Greater global cooperation vital to achieve SDG agenda: Maleeha Lodhi

NEW YORK: Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said at the United Nations (UN) that international commitment would have to be renewed to meet the objectives of the global sustainable development agenda.

Speaking in the Second Committee of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN Maleeha Lodi said that the prevailing global economic and financial environment appeared unfavorable to achieve the goals and targets of 2030 agenda.

“We see an erosion in global partnership and cooperative engagements”, she said and stressed that, “a structured and systemic approach anchored in a cooperative spirit, an enabling international environment and availability of matching resources, remain critical to achieve this ambitious agenda.”

She urged the international community to step up its efforts and argued that the implementation phase of the agenda demanded “the same level of enthusiasm and political commitment that was demonstrated at the time of formulating and adopting this framework of action”.

The priorities of Pakistan’s new government, Lodhi assured, were fully aligned with the objectives and aspirations of the 2030 Agenda, and added that the country was addressing all three dimensions of sustainable development.

Highlighting the government’s strong commitment to combat climate change, Ambassador Lodhi informed the committee about the campaign to plant 10 billion trees during the next five years.

Emphasizing that for developing countries like Pakistan, the ambassador apprised, climate change posed an even greater threat as they were more vulnerable and less equipped to deal with it.

Ambassador Lodhi said that global commitment and actions, both in terms of finances and capacity building, were vital for achieving climate related goals.

Calling for early conclusion of negotiations on the modalities of the Paris Agreement, she said that disaster prone developing countries faced specific challenges and needed particular attention in view of their higher vulnerability.

She concluded by saying that full realization of sustainable development goals was challenging but achievable. “We can only do this together” she said and added that “each one of us will have to play our part to accomplish that”.