LAHORE: Lawmakers from the provincial assemblies and the Parliament of Pakistan came together at the Punjab Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Dec 3 and 4 to adopt a declaration aimed at accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda through strengthened legislative, budgetary, and oversight functions.

The “Punjab Parliamentary SDG Accord (2025–2030)” marks a unified, cross-party commitment to embed sustainable development principles at the heart of provincial governance and constituency-level action.

During the conference organised by the Punjab Assembly, participating legislators reaffirmed that Pakistan’s constitutional framework positions assemblies as central actors in lawmaking, budget scrutiny, and executive oversight.

Recognising that SDG achievement requires targeted provincial action, localised planning, and coordinated institutions, parliamentarians endorsed the Accord as a guiding framework for the next five years - anchored in equity, inclusion, gender equality, climate resilience, transparency, and measurable results.

Through the Accord, lawmakers pledged to strengthen SDG-linked legislation and systematically review both new and existing laws in relation to relevant SDG targets. The declaration emphasises laws that promote gender equality, extend protections to marginalised groups, and advance climate-resilient development.

Legislators also committed to pursuing reforms that enhance service delivery by improving coordination across provincial and local government systems.

Adopt five-year accord for localised, equitable development; standing committees to integrate SDG priorities into departmental reviews

A major component of the Accord focuses on budget reforms. Members agreed to promote the consistent use of SDG-tagged expenditures during budget reviews, analyse district-level indicators to identify inequities, and advocate for enhanced spending on priority districts.

They pledged to scrutinise development budgets through an SDG lens - examining absorption capacity, bottlenecks, and implementation timelines - and to support predictable resource flows to frontline service providers responsible for delivering essential social services.

Standing committees, which serve as the backbone of parliamentary oversight, will now be required to integrate SDG priorities into all departmental reviews and routinely request district-wise and gender-disaggregated data to monitor progress.

Legislators also agreed to hold joint or committee-of-the-whole sessions on major SDG themes and to ensure systematic follow-up on recommendations until their implementation is complete.

Beyond legislatures, the Accord emphasises constituency-level action. Members committed to advancing SDG outcomes across education, health, water and sanitation, livelihoods, climate resilience, and social inclusion within their constituencies. Each lawmaker is expected to hold at least one annual constituency-level consultation on SDG priorities, while also strengthening community feedback mechanisms to ensure transparency and responsiveness.

The role of local governments - recognised as the third tier of governance - forms another central pillar of the declaration. Legislators pledged to strengthen local SDG delivery through timely and transparent fiscal transfers, increased administrative and financial decentralisation, and structured coordination between members, local councils, and district administrations.

One of the more innovative features of the Accord is the commitment by each provincial assembly to develop its own SDG Dashboard to provide constituency-wise snapshots of development progress, highlight lagging indicators, and integrate data from departments, districts, and committee reviews.

To ensure implementation, the Accord outlines support from the provincial assembly secretariat, the Punjab SDG Task Force, the Parliamentary Development Unit (PDU), and partners such as UNDP. It will undergo biannual review by the Punjab SDG Task Force. Progress will be captured through assembly-level dashboards and committee reporting, reinforcing accountability and momentum toward the national and provincial development goals.

Those who addressed various sessions of the moot included Punjab senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Pildat president Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, and Samuel Rizk, Naveed Ahmed Sheikh and Shahbano from UNDP.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2025