MANSEHRA: People from different walks of life on Tuesday presented suggestions on how to achieve targets set by the government for poverty alleviation, improvement of people’s access to healthcare and education, and reduction of inequality under the Sustainable Development Goals, 2030.

They gathered in a forum here and discussed governance, climate change, education and digital transformation and sought the United Nations’ help for the country to achieve all 17 sustainable goals.

The participants included doctors, teachers, lawyers, traders and civil society activists, heads of government departments, youth and local governments representatives.

“Such dialogues bring the United Nations closer to the people, and we would share outcome of all these sessions being held currently in 12 districts of Pakistan with provincial and federal governments and SDG summit to be held in New York from Sept 18 to Sept 19,” United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan Julien Harneis told them.

Mr Harneis said the UN’s country office would share with the moot the ideas and suggestions accumulated through 12 forums in the country.

“We don’t say Pakistan is lagging behind in achieving SDG targets, but this country of over 240 million stands behind in progress compared to other Asian countries,” he said.

He said that over 1,000 local leaders living in 12 cities outside the Federal and provincial capitals had been discussing development priorities across the country.

On the occasion deputy, Mansehra commissioner Bilal Shahid Rao said administration was working to provide better services to people.

“The suggestions floated here by youths, lawyers, women and others will be followed in letter and spirit for good governance,” he said.

District police officer Zahoor Babar Afridi said the government couldn’t meet the SDGs 2030 due to militancy in the country.

“Among enormous challenges, intolerance is a big issue facing our society, especially youths,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2023