Daily Times

A spotlight report on achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Pakistan ranked moderate progress on some of the goals and has laid stress on concentrated efforts and concrete action to make accomplishment of all the 17 goals within its stipulated time of year 2030.

The spotlight report was launched here at a function jointly organized by Awaz Foundation Pakistan, Blueveins, Pakistan Development Alliance (PDA) and VSO Pakistan.

“Overall 10 out of 17 goals remain stagnant, four show moderate improvement, while two goals I.e 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action) have been reported as achieved. While goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities) in on track which is debatable due to increase in poverty and inequality,” reads the Spotlight report 2022, an alternative and civil society led report on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The report is prepared by using the platform of Pakistan Development Alliance through a two pronged strategy I.e an online survey and through holding a series of seven consultations held in four provincial capitals as well as at Islamabad Capital Territory, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan,” apprises Marium Amjad Khan, Programme Lead Awas CDS Pakistan.

In her presentation on background sharing and presentation on CSOs engagements in VNR (Voluntary National Review) Processes, Marium informed that Pakistan Development Alliance is an alliance of 107 national level NGOs working together through developmental and right based approaches to address issues in governance and accountability across the country especially in the implementation of SDGs. Pakistan’s performance on all 17 goals has improved from 129th out of 163 countries in 2021 to 125 at the global scorecard in 2022.

However, strong and renewed political will, commitment and availability of resources are required to make the SDGs goals a reality for people of Pakistan, adds the report. The report also made a realization in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, crumbling economy and uncertain political situation, the government in Pakistan in faced with grave challenges to fulfill its commitments for agenda 2030.

The report also made recommendations urging the government to put concerted efforts to fulfill its national and international commitments for improving social and economic lives of the people through intensive legislation, financing, monitoring and transparent accountable mechanism.

The government should also ensure implementation of laws, public policies, legal framework, action plans in letter and spirit to provide equal opportunities for all the people. In order to effective implementation of SDGs, government should demonstrate greater political will and commitment, it added.

In his welcome address, Qamar Naseem, Programme Manager Blue Veins informed participants that Pakistan is serious in implementation of SDGs as the country had passed these goals from parliament soon after framing of these goals in 2015 from parliament as `National Development Agenda’. The country, he added, has submitted its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) report in July 2022 to share progress on 17 SDGs comprising of 169 targets and 247 indicators.

Rizwanullah Shah, Coordinator National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) disclosed that there are 13 different government departments working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Human Rights.

He said at country level a lot of work is being done for achievement of SDGs through provision of facilities to people, but a lot of challenges exists specially lack of resources, less awareness among people and duplication of shortcomings due to lack of coordination and data sharing among departments.

NCHR, he continued, is working in coordination with a number of other departments and organizations for removing the deprivation of vulnerable communities. In this connection, he continued, a Task Force has been constituted recently with the objective of formulating policy that covers deprivation of transgender community of the country in wake of any disaster like the recent catastrophic floods in the country.

He said the Domestic Violence Bill was pending for the last 22 years but has been passed recently and would be implemented in the whole country.

In the enactment of Prevention of Early Child Marriages some cultural norms are creating hurdles which would be soon removed to pave way for its passage in the country, Riazwanullah added. Similarly, he continued, the legislation on Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) would also be soon passed from parliament.