THE United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a comprehensive global agenda and it provides a roadmap for international development among various stakeholders. Recent UN SDGs dialogue in Pakistan has outlined strategies to accelerate progress towards these goals. Central to the SDGs is the principle of “Leave No One Behind,” emphasizing inclusivity and equal access to opportunities for all, regardless of socioeconomic status. This principle underscores the imperative of comprehensive and equitable development and is at the core of the United Nations’ mission. The upcoming SDGs Summit 2023 highlights the importance of international cooperation in achieving these vital goals.
In an effort to accelerate SDGs in Pakistan, the United Nations has initiated a dialogue series in 12 selected remote cities. Applying these dialogues in an uneven society like Pakistan presents challenges. While dialogue is a fundamental tool for addressing complex societal issues and promoting intellectual growth, it must take place on a level playing field where all participants have equal access to resources and an equitable voice in the conversation. In Pakistan’s hierarchical and unequal society, achieving such conditions is often difficult. One of the primary challenges of meaningful dialogues in Pakistan lies in the pervasive socioeconomic disparities within the country. These disparities are deeply rooted in unequal resource distribution, limited access to education and unequal opportunities. In such an environment, dialogues can end up reproducing dominant narratives rather than fostering genuine exchanges of ideas. They often reflect existing power structures, becoming more like commands than true dialogues.
Unequal social systems in societies tend to favour authoritative command structures over inclusive discussions. To address this, there is a need to bridge gap between social and economic spheres to cultivate a culture of genuine dialogue. Without this harmonization, dialogues risk becoming one-sided monologues where the same narratives are repeated from different mouths. The key issue is that meaningful dialogue requires local control over local resources. Globalization and neoliberalism have eroded the concept of the “local.” In today’s globalized world, even public discourse has become globalized, leading to a disconnect between local populations and decisions that affect their lives. This global rhetoric often influences discussions related to UN SDGs. In UN SDGs dialogues in Pakistan, discussions occurred in local cities, but participants’ voices and choices were often influenced by global perspectives. While topics like internet access, education, climate change and governance are crucial, local nuances and voices were frequently overshadowed. Corporate interests and neoliberalism often dominate, shifting focus away from local empowerment and emancipation.
UN-led SDGs dialogues in Pakistan may unintentionally reinforce globalized narratives instead of addressing local issues. The absence of true local control over decision-making and resources exacerbates these problems, potentially perpetuating existing inequalities. To make UN-led SDGs dialogues more effective in addressing inequalities in countries like Pakistan, it is crucial to promote inclusivity and uphold the “Leave No One Behind” principle. This involves actively involving marginalized communities, ensuring their voices are heard and tailoring solutions to their specific needs. Moreover, there is a need to address the root causes of marginalization and question who benefits from the existing power structures. By doing so, it is possible to make SDGs dialogues more effective and equitable in uneven societies like Pakistan.
Pakistan ranks 154th out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index. The gender inequality index in Pakistan is 0.526, indicating significant disparities between men and women. Nearly 24% of Pakistan’s population lives below the national poverty line. Unequal spaces in Pakistan are characterized by disparities in income, access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities. These disparities are often driven by factors such as gender, region and socioeconomic status. In such an environment, the success of SDGs dialogues becomes contingent on addressing these inequalities effectively.
The UN SDGs Dialogues in Mansehra highlighted significant issues related to post-colonial transformation and the neoliberal order. Instead of offering a genuine platform for diverse voices, these dialogues unveiled a hierarchical post-colonial society where marginalized individuals are forced to conform to the dominant discourse. Participants did not represent a cross-section of society but rather different layers of a hierarchical structure, resulting in the marginalization of voices at the fringes. This inequality reflects broader societal disparities, as marginalized individuals lack the means to engage fully in such dialogues. The dialogues primarily discussed topics like climate change, digital transformation, education and governance from a market-oriented and corporate-driven perspective.
This uniformity in language and viewpoint contradicts the SDGs’ principles of inclusivity and diversity. It raises concerns about whether corporate interests, rather than genuine sustainable development goals, were driving the discussions. This reflects a neoliberal order that prioritizes profit over social and environmental well-being, potentially co-opting the SDGs for economic gain. Notably, Julien Harneis, the UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, departed from the norm by thanking and paying tribute to the participants, challenging colonial practices within Pakistan’s social fabric. This acknowledgment of people’s agency aimed to empower local voices in shaping their development priorities and subtly questioned the dominance of neoliberal consumerism and business strategies in such dialogues.
Approaching the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the pursuit of SDGs faces formidable challenges, including climate disasters, conflicts, economic downturns and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the SDG Summit and related dialogues offer pivotal moments for global leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the vision of inclusivity and work towards a more prosperous, peaceful and equitable world. The dedication of G20 and BRICS countries to sustainable development underscores the international consensus on the SDGs’ importance. In a world grappling with interconnected crises, leaders must unite, assess progress and swiftly implement transformative actions to get back on track towards SDG achievement by 2030. The primary challenge is to amplify the voices of marginalized and institute structural changes that foster trust between humanity and nature, empowering locals to assume stewardship of the planet for present and future generations.
—The writer is a Chief Executive of Global Strategic Institute for Sustainable Development.
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