Male, Maldives
The 17 goals with 169 targets of the SDGs cross-cut all areas of government such as health, nutrition, education, poverty, climate change, and sustainable use of resources. The objectives integrate three approaches of development goals- social inclusion, economic development and environmental sustainability. While Pakistan is committed to the SDGs, the country has embarked on strategizing and implementing its development agenda in line with the SDGs with a distinct approach. Having established first of its kind SDGs Secretariat in its Parliament, Pakistan has institutionalized the process of representation, legislation and representation of the SDGs targets.
Under the guidance of the Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan, Mr. Asad Qaiser, the Convenor of the National Parliamentary Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Taskforce, MNA Mr. Riaz Fatiyana successfully hosted a National Consultation on SDGs in April 2019. The Consultation brought together counterparts from provincial and legislative assemblies for robust oversight of respective governments’ vis-à-vis policy, administrative, resource allocation and implementation functions.
The Consultation provided an opportunity for National and Provincial SDGs Taskforces to strategize priorities and device a way forward in effectively advocating the SDGs’ agenda with respective federal and provincial legislatures, identifying legislative gaps, and to plan for robust representation through all available parliamentary instruments. One of the key recommendations, commonly emphasized by groups of both national and provincial representatives was to accord priority to international experience sharing and learning best practices on ‘Ending Poverty’ (SDG # 1).
“We are pleased to share that Pakistan will be hosting the Regional Conference on SDGs on 2nd & 3rd March, 2020.” – It was announced on Monday in Maldives, during the Fourth South Asian Speakers’ Summit, by Mr. Riaz Fatyana MNA, Convener – Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs. International Parliamentary Union has agreed to join this event. The invitation has been extended to all Far-East, South and Central Asian Countries.—INP
