VIENNA – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that the world is a “powder keg” due to overlapping crises, geopolitical tensions, climate disasters, rising debt, displacement, and rapid technological change.
Warning of world teetering on the brink, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described planet as a “powder keg,” citing unresolved political conflicts, rising debt, climate disasters, and rapid technological upheaval as a deadly combination threatening global stability.
Addressing UN conference on “Sustainable Development: Pathway for Global Peace and Prosperity,” the premier Sharif stressed that sustainable, inclusive development and justice are the only ways to secure lasting peace and shared prosperity. “The defining danger of our time is not any single threat, but the combination of many,” he said, highlighting the convergence of geopolitical hostility, climate stress, and technological disruption.
PM issued stark warning that poverty, mass displacement, debt distress, and unresolved conflicts are fueling global instability. “Development cannot be called sustainable if it excludes millions from the promise of a better life,” he said, emphasizing that equity must be at the heart of all progress.
Sharif highlighted disproportionate burdens carried by developing nations, noting that those contributing the least to global emissions are suffering the most from climate impacts, economic volatility, and debt crises. Pakistan, for example, accounts for less than 1% of global emissions yet remains among the most vulnerable to climate-induced disasters. He recalled the catastrophic 2022 floods, which claimed thousands of lives, destroyed crops and infrastructure, and displaced millions, with subsequent floods worsening the crisis. “These disasters erode human security at its core,” he said.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, Sharif outlined the country’s national plans, emphasizing human development, education, healthcare, food security, and social protection, especially for women and youth. Pakistan’s massive youth population, he said, presents both challenges and opportunities, demanding investments in skills, digital transformation, and stronger institutions.
Sharif called for dialogue, diplomacy, and multilateralism as the only ways to resolve conflicts, and urged reforming the UN to make it a stronger pillar of global peace. He praised Vienna for hosting critical UN institutions addressing counter-terrorism, crime prevention, industrial development, and peaceful use of nuclear technology and outer space. Pakistan values its engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, he said.
He also warned that emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and biotechnology must benefit humanity at large, not just a privileged few. “Unaddressed digital divides will soon become entrenched development divides,” he cautioned, urging immediate global action to tackle the root causes of inequality and instability.
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