Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on Friday hosted the curtain raiser media briefing for its flagship 27th Sustainable Development Conference (27th SDC) to start on November 4th at the Pak China Friendship Center. The conference will convene national, regional, and international experts to discuss solutions to pressing global challenges, including the rising climate crisis and economic challenges. Addressing the news conference, Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, said the Conference schedule has been shifted from December to November as the COP29 international climate conference is ahead.

This will provide a convincing opportunity to gather collective tangible recommendations from all stakeholders for effective negotiations. The theme for this year’s Sustainable Development Conference is “From Fragility to Resilience” aiming to underscore the fact that despite the vulnerability of the Pakistani nation due to climate change and catastrophes it is resilient enough to resurrect again from its ashes, he said.

Dr. Suleri says, Pakistan only received one-fourth of the total pledges made in the post-2022 floods Geneva Donors conference to rebuild its devastated areas due to massive floods. “Despite financial constraints and low international assistance, the local communities and organisations have invested $7-8 billion to revive life in the flood-impacted areas. Due to its meager resources, the country is unable to invest in climate resilience and taking further debts to cope with it,” he said.

Dr Suleri underlined that the Institute as its policy decision is challenging debts as a model for climate finance and reminding the world community about its global commitment to green climate finance. The conference would host a session including participation from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and UNDP experts to sit and mull over their programmes that were not directly advancing the local masses.

Sustainable Development Conference would have multiple seminars, panel discussions, fireside chats, and plenaries on the energy sector to discuss IPPs, on agriculture to discuss interesting ideas, health, and tobacco control issues would also be part of the numerous discussions on the forum. Dr. Abid Suleri shared with the media colleagues the conference venue has been shifted from private hotels to public sector infrastructure (Pak China Friendship Center) for improved utilization of public resources. Earlier, Deputy Executive Director, SDPI Dr. Shafqat Munir announced the inclusion of an expo and fireside chats in this year’s event. The conference will feature over 40 sessions and panels covering themes such as water, agriculture, gender equality, climate change, economy, trade, and more.

“Researchers from the United States, Asia, and Europe will discuss global and local challenges. Addressing the rising impact of climate change,” he said. Dr. Munir highlighted the increase in natural disasters, including floods and storms worldwide, noting their adverse effects on global development indicators. He mentioned that Pakistan's major urban centers' carbon emissions are affecting various regions of the country. SDPI’s Dr. Sajid Amin stated that this conference represents Pakistan's largest policy dialogue platform, aiming to present public concerns directly to policymakers. He noted that the SDC assumed the role of a mini SAARC conference after the participation of stakeholders from all the South Asian region that enables a healthy dialogue on key challenges mutually faced by the entire region, he added.

SDPI’s Associate Research Fellow, Zainab Naeem said, ‘The expo intends to engage the private sector in the sustainable development agenda. Local and international companies, along with startups and small businesses, will participate in the expo, which will be open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m’. Moreover, the SDPI officials added that among other leading organizations, AVPN will bring together Pakistani philanthropists, both domestic and diaspora, to discuss and implement strategies for supporting women and girls in Pakistan. It will also partner with SDPI to feature a high-level plenary session that explores the evolution of philanthropy in Asia, the role of philanthropy in addressing Pakistan's unique challenges, and the importance of aligning philanthropic efforts with national development goals, they said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan