Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal met with Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations (UN), and discussed the country’s development agenda, COP29 preparations, and economic growth strategies. “Pakistan is aligned with the UN’s development agenda. It will actively participate in the COP29 conference in Baku this month and discuss its strategic priorities about effectively tackling the confronted environmental challenges,” he said in a recent meeting with the envoy, according to a news release on Tuesday. He said the Pakistani delegation would stress the need for strengthening regional cooperation to strengthen the environmental stance. During COP29, the minister said, there would be a significant international participation in the Round Table on Environment to be held in the Pakistan Pavilion. Talking about Pakistan’s continuous efforts for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan was the first country to adopt the SDGs in the Parliament as soon as they were introduced and set. “All our development projects are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” the minister said, adding that the SDG Unit was established in the Ministry of Planning following the announcement of the UNSDGs. “Today the unit is functioning as a regular department.” He said as many as 17 task forces in the Ministry of Planning were being established on a fast-track basis, which would monitor projects at the national and provincial levels, ensuring their complete alignment with the objectives of the SDGs. The minister also commented on the stock market’s improved situation in Pakistan and said that out of 530 companies; only 70 companies have exports of more than $10,000. Ahsan Iqbal encouraged companies to increase exports and effectively use their potential in the global market, saying that “every enterprise in Pakistan should set an export target of more than $10,000.” He expressed satisfaction over the recent wave of investment under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and said the council was providing an enabling environment for promoting large investments and business opportunities. He expressed the hope that ongoing investment and economic reforms would lead Pakistan towards sustainable development.