Islamabad, January 27, 2022 (PPI-OT): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNDP Pakistan hosted the launch of Pakistan’s first ‘Pakistan SDG Investment Report 2021: Leveraging Private Investments for Pakistan’s Sustainable Development’, aimed at leveraging private sector investments in public sector development projects aligned with the country’s Sustainable Development Goals.
“The Government of Pakistan is consistently communicating its desire to attract direct foreign investment and technology transfers to Pakistan to be part of global value chains,” said Pakistan Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr. Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his keynote address at the launch event held here today, which was attended by senior representatives of Government of Pakistan, ambassadors, UN agencies, international development agencies, and the private sector. “We are fully committed to mobilizing public and private investment on sustainable infrastructure and climate finance.”
The Report has been prepared with support from UNDP Pakistan. “To ensure that financing for COVID-19 recovery is aligned with the SDGs, we have partnered with Government of Pakistan to identify and prioritize investments in the sectors of climate change, social services, infrastructure, information technology, as well as flexible investment solutions for global investors,” said UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative, Mr. Knut Ostby, in his remarks.
Pakistan Foreign Secretary, Mr. Sohail Mahmood said at the occasion that the Report’s main objective is to attract private sector investments by identifying Pakistan’s development priorities and benefit from trade-offs with sustainable development.
Presenting an overview of the Report, UNDP Senior Advisor on Finance for Development and Former State Minister, Mr. Haroon Sharif informed that the Report is a culmination of joint efforts by Foreign Office, UNDP and Board of Investment, whereby Pakistan also successfully presented its $2 billion country investment portfolio at the global SDG Investment Fairs held in 2021 where Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance also participated. The Report aims to help Pakistan create a positive shift in focus from a narrative approach to policy action based on measurable economic diplomacy and investment.
A first of its kind for Pakistan, the SDG Investment Report provides an overview of Pakistan’s policy priorities, regulatory environment, and its private sector development context. It aims to create strategic partnerships with international investors looking for impact investments, particularly in the areas of Climate Change and Climate Financing, SMEs and Industrial Development, ICTs, Healthcare and Education, and Transportation and Logistics.
The Report will form the basis of the extensive work UNDP is doing under its flagship SDG Impact Initiative, the SDG Investor Map. The Map will empower investors with clarity, insights, and tools for exploring exciting new avenues to expand the pool of public and private sector financing for targeted sustainable development projects in Pakistan.
It will also identify a range of market-specific investment opportunities for SDG-aligned capital deployment backed up by country-specific data and evidence, translating SDG needs and policy priorities into actionable investment opportunity areas (IOAs) to ensure the country Leaves No One Behind.
For more information, contact:
Communications Analyst
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan
4th Floor, Serena Office Complex,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8355650
Cell: +92300 535 8225
Fax: +92-51-2655014-15
Email: fatimah.inayet@undp.org
Website: http://www.undp.org.pk