Conference on sustainable development in unusual times today

Islamabad : The Silver Jubilee Annual Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on "Sustainable development in unusual times: building forward better" kicks off here from Monday as southern version of the Economic Forum.

This year, the 4-day SDC is being hosted along-with the Sixth South and South-West Asia (SSWA) Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Government of Pakistan. This is our version of the World Economic Forum with human, social, economic and environmental dimensions," said Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, while explaining highlights of the conference.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal will inaugurate the conference and the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi will be the chief guest at the closing of the conference. The Under Secretary General of the United Nation, and head of UNESCAP Dr Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana will also be a chief guest. Deputy Planning Minister of Maldives, Minister of State for Finance, Sri Lanka, and Vice Chair, Planning Commission, Nepal, are also coming to Pakistan for this conference.

As many as 350 dignitaries, speakers and experts hailing from the United Nations, the government, academia, civil society, media and private sector from across the country and 16 other countries will speak at 11 plenary sessions and 35 panels. Organised annually, both the SDC and the SSWA Forum on SDGs have been facilitating dialogue and deliberations among government officials, civil society, think-tanks, academia and subject experts, the private sector, UN and other development partners and other stakeholders separately. This time both key events are taking place here together.