ISLAMABAD: Choices that the government makes today will determine its success towards building a transition to a sustainable, greener more inclusive and resilient tomorrow, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Wednesday.

Members of the national and legislative assemblies gathered in Islamabad to re-affirm their commitment to the 2030 United Nations Plan for Sustainable Development Goals and develop a national framework for their monitoring and implementation. The framework was devised at the national meet on SDGs, organised by the Parliamentary SDGs Secretariat, National Assembly in collaboration with Mustehkam Parlimaan, a project of the European Union (EU).

Mr Ashraf along with Minister for Planning and Development Dr Ahsan Iqbal, EU Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Romina Khurshid Alam attended the opening session of the event.

The NA speaker said implementation and localisation of the UN’s agenda 2030 would transform Pakistan into a prosperous and developed country.

Legislators reiterate commitment towards UN’s plan

Covid-19 has been a major setback for the global economy and prosperity and Pakistan was not an exception, he said, adding that Pakistan was facing acute challenges like climate change, healthcare, economic growth, poverty, gender inequality and socio-economic challenges.

He said it was imperative to work and call for an honest reflection of agenda 2030.

National governance for the SDGs could only be effective when it was in accord with global governance for sustainability, Mr Ashraf said, adding that Pakistan was a developing country where millions of people were without a number of basic amenities.

The participants were informed that no one, especially children, could be deprived of essential nutrients, which directly hindered their growth.

They learnt that deteriorating health conditions in Pakistan with little to no access to healthcare services was yet another issue and it was the responsibility of legislators to provide equal and quality health services to all.

Furthermore, the impacts of natural disasters have made under-nutrition and malnutrition a huge concern in the country which is why building a world with zero hunger could positively impact economies, participants were told.

Dr Iqbal said the SDGs could only be implemented by localising their solutions in Pakistan’s unique context.

EU Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka praised efforts of the National Assembly Secretariat for organising the conference, adding that the EU was pleased to join forces with Pakistan to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

She also highlighted the role of the National Task Force as an important stakeholder in the process in terms of prioritisation and accountability.

Special Assistant Alam said the aim of the national conference was to bring together stakeholders from all over Pakistan to share ideas, expertise and solutions for taking ambitious action and building partnerships to achieve the SDGs.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2022