Spokesman Report
Islamabad: The Government of Pakistan and UNDP convened the ‘Pakistan SDGs Policy Dialogue for Action: Accelerating Reform, Investments, and Economic Transformation Toward Agenda 2030’ in line with the Prime Minister’s National Economic Transformation Plan, Uraan Pakistan Program, and Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Held under the Government of Pakistan-UNDP supported SDGs Plus Program 2024-2030, the Dialogue engaged national and provincial parliamentarians, senior government officials, development partners, UN agencies, as well as the IMF, to discuss Pakistan’s progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), efforts to set new data baselines, strengthen institutional coordination, mobilize climate and development financing, and enhance accountability through parliamentary oversight and digital tools.
Opening the event, UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative Dr. Samuel Rizk underscored the multifaced challenges that impede Pakistan’s performance on SDGs and Human Development. Dr. Rizk said this dialogue would lead to a reassessment and recalibration of Pakistan’s SDG performance and priorities, which would help identify areas for SDG investments and finance. “The solution to these challenges lies in data governance, development prioritization, and development financing.”
According to UNDP’s Integrated SDG Insights Report 2023, Pakistan is on track to meet only 35 out of 169 SDG targets. To achieve Agenda 2030, Pakistan needs a substantial ‘SDG Push’ that involves high-intensity economic reforms and an additional 16.1 percent of GDP.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Musadik Malik, Minister of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, reflected on Pakistan’s performance on SDGs. “The stark disparities faced by the people of Pakistan — whether maternal mortality, out-of-school children, or access to clean drinking water — demand urgent action to go beyond despondence and build resilience. We must move beyond processes and focus on delivering tangible outcomes that improve lives and restore dignity to our most vulnerable citizens.”
The Dialogue featured federal and provincial SDGs snapshots delivered by senior government officials from the Federal Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, and the Provincial Governments of Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab. These snapshots reflected progress and persistent gaps across regions.
Plenary Session 2, chaired by Mr. Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Minister of State for Railways and Convener of the National Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs, focused on parliamentary leadership. Conveners of the Provincial SDG Task Forces and chairperson of the Women Parliamentary Caucus outlined their commitment to enhancing legislative oversight, public advocacy, and cross-sectoral accountability for SDG delivery. Closing the session, UNDP Pakistan Deputy Resident Representative Ms. Van Nguyen highlighted the role of parliamentary committees to accelerate SDG performance. “Parliamentary committees and taskforces can ensure that annual budgets are aligned with SDG priorities, that project feasibilities reflect the true cost of climate resilience, and that laws enacted at the center do not contradict ambitions at the periphery.”
Day two of the Dialogue commenced with concurrent working sessions catered to two key groups: government officials and parliamentarians. The government track focused on SDGs data governance, featuring provincial experiences, problem mapping, and case studies on data coordination, audits, and innovation. Simultaneously, senior parliamentarians engaged in a high-level panel discussion on the role of standing committees in ensuring parliamentary oversight of SDGs.
A follow-up session on public finance management equipped participants with tools to improve national and provincial budget alignment and access innovative financing for sustainable development opportunities. In his talk, International Monetary Fund’s Resident Representative, Mr. Mahir Binici, shared “how the IMF’s Resilient Support Fund (RSF) aims to strengthen Pakistan’s climate resilience to address risks to future balance of payments stability arising from long-term macro-structural challenges, including climate change and pandemic preparedness.”
The event concluded with remarks from Dr. Samuel Rizk, UNDP Pakistan’s Resident Representative, who reiterated UNDP’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s transition from dialogue to action. This was followed by a keynote address by the chief guest, H.E. Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives. He emphasized the government’s resolve to institutionalize reforms and investment frameworks that ensure a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for Pakistan. “Let us make today a turning point. Let this dialogue be the beginning of a renewed compact between state and society. Let us reclaim development as a collective mission — where no one is invisible, and no dream is too ambitious” he said.
