Ijaz Kakakhel
The SDGs Secretariat of the National Assembly of Pakistan hosted a Panel Discussion Session on “Impact of COVID-19 on the Implementation of SDGs in the Region.”
The Breakout Session of the Second General Conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Economic Cooperation Organization (PAECO) was chaired by Riaz Fatyana, MNA / Convener National Parliamentary Taskforce on SDGs and was Co-Chaired by Key Members of the Taskforce.
The Session was attended by Parliamentary Delegates from; Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran (Virtual), Kazakhstan (Virtual), and Turkey.
Speaking on the occasion, Riaz Fatyana said, “In light of the on-going novel pandemic, the Parliamentary functioning and business has suffered to a great extent but it is essential to remember that Parliamentarians are at the forefront of the fight to prevent, slow the spread, ensure SOPs and mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on society and our economy.
To successfully carry out our responsibilities, legislators must engage with those we represent by understanding and moderating public concerns by ensuring delivery of resources to those, in need across regions.”
Dr. Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Convener Sub-Group on SDG 3, highlighted key steps the government has taken so far to respond to the pandemic including the development of an in-house vaccine.
During the discussion, Mr. Abdul Aziz Hakimi, Member of the Wolesi Jirga of Afghanistan shared the Afghani experience of COVID-19 with the participants and urged them to develop a regular distribution mechanism for Vaccine in the region.
Mr. Tahir Mirkishili, Chair of the Committee on Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising Shared Azerbaijani Vaccination Experience against COVID-19 and iterated the need to scale up production and sharing it across region.
