Development for those left behind

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to support and advance sustainable development in what have been designated least developed countries (LDCs). The prime minister was in Doha on a two-day official visit where he participated in the 5th United Nations conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) – ‘The Doha Programme of Action: Driving Sustainable Development in the Countries Furthest Behind’. The conference provides an opportunity to highlight the plight of the LDCs, which face multiple challenges – from economic to development to other areas – as well as to accelerate sustainable development and articulate the full potential of these countries. As is inevitable – and necessary – it is imperative that developed countries help the LDCs in not just realizing their potential but also help them with investment opportunities, development in areas like education and health, apart from acting responsibly, especially when it comes to climate change.

Representing Pakistan’s concerns, PM Shehbaz has emphasized exploring the opportunity to ensure sustainable development in places where international assistance is needed the most – the Global South, and in those countries that are trailing behind in development indices. As mentioned by the prime minister, LDCs need help achieving their full potential and part of that can happen with robust investments in health, education and social protection systems. There is little doubt that vast resources are required to fully implement Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PM Shehbaz has also proposed a system of international technology combined with SDGs to provide easy access to LDCs to develop and bridge their digital divide in order to help them contribute to a knowledge-based economy. We see that LDCs usually provide cheap labour for richer nations instead of the developed world providing LDCs opportunities that can lead to a skill-based economy.

PM Shehbaz has also rightly pointed out that many of these countries are already in or at risk of debt distress. Pakistan particularly is going through one of its worst economic crises in its history and is on the brink of default. With last year’s devastating floods, the country faced billions of dollars of losses and even though pledges by the international community were made, not much has materialized till now. Pakistan contributes less than one per cent in the global carbon footprint but has suffered due to a climate change-induced natural disaster in the shape of floods in the country that left millions of people displaced. This on top of the fact that this year may see flooding again. As far as climate-change induced disasters go, the responsibility of the international community cannot be emphasized enough – nor can we stop reiterating that the developed world, mainly in the West, owes the Global South far more than it is doing at the moment. The fact is that the rich-poor gap in the world is not just restricted to people but entire nations. With the developing world, in particular LDCs, facing a myriad of challenges including climate change disasters, poverty, food insecurity etc, we need to see more action by the world’s richer countries.