Islamabad, The newly appointed United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr. Mohamed Yahya, met with Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, to discuss strengthening the cooperation between Pakistan and the United Nations.

According to Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives, during their meeting, Minister Iqbal highlighted the longstanding relationship between Pakistan and UN agencies. He praised the UN’s support during past challenges, such as the 2022 floods, and detailed the development of the 4RF framework aimed at boosting national resilience against disasters.

Minister Iqbal also introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Secretariat, set to launch on July 1, 2024, emphasizing the necessity to engage policymakers and media professionals to achieve the SDG targets. He underscored the critical role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in advancing these goals, noting that nations slow to adopt such innovations would fall behind.

Mr. Yahya expressed appreciation for the government’s support and stressed the importance of the upcoming six years to achieve the SDGs, advocating for enhanced efforts in data collection, new technologies, training, and the reopening of schools. He also applauded the government’s “5Es” initiative for its alignment with growth sectors.

The meeting concluded with Mr. Yahya presenting a souvenir to Minister Iqbal, symbolizing the renewed commitment between Pakistan and the United Nations.