Pakistan’s Planning Ministry adopts a ministerial engagement approach to fast track SDGs agenda

A meeting with the line ministries on VNR c/o Chief (SDGs) was held here in the Ministry of Planning Development and Reform this Thursday. The Secretary Planning Mr. Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui chaired the meeting of the focal persons and said that Pakistan is strongly committed for the implementation of SDGs agenda.

He said that SDGs are integrated with the country's national development agenda and are among top three priorities of the minister for planning. "We also want to engage the private sector and NGOs for SDGs' agenda implementation," he said.

The Secretary maintained that a serious approach towards SDGs with extra ordinary attention needs to be adopted. The Chief SDGs Ministry of PD&R Mr. Zafar ul Hassan while speaking to the forum stated that a comprehensive report would be generated after mutual consultation with the line ministries to access future goals / tasks and also the accomplishments. The forum appreciated the initiative taken by the Secretary Planning and said that the coordinated approach with the line ministries would also help in avoiding duplication of efforts.

It was also decided that a monthly meeting of the focal persons from the line ministries would held on regular basis in the Ministry of PD&R under the chair of Chief SDGs Mr. Zafar ul Hassan. In this relevance, the section would also organise an inception workshop with all the provinces and PBS (Pakistan Beauru of Statistics) for database line setting.

Later, the SDGs Support Unit and focal persons also shared their progress and suggestions in localizing Agenda 2030 across the country, emphasising the need for partnerships among all stakeholders..