ISLAMABAD: The United Nations (UN) and district administration of Sialkot organized the 9th of a series of twelve dialogues on sustainable development on Wednesday.
In total, more than one thousand local leaders living in twelve major cities across 6 provinces and territories are discussing the development challenges which they face, and how they impede social and economic progress in their districts.
The dialogues are being organized in the different languages spoken across the country.
UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan Julien Harneis said that these dialogues bring the UN closer to the people and the local governments that it serves.
He said that the UN was actively listening to the people’s concerns and ideas. It will work with the people together, on accelerating progress to reduce poverty and bridge inequalities.
In Sialkot, the discussions focused on 4 topics chosen by the participants ahead of the event including sanitation and hygiene (WASH), women’s voices, water, governance, and Climate Change.
Nearly one hundred local leaders – men and women, including youth — participated along the senior officials from Sialkot, the UN Resident Coordinator, and other staff of the United Nations.
The twelve dialogues engage local leaders around development matters such as access to basic social services; sustainable, inclusive economic growth; gender equality and women’s empowerment; climate change; decent work; and basic social services. All important key to Pakistan’s progress towards the achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Eight Dialogues
Eight SDG dialogues have already taken place in Multan, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mardan, Mansehra, and in Quetta.
The dialogues will help inform discussions in alignment with the global SDG Summit which the United Nations has organized to accelerate progress towards the SDGs, halfway of the 2030 deadline. The Government of Pakistan is attending the event in New York on 18-19 September 2023.
The SDGs, also known as Global Goals, are seventeen objectives designed to help bring about peace and prosperity for people around the globe.
They are an urgent call for action by all nations to work together towards eradicating poverty while improving health and education, reducing inequality, spurring economic growth and tackling climate change.
