PRESS RELEASE DETAILS
National and Provincial Parliamentarians Commit to National Framework 2030 SDG Plan
Wednesday, 27th July, 2022
Prosperous and developed Pakistan is interlinked with achieving SDGs : NA Speaker
Members of National, Federal and Legislative Assemblies gathered in Islamabad to re-affirm their commitment to the 2030 UN 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 of Pakistan in collaboration with Mustehkam Parlimaan, a project of the European Union. The Conference is being held from 27th to 28th July 2022 in Islamabad. Speaker National Assembly Mr. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Minister for Planning and Development Dr. Ahsan Iqbal, EU Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Riina Kionka, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister / Convener Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam attended the Opening Session of the event.
Addressing the participants as Chief Guest, the Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that the policy choices, the government makes today will determine its success in building a transition to a sustainable, greener, more inclusive and more resilient tomorrow. He said that the implementation and localisation of the UN’s Agenda 2030 would transform Pakistan into prosperous and developed country. He stated that Pakistan re-iterated its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by adopting the Sustainable Development Goals as its own national development agenda through unanimous Resolution in year 2016. He further stated that COVID-19 has been a major setback for the global economy and prosperity and Pakistan was not an exception. He highlighted that Pakistan is facing acute challanges like climate change, healthcare, economic growth, poverty, gender inequality and socio-economic challenges. Building a world with zero hunger which can positively impact our economies, health, education, equality and social development is an integral to building a better future for everyone.
Federal Planning and Development Minister Dr. Ahsan Iqbal observed that the SDGs can only be implemented by localizing their solutions in Pakistan’s unique context.
EU Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Riina Kionka praised the efforts of the National Assembly Secretariat for organising the conference, stating that the European Union 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 to the Prime Minister Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam stated that 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.
The National Meet on SDGs will go in-depth on Pakistan’s issues, such as environmental degradation, rising poverty, food scarcity, energy difficulties, and inadequate flood control, with an emphasis on the post-COVID-19 situation.
The event is being supported by Mustehkam Parlimaan, a project of the EU focused on providing support to parliamentary development in Pakistan. The project is being implemented by the German Agency for International Development (GIZ-INS) and Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Affairs (PIPS)
