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he High-Level General Debate of the 80th United Nations General Assembly was held in New York. National leaders spoke under the theme Better Together to address overlapping crises, shrinking aid budgets, climate urgency and economic fragility.
The numbers are sobering. Global defence spending hit $2.7 trillion in 2024, the steepest rise since the late1980s. At the same time, official development assistance (ODA) is expected to fall by another 9 percent to 17 percent this year, leaving a $4 trillion annual financing gap for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The paradox is stark: record sums flow into weapons, while funding for human development collapses. As UN disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu put it: “Rising global military expenditures are not delivering peace.”
For Pakistan, this moment carries great urgency but also hope. The country can no longer wait for the old aid model to revive. Instead, it must pivot decisively. That is precisely what URAAN Pakistan’s Vision 2047 seeks to do: transform the economy into a $3 trillion techno-economy by the nation’s centenary, built on the 5Es – exports; e-Pakistan; environment; energy and infrastructure; and equity, ethics and empowerment.
A changing development landscape
For decades, foreign development aid helped Pakistan fund schools, roads, health programmes and governance reforms. It also created thousands of professional opportunities. But aid budgets are shrinking for good. If Pakistan continues to plan its future around external support, it will be left stranded.
URAAN’s emphasis on exports, digital transformation, renewable energy and inclusive empowerment is a necessary pivot. It acknowledges that Pakistan’s growth must come from domestic strengths, regional partnerships and competitiveness, not dependency.
Not the whole picture
Much of the government’s narrative focuses on embedding the youth in this transformation: coding boot-camps, freelancing drives, AI skilling initiatives and much more. This is vital. With two thirds of the population under 30, no plan for economic growth can succeed without empowering young people. But in the enthusiasm for the youth, another group risks being forgotten: the trained development professionals left jobless as aid contracts shrink. These are the analysts, project managers and policy specialists who have for decades designed and delivered complex programmes in health, education, climate resilience and governance. They understand international standards, monitoring systems and how to integrate inclusiveness with the SDGs.
Pakistan can turn today’s crisis into a foundation for tomorrow and confidently march toward a $3 trillion techno-economy by 2047 if it combines the energy of its youth with the expertise of its professionals.
If Pakistan is serious about building a 360-degree foundation for Vision 2047, it cannot afford to sideline this professional class. The youth bring energy and innovation; the seasoned experts bring strategy, structure and execution. Together, they can make URAAN more than an aspiration.
Essential pivots
Even as aid contracts, new financing pathways are opening. Pakistan must move quickly to position itself:
•Diaspora finance: With $32+ billion in annual remittances, Pakistan’s diaspora is already its largest donor. Structured platforms could convert these flows into productive investments and mobilise diaspora philanthropy and expertise.
• Entrepreneurship and innovation: Absorbing displaced development professionals into startups and social enterprises can ensure that their skills power local reforms in AI, freelancing and sustainability.
• Regional partnerships: Smaller, flexible coalitions around climate, food security and digital inclusion can deliver tangible progress without waiting for global consensus.
Governments still matter
While philanthropy, civil society and private capital will play growing roles, governments cannot step aside. Without state responsibility, development risks becoming fragmented and inequitable.
Pakistan should argue for a balanced model: welcoming new donors and partnerships, but reminding the world that development is not charity, it is responsibility.
Pakistan can present not just its vulnerabilities but also its vision. URAAN’s 5Es are a blueprint for resilience. To succeed, Pakistan must mobilise all its people, not just the youth.
he message should be clear: private capital and philanthropy are essential, but they cannot replace governments. Development is not charity, it is responsibility.
Pakistan can turn today’s crisis into a foundation for tomorrow and confidently march toward a $3 trillion techno-economy by 2047 if it combines the energy of its youth with the expertise of its professionals.
The writer is a development professional with over 20 years of experience in programme design, policy and implementation across health education and governance sectors in Pakistan.