At UN forum, Pakistan renews pledge to SDGs, stresses global financial reforms

ISLAMABAD  –  Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during his address at the general debate of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development’s Ministerial Segment.

Speaking at the United Nations headquarters, Dar highlighted the sobering reality that only 35% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are currently on track, five years before the 2030 deadline. He underscored how a combination of global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, food and fuel crises, financial instability, and escalating climate impacts, have eroded development gains and deepened existing inequalities. “Despite these compounded setbacks, Pakistan remains resolute in its commitment to the SDGs,” Dar asserted, adding that national development initiatives such as Uraan Pakistan are closely aligned with the global development agenda. He detailed several of Pakistan’s flagship initiatives aimed at inclusive development, including the Benazir Income Support Programme and Benazir Nashonuma programs, which prioritize social protection and child development.

He also spotlighted efforts to empower youth through the Digital Youth Hub and initiatives to improve education access, including the establishment of Danish Schools and new university campuses. On the climate front, Dar reiterated Pakistan’s ambition to derive 60% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Earlier, Ishaq Dar arrived in the US to attend the high-level signature events of Pakistan’s UN Security Council (UNSC) Presidency in New York, as well as for certain engagements in Washington. In New York, the Deputy Prime Minister will chair a high-level Open Debate on “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”. The high-level debate aims at exploring ways to strengthen multilateralism, and at enhancing diplomacy and mediation for peaceful settlement of disputes.

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