Says the country is wedded to its MDGs commitment despite challenges.
PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Despite the country missing several of its development targets, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would continue supporting Pakistan to meet Millennium Development Goals 2015.
“The UNDP reaffirms its support to the Government of Pakistan for accelerating progress towards MDGs,” said Nicholas Rosellini, the UNDP’s deputy regional director for Asia and the Pacific in his message issued on Friday.
He said Pakistan despite various socio-political changes, economic challenges, natural disasters and internal and external security issues, had remained steadfast to its MDGs commitment.
“With the level of commitment that the government has demonstrated through its different actions in the recent past, I am confident that Pakistan will make substantial progress on some of the lagging MDGs by 2015,” Rosellini added.
Appreciating the role of Planning Commission of Pakistan (PCP), the UNDP’s media office in Pakistan said the commission had played a lead role in setting policy direction for MDGs, monitoring progress and coordinating efforts of different stakeholders.
“Pakistan government and the UNDP have worked closely to promote this agenda through a number of joint initiatives that reflect the adoption of the MDGs in public policy and their adaptation to the local context,” the statement said.
It, however, pointed out that the provincial MDG reports developed with UNDP’s support (2010-2012) had revealed inter and intra provincial differences in the pace of progress towards MDGs, adding that the process of preparing the Pakistan MDG Report 2013 was underway in the PCP with UNDP’s support.
The statement said that the federal and provincial governments acknowledge the need for accelerated actions. “The recently announced Prime Minister Programme for Youth is a testimony to this commitment. The government is making a renewed effort to create jobs, especially for the youth, with such initiatives.”
Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PDSP) – strategic planning documents first formulated in 2000 – identified targeting the poor and vulnerable, as one of the key pillars and focused on the MDG targets, have significantly influenced pro-poor policy-making and spending in Pakistan, it said.
“Part of the success can be attributed to the PRSP Monitoring Unit created in finance ministry with UNDP’s support,” the statement said, adding that a testament to the work of the PRSP secretariat had been the increase in pro-poor expenditure from 3.8% in 2001 to 9.86% in 2011.
“There has been an unprecedented increase in funds allocation for Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), especially for health and education, in the recent budget, which reinforces the government’s resolve to achieve MDGs,” said Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal.
Iqbal said the government needed to invest in youth, technology and innovation to find quick-win solutions to some of the constraints hampering the achievement of MDGs.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2013.
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This govt has the right ideas. Let's hope the efforts will bear fruit.