Islamabad, Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has expressed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in addressing climate resilience, adaptation, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During a meeting with Assistant Secretary-General of the UNDP, Kanni Wignaraja, in Islamabad, the Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of international solidarity in achieving these objectives.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Foreign Minister appreciated the significant work carried out by the UNDP since the catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022. He highlighted the UNDP’s focus on the Sustainable Development Agenda and climate action as critical components of rebuilding and addressing future climate-related challenges.

Foreign Minister Dar emphasized that the UN system can play a vital role in supporting developing countries like Pakistan to achieve SDGs and tackle climate issues by galvanizing international cooperation. He noted that assistance to countries most vulnerable to climate change would enable them to recover from natural disasters and adapt to increasingly frequent and severe climate impacts.

Assistant Secretary-General Wignaraja thanked the Government of Pakistan for its ongoing cooperation and support to the UNDP in implementing various projects in Pakistan. She also acknowledged Pakistan’s active diplomatic engagement at the United Nations, indicating that it plays a significant role in promoting international solidarity.

The meeting between the Foreign Minister and the UNDP Assistant Secretary-General underscores Pakistan’s commitment to building climate resilience and achieving the SDGs. It also highlights the country’s efforts to collaborate with international partners to address the socio-economic challenges posed by climate change.