Sustainable Development Goals attainment: CII chief asks govt to facilitate civil society organisations

PESHAWAR: The speakers at an event on Friday called for meaningful space and a conducive environment for the civil society organizations (CSOs) to strengthen their collaborative role in the achievement of the global agenda of development.

They were speaking at a National Conference arranged by Blue Veins, civil society organisation, to discuss the impact of Covid-19 and a restrictive environment towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals with a special focus on SDG 5 which is about gender equality.

The event, was conducted under the strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) and the government regulations, was attended by CSO representatives, lawyers, the business community, line departments and human rights institutions.

The participants discussed the key findings and recommendations of the report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the importance of using this work.

Dr Qibla Ayaz, Chairman, Council of Islamic Ideology, said “By adopting 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Pakistani Govt re-established a new call for action to change the country with a transformative vision for development.”

He added that civil society must be facilitated by the government to better achieve SDGs and they must be able to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and the implementation of 2030 Agenda”.

Qamar Naseem, Program Coordinator, Blue Veins, highlighted how the challenges and restrictive spaces caused by the COVID-19 have been jeopardizing the role of CSOs in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. “There is a need to recognize the intrinsic value of civil society and creating meaningful and institutionalized spaces in the implementation of Agenda, where their diverse and pluralistic voices can be heard and valued in contributing to the achievement of all of the Goals”, he added.

Sayed Raza Ali of Peace & Justice Network said “Govt and the CSO must recognize the linkages between the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

The participants of the conference agreed that the pandemic had highlighted the work that is still to be done in the journey to gender equality. Solutions explored included a conducive environment for NGOs and other civil society including job security, digital transformation, women in peace-building roles, access to health services, and intergenerational co-leadership.