SDGs & Pakistan: navigating challenges for inclusive growth

Headway towards localising SDGs in Pakistan has been much more than merely agreeing to formal consensus

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 global objectives adopted by the UN in 2015, serve as a blueprint for addressing pressing socio-economic and environmental challenges by 2030. The SDGs, also known as the Global Goals, is a global demand for action to alleviate absolute poverty in all its forms, ensure the protection of the planet and guarantee peace and prosperity for all individuals.

Pakistan has demonstrated a laudable commitment to the pursuit of these goals as being the first country to endorse the 2030 Agenda globally in 2015. In the same context, a dedicated SDGs Section has been established at the federal level in the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives for monitoring and coordination as a national coordinating entity. A Parliamentary SDGs Secretariat founded at the National Assembly started a legislation process as the foremost and very critical step in mainstreaming and localising the SDGs.

In the same backdrop, SDGs in Pakistan have been prioritised in three wide-ranging and interconnected sets of priorities intended to address global challenges and foster sustainable development as outlined in Agenda 2030.

Priority-I: SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; and SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Priority-II: SDG 1: No Poverty; SDG 5: Gender Equality; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Priority-III: SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 13: Climate Action; SDG 14: Life Below Water; and SDG 15: Life on Land.\

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The headway towards localising SDGs in Pakistan has been much more than merely agreeing to a formal consensus among government partners. It has also been an inclusive process relying on evidence-based solutions to transform abstract SDG aspirations into real and objective targets for all stakeholders, including local actors. The 18^th constitutional amendment devolved several public functions including the provision of social services from the federal to the provincial governments. The Government of Pakistan conducted discussions on the post-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with all stakeholders for coordinating and strengthening efforts at federal and provincial levels to achieve Pakistan’s sustainable development and poverty reduction targets. The consultation process emphasised the need for national categorisation of SDGs, improved data collection and enforcement of monitoring mechanisms.

The UNDP in the capacity of the leading organisation striving to achieve the SDGs by 2030 is supporting the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan for localising these goals by applying UNDG MAPS approach concentrating on subsequent four project outputs:

Mainstreaming SDGs in Plans, Policies and Resource Allocation aligned to 2030 Agenda

SDGs monitoring, reporting and evaluation capacities strengthened: Financing flows increasingly aligned with 2030 Agenda; and Innovative approaches applied to accelerate progress on priority SDGs.

Together, all stakeholders can support the new agenda communiqué, consolidate partnerships for execution, and fill in the gaps in available data to review and monitor the implementation and achievement process. As Pakistan steers the path towards the SDGs, a multilateral approach to sustainable development is indispensable. Advancements made in poverty alleviation in all its forms, ensuring food security, provision of healthcare facilities, imparting meaningful education, reducing gender inequality, provision of clean water and sanitation, production of renewable and clean energy, and sustainable economic growth are admirable, but challenges continue to persist.

Attaining these sustainable goals, as envisaged by the Agenda 2030, calls for a concerted and strenuous determination including the government, private sector, civil society and international partners. Strategic investments, policy reforms and community engagement are pivotal for ensuring inclusive and sustainable development in Pakistan by 2030.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2024.

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