National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) was established by the Government of Pakistan in 2002 as a statutory autonomous federal body, mandated with the role to support and augment human development efforts in Pakistan. NCHD is registered under Ordinance No. XXIX of 2002.

Background:

At the start of the new millennium, Pakistan was facing enormous challenges with a ranking of 144 on the UNDP’s Human Development Index, out of a total of 178 countries. Poverty, illiteracy, lack of healthcare facilities and a continuously soaring population have for long hampered the scope of generating improved social sector outcomes for the millions of Pakistanis living at the grassroots.

Considering the situation, the Government of Pakistan established a Task Force on Human Development in 2001 to contribute new perspectives and resources to development discourse in Pakistan.

Following were the key finding of the Task Force:

• Inadequate capacity, competency and managerial efficiencies within: Line Departments, Elected Representatives, Private sector delivery system (NGOs, CBOs)
• Lack of community participation and decision making rights
• Gaps in service delivery, quality, and financing

Recommendations of the Task Force:

• An integrated approach to improve quality and access in the three key areas;
• Primary education and Literacy
• Primary health care
• Economic empowerment.
• Increased presence of private sector in the delivery of social services. Building Public Private Partnership model to meet the development needs leading to a coordinated movement towards development covering the following:
• Community Participation
• Capacity and Competency Building
• Communications/Social Marketing Regime (Awareness raising)