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Bumper-to-Bumper Original. Like New. Alloy Rims.Speakers highlight he need of multi-stakeholder engagement to achieve SDGs in After-Covid19 scenario
Islamabad: August 21, 2020 After Covid19 scenario demands a revisit to all the planning and initiatives that aim to achieve Sustainable Development Goals SDGs. This revisit is crucial keeping the fact in view that the pandemic has resulted into new challenges and opportunities that need to be assessed properly as a way forward to achieve the SDGs. The speakers including the parliamentarians having SDGs their special area of focus, said this while sharing their views with the participants at online dialogue ‘COVID 19 and Pakistan’s SDG Agenda’ organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute SDPI, in collaboration with Nestle Pakistan here on Friday.

Convener, Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs, Riaz Fatyana, while highlighting the overall impact of Covid19, said that education is the area that has been worst affected and needs to have a special focus to get it revived. He says the reopening of schools is being expected in September, but we are fearing an increase in the number of out of school children.

He said that its now time to initiate learning and sharing process while involving civil society organization and other stakeholders on the key learning about fighting the pandemic and its impacts. Besides, the exchanges at parliamentarians’ level amongst different countries would be important for sharing experiences.

“Regular introspection about our response to Covid19 is the need of hour,” Mehnaz Akber Aziz, SDGs Taskforce Member and Chairperson Special Group on Child Rights, said while terming the pandemic as a huge challenge. She added further that unfortunately, the political commitment towards the programing and financing in social sector is not very strong while our healthcare and education sectors always remained ignored.

She said that the children-specific impacts of Covid19 haven’t been analyzed even though they are the ones that of suffered the most during the pandemic. The pandemic is yet to be over and reopening of the schools would be a big risk, especially when the schools don’t have corona-financing available to ensure PPEs etc. As far as SDGs agenda is concerned, we need to identify 4 to 5 priority areas to focus upon keeping the available fiscal space in view.

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, earlier highlighted the importance of a broader engagement with diverse stakeholders including the private sector to achieve SDGs, said that although the pandemic is yet to be called over, we can now look back to evaluate our response to this challenge and how it has impacted on our pursuit for the SDGs.

“Digital divide has emerged as a key challenge that needs to addressed as we cannot leave anyone out,” Dr Suleri remarked and added that online education has been expedited during the pandemic but we need to create digital equality now.

Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs, Nestle Pakistan, was of view that it’s time for all the stakeholders including the corporate/ private sector, to join hands for achieving SDGs. He said that SME’s programms should also be incorporated in the broader engagement around SDGs keeping in view their important role. He informed the participants that Nestle Pakistan has initiated Water Stewardship programme to benefit farmers and besides, an initiative for better nutrition for the children is also being implemented.

Economic Policy Advisor, SDG Support Unit, Ministry of Planning Development and Reform, Ali Kemal, while presenting the detail of pandemic related impacts, said that Covid19 has been a huge challenge for various sectors. However, the healthcare sector has shown improvement afterwards. He said that Ministry of Planning at present is in the process of mapping development expenditures in the context of progress on SDGs.

He said that Pakistan would sharing its second Voluntary National Review VNR on SDGs and will be able to show progress towards achieving these goals.


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