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ISLAMABAD, Jul 21 (APP):Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar Monday said Pakistan remained fully committed to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and had undertaken different initiatives to financially protect people and enhance educational opportunities.
In a statement at the General Debate of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) Ministerial Segment at the United Nations in New York, he said, “With just five years remaining to 2030, only 35% of the SDGs are on track. The compounding effects of the pandemic, the food, fuel, and finance crises, as well as intensifying climate impacts, have reversed the hard-won development gains and deepened inequalities.”
“Despite these challenges, Pakistan remains fully committed to achieving the 2030 Agenda. Our national development strategies, such as Uraan Pakistan (Take-Off Pakistan), are aligned with the SDGs,” he noted.
The Deputy Prime Minister said, “Our social protection initiatives, including the Benazir Income Support Programme and Benazir Nashonuma (Child Growth Programs), are designed to ensure no-one is left behind.”
“To harness the potential of our youth, we have launched the Digital Youth Hub and are expanding access to quality education through Danish Schools and new university campuses,” he added.
“We are scaling up climate action, targeting 60% renewable energy by 2030, and enhancing resilience through initiatives such as Recharge Pakistan and the Living Indus. Our revised nationally determined contribution is nearing finalization,” he told.
Ishaq Dar said, “We have also undertaken key macroeconomic reforms to stabilize our fiscal outlook and make the investment climate even more attractive. The Special Investment Facilitation Council is channelling direct foreign investment in priority sectors.”
“While national efforts are essential, these cannot succeed in isolation,” he said and called for deep reform of the international financial architecture, critical for implementing the SDGs.
He urged that developing countries needed scaled up access to concessional and grant-based resources, meaningful debt relief, and scaled-up climate finance in order to bridge the SDG Financing Gap.
“The Compromiso de Seville, adopted at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, offers a clear roadmap. Its implementation must begin without delay,” he stressed.
The Deputy Prime Minister said, “As we commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations, the Secretary General’s UN80 initiative offers an opportunity for a critical re-think to strengthen the three pillars of the United Nations and renew our commitment towards timely achievement of the SDGs.”