ISLAMABAD – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday launched the “SDG Investment Report 2021: Leveraging Private Investments for Pakistan’s Sustainable Development”.
The Report has been prepared under the lead of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Board of Investment (BOI).
It showcases Pakistan’s business portfolio and potential for attracting private sector investments aligned with the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).
The event was attended by Chairman BOI, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs, Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan, members of the Diplomatic Corps, UN agencies, private sector, think-tanks and media. An outline of the Report was presented by the UNDP Senior Advisor on Finance for Development.
In his key-note address, the foreign minister outlined his vision of Economic Diplomacy which is geared towards the advancement of Pakistan’s Economic Security agenda. Noting the upward trajectory of Pakistan’s macro-economic indicators amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, he underscored the imperative of exploring innovative financing solutions. He stressed on the involvement of both public and private sectors to increase investments in Pakistan’s development sector for the attainment of SDGs. He particularly highlighted the need to focus on health, agriculture, renewable energy and infrastructure in order to ensure that development is sustainable.
FM Qureshi also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment towards facilitating its international partners to strengthen their economic and development investments in Pakistan and encouraged them to benefit from the unique propositions presented in the Report.
He thanked UNDP Pakistan for providing excellent support, policy advice and technical assistance for positioning Pakistan’s SDGs investment portfolio at global investment platforms and developing the country’s first-ever SDG Investor Map.
Pakistan’s SDG Investment Report 2021 will help leverage and mobilize the much needed finance for sustainable development in the country. It will go a long way in addressing the socio-economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and helping Pakistan build forward better.
