development: ‘Govt’s lack of will prevents it from achieving MDGs’

LAHORE:

In a statement on Friday, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called on the government to prepare for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The statement says that the international community has been finalising the Sustainable Development Goals that will lay down the development agenda for most of the states in the period 2016-2030.

Planned as a follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals 2000-2015, the Sustainable Development Goals include: an end to poverty; end to food insecurity and promotion of sustainable agriculture; guaranteeing healthy lives; ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all; achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women; guaranteeing access to affordable energy; promoting inclusive and sustained economic growth, full employment and decent work for all; achievement of reduction in inequality within and between states; and guaranteeing of rule of law and responsive, inclusive and representative decision-making at all levels.

The statement says while all the Sustainable Development Goals and their 169 sub-goals are relevant to Pakistan, the HRCP believes that some of the goals are critically important for the people of Pakistan.

Participants of a consultation held by the HRCP in Islamabad this week said the main reason for Pakistan’s failure to achieve the MDGs has been the government’s lack of will and capacity to address tasks involved. In order to ensure that this doesn’t occur in the case of realisation of Sustainable Development Goals, the government must start putting things in order.

Priority must be given to the creation of administrative mechanisms and mobilisation of financial resources for creating a society of knowledgeable and healthy men and women capable of establishing and sustaining an order based on equity and justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2015.