Islamabad: In a significant development, Dr. Luay Shabaneh, the United Nations Population Fund Representative in Pakistan, met with Hon. Bilal Azhar Kayani, the Convener of the Parliamentary Taskforce on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), at Parliament House today.
According to National Assembly of Pakistan, during the meeting, Convener Kayani provided an overview of the recent initiatives and progress made by the Parliamentary Taskforce. This includes the re-evaluation and redesign of the SDGs tracking mechanism, insights from the Chief of SDGs at the Ministry of Planning and Development, and strategic collaborations formulated during the visit of the UN Pakistan Resident Coordinator. The discussions also addressed the significant challenges posed by Pakistan’s rapid population growth, which has strained resources and complicated the delivery of essential services such as health, education, and housing.
Both parties emphasized the urgent need to alleviate issues related to the provision of quality education, health services, food production, and housing. The population increase has notably impacted these sectors, making the SDGs even more critical for sustainable development.
Dr. Shabaneh expressed strong support for Convener Kayani’s leadership and reiterated UNFPA’s commitment to assisting Pakistan in achieving the 17 SDGs. This partnership highlights the global community’s role in supporting Pakistan, a country that, despite contributing minimally to global issues like carbon emissions, faces disproportionate challenges such as these and the impacts of climate-related disasters.