PM urges inclusive global development push
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets IAEA DG Rafael Mariano Grossi at the Vienna International Centre. Photo: INP
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for a renewed global commitment to "inclusive and sustainable development", warning that a convergence of geopolitical hostility, climate stress and technological disruption is pushing the world towards deeper instability.
Addressing a special event on 'Sustainable Development: Pathway for Global Peace and Prosperity' in Vienna, the prime minister described "an inclusive and sustainable development" as the only credible pathway to lasting peace and shared prosperity.
He said humanity stood at a crossroads. "The defining danger of our time is not any single threat, but the combination of many," he said, adding that poverty, debt distress, mass displacement and unresolved conflicts continued to intensify global instability.
"Development cannot be called sustainable if it excludes millions from the promise of a better life," he said, pointing to the disproportionate burden borne by developing countries that contribute least to global emissions yet suffer the harshest climate impacts.
He said Pakistan accounted for less than 1% of global emissions yet remained among the most climate-exposed states. Recalling the devastating 2022 floods that claimed thousands of lives, destroyed crops and infrastructure, and displaced millions, he warned these disasters erode human security at its core.
He cautioned that technological inequity risked deepening global divides. "Unaddressed digital divides will soon become entrenched development divides," he said, calling for capacity building and technology transfer so emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology benefit all humanity.
He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, saying these had been embedded into national planning, with emphasis on education, healthcare, food security and social protection, particularly for women and youth.
The prime minister described Pakistan's large youth population as both a challenge and an opportunity, underscoring the need for skills development, digital transformation and institutional strengthening.
Calling for dialogue, diplomacy and multilateralism as the only sustainable means of resolving disputes, the prime minister urged reforms to strengthen the United Nations system as a pillar of global peace and cooperation.
Citing Vienna's unique role within the UN architecture, he highlighted Pakistan's engagement with key institutions including the International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations Industrial Development Organization and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Later, he attended ceremonies formalising the UNIDO Programme for Country Partnership Pakistan 20252030, the UNODC Country Programme Pakistan, and a cooperation agreement between Lahore's Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology and the IAEA.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan remained
PM SHEHBAZ, PAGE 6
PM urges inclusive global development push
PM SHEHBAZ FROM PAGE 1
steadfast in its commitment to the UN Charter, describing Vienna-based mandates as central to the peace-development nexus.
He praised the IAEA's role in peaceful nuclear applications and said Islamabad was strengthening cooperation with UNODC to bolster rule of law, while calling UNIDO vital for poverty eradication, job creation and cleaner industrial growth.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he had visited several nuclear facilities in Pakistan, including the Chashma unit under construction, describing them as impressive.
He acknowledged Pakistan's technical expertise and said Islamabad was well placed to assist other member states in peaceful nuclear applications, expressing hope for Pakistan's active participation in the Nuclear Energy Summit scheduled in France in March.
In a separate meeting at the Vienna International Centre, Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan's strong support for the IAEA's work in cancer diagnosis and treatment, agriculture, nuclear power generation and industrial applications, while Grossi praised Pakistan's contributions to nuclear safety and security.
The prime minister's two-day Vienna visit, marking 70 years of Pakistan-Austria diplomatic relations, also featured bilateral talks with Christian Stocker, with both leaders reaffirming support for multilateralism and a rules-based global order grounded in the UN Charter.
According to a joint statement, both sides agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education, information technology, healthcare and human resource mobility, pledged to fast-track pending memoranda of understanding, and co-chaired a forum of leading Austrian and Pakistani companies.
Shehbaz invited Austrian firms to participate in the EU-Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad in April 2026 and extended an invitation to Chancellor Stocker to visit Pakistan. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch were also present.