650-1700 Framing presentation: Ms. Rathi Palakrishnan, Deputy Country Director, World Food Programme
1700-1745 Presentation in Pecha Kucha Format:
  • Ms. Maheen Zahra, Senior Consultant, Poverty and Social Protection Practice, Oxford Policy Management. Feasibility Study on Social Protection for Health and Climate Resilience by KfW
  • Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, Founding Director, Institute for Global Health & Development, the Aga Khan University. Impact Evaluation of Benazir Nashonuma Program (BNP)
  • Ms. Zaineb Majoka, Social Protection Economist, World Bank. Mind the Gap: Assessing Pakistan’s National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) (virtual)
  • Mr. Sanaullah Hassanzai, Technical Advisor Climate Risk Assessment. Climate Risk Profiles (virtual)
  • Dr. Asim Ijaz, Director General BISP. Social Protection Delivery System on Wheels: A case study of mobile registration vehicles in Pakistan (virtual)
1900-2000 Dinner
2000-2130 Cultural Evening

Day 3 - Wednesday, 26 February

Time Sessions and Speakers
0900-0930 Registration and welcome Coffee
0930-0940 Check-in and Insights from Day 2 (Ambassadors)
Session 8: From Preparation to Recovery: Building Resilience Across the Disaster Lifecycle
0940-0950 Framing presentation: Dr. Abid Sulehri, Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (virtual)
0950-1020 Presentations
  • Mr. Saleem Shahzad Malik, Executive Director Climate and Disaster Risk Financing, NDMA
  • Ms. Aisha Aziz, GIS Developer & MHVRA Specialist, PDMA Sindh
  • Mr. Nisar Ahmed Sani, Director Operations, PDMA Punjab
  • Mr. Musaver Shah, Project Director Gender and Child Cell, PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Mr. Asghar Ali Jamali, Deputy Director, PDMA Balochistan
1020-1050 Panel Discussion: Special Focus on Children, Education, Health and Nutrition before, during and after disasters
Moderation:
  • Ms. Sadaf Zulfiqar, Education Specialist, UNICEF
  • Ms. Xin Long, Chief Economist, Asian Development Bank
  • Ms. Rathi Palakrishnan, Deputy Country Director, World Food Programme
  • Ms. Rabia Razzaque, Senior Programme Officer, International Labour Organisation
1050-1100 Reflections, Questions and Answers
1100-1130 Tea and Coffee Break
Session 9: Building Resilience Through Sustainable Livelihoods
1130-1140 Framing presentation: Mr. Ghulam Nabi Marri, Country Programme Coordinator, International Fund for Agricultural Development
1140-1200 Presentations
  • Mr. Amjad Saqib, Founder, Akhuwat Foundation
  • Mr. Ali Kemal, Economic Policy Advisor, SDG Support Unit Planning Commission, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives
1200-1250 Panel Discussion on Role of Skills Development and Graduation Programs for Building Resilience
Moderation:
  • Mr. Ghulam Nabi Marri, Country Programme Coordinator, International Fund for Agricultural Development
  • Mr. Arshad Rashid, Chief Programs, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund
  • Dr. Muhammad Ahsan Riaz, Programme Director, National Poverty Graduation Programme
  • Mr. Asim Pasha, Chief Programs Officer, Punjab Skill Development Fund
  • Mr. Khurram Butt, Senior Project Officer, Education and Skills Development, Asian Development Bank
1250-1300 Reflections, Questions and Answers
1300-1400 Networking Lunch
Session 10: Way Forward and Future Collaboration
1400-1410 Framing and Moderation:
  • Ms. Johanna Knoess, Head of Social Protection, GIZ
1410-1500 Joint drafting of Statement 2.0
A drafting team will compile input from conference participants on the way forward.
1500-1530 Tea and Coffee Break
Closing Remarks
1530-1600 Reflections and Remarks:
  • Ms. Sumaira Samad, Additional Secretary, MoPASS
  • Mr. Naseem Mirani, Additional Secretary, Social Protection Department, Government of Sindh
  • Mr. Syed Salman Shah, Director General, PDMA Sindh
  • Ms. JahanAra Wattoo, Vice Chairperson, Punjab Social Protection Authority
  • Mr. Muhammad Taufique, Additional Secretary Planning and Development Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Mr. Zahid Saleem, Additional Chief Secretary Home & Tribal Affairs, Balochistan
1600-1610 Recap and Way Forward by Mr. Naveed Akbar, Director General, BISP and Ms. Johanna Knoess, Head of Social Protection, GIZ
1610-1620 Handing Over the 3rd National Social Protection Conference Batton by Mr. Najam Ahmed Shah, Chairman Planning and Development Board, Government of Sindh
1620-1630 Closing Remarks by Madam Senator Rubina Khalid, Chairperson BISP
1630-1640 Closing Remarks by Ms. Meriem El Harouchi, First Secretary, Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan
1640-1700 Closing remarks by Chief Guest: Mr. Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Provincial Minister, Ministry of Planning, Development & Energy
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