Daily Times

Convener Parliamentary Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs) Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam on Thursday said that sustainable progress cannot be achieved without a proactive third tier of government. She stated this during the inaugural session of the National meet on Sustainable Development Goals 2023 with the theme “From Global Goals to Local Impact: empowering Local Government for SDGs Success” -Ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels.

She said that this tier of the government (local government) should not only be empowered but should also be included in all policy formulation and strategy development. She further said that the local government system plays a pivotal role in the adoption and implementation of the SDGs.

Furthermore, Convener Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs stated that Local Government representatives are much closer to citizens unlike provincial and federal governments on account of constraints such as limited resources and limited personnel. Moreover, she said that United Nations has also recognized the significance of Local Governments in achieving the SDGs and urged governments to empower their local administrations and departments. It is high time that Federal and Provincial Governments collaborate with the third tier of Governance to localize the SDGs and ensure socio-economic progress in the country, she added.

In addition, she stated that Parliamentarians and Government Representatives should ensure the implementation of the Local Government System in Pakistan in order to manage critical aspects of our communities such as education, healthcare, water and sanitation systems, transportation, housing markets, and local businesses.

Local Governments have the potential to directly impact health, education, economic, and social sectors, to contribute to poverty alleviation, gender inclusivity, and industrial innovation. While highlighting the importance of Local Governments, she said that it is indeed the backbone of our democracy and the key to implementing policies that truly impact the lives of our citizens, inspiring lasting and positive change at the grassroots level. The National Meet 2023 aims to provide a platform for stakeholders and decision-makers to engage in extensive deliberations to strengthen Article 140(A) and the local governance system of Pakistan through legislative reform. We aim to propose a constitutional amendment to ensure increased autonomy and continuity of local governments, she maintained.