INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
New development paradigm for PakistanSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have not only replaced the
SDGs are universal set of 17 goals, 169 targets and 241 indicators that UN member states are expected to localize in their own development
agendas and socio-economic policies during the period 2015-2030
All 17 goals are based on three pillars, i.e., inclusivity, equity and sustainability.Pakistan was the early starter on SDGs and Ministry of
Planning, Development and Reform launched the SDGs as a people centric development agenda
Planning Ministry started spadework on implementation of this very important agenda in close coordination with provincial governments
Translating the ambitious SDG agenda into a workable action plan and selection ofcountry specific targets and indicators in two years was a
huge challenge particularly for developing countries like Pakistan
Therefore, Pakistan has started translating global SDGs framework into national action plan.The SDGs framework requires an integrated
monitoring and evaluation framework with review processes at four levels: Global, Regional, National and Thematic
However, the main focus of SDG monitoring mechanism will remain at the national level for convenience of reporting
A sound indicator framework has provided a robust management tool to develop implementation strategies and allocate resources accordingly
A well-defined set of indicators guarantees regular monitoring of progress towards sustainable development and help ensure the
Under this initiative, federal and four provincial SDG support units are already established
The objective of these units is to enhance coordination, oversight and technical support to the government of Pakistan in achieving SDGs
Federal SDG Unit is connected with four provincial units for monitoring and evaluation of SDG indicators
Reporting and monitoring framework has already been formulated in the shape of a data gap report, which is available online
The other objective of this exercise was to identify the lead ministry and reporting agency to fix the responsibility of data collection and
Also, the study discusses preferred data source for an indicator in case of multiple data sources
The standardization of definition in accordance with global definition has also stressed in the study
The data gap report has sorted and divided the 241 indicators in federal, provincial and local domains by examining current administrative
regional and international level and Minister for Planning has been made Champion Minister for SDGs and Chairman of Asia-Pacific region on
National reporting is essential and performance at national level is the aggregation of performance at regional and provincial level,
well-coordinated efforts from different ministries, institutions and stakeholders at the national provincial and district levels is being
To begin with strengthening of the linkages between planning at national and local levels; enhanced coordination at both federal and
provincial levels; and building the capacity of provinces and district governments towards service delivery and reporting mechanism are
being worked out.Pakistan has prepared a baseline on the basis of existing data and also started process of firming of medium-term targets
SDGs goals and targets need to be localized in the light of national and sub-national peculiarities
Their flexibility to take into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development make them more acceptable for
different tiers of the government and community based organizations
Pakistan has already started to adopt and operationalize SDGs,mainstream goals into national development planning, mobilize resources for
achievement of SDGs and monitor progress at various levels of government
The government is developing inclusive partnerships with civil society, academia and the private sector for coordinated efforts towards
achievements of most of the SDGs
Ministry of IT, Ministry of Health, Council for Water Research and Climate Change has already started aligning their policies with SDGs
indicators.The planning ministry in collaboration with the provincial Planning and Development Departments and UNDP has already done
sensitization workshops about the SDGs at the grassroots level and disseminate the underlying methodology and usage of the MPI for informed
decision making at the district level
Sensitization seminars held in all divisional headquarters of the four provinces
The ministry has also got feedback on prioritization from divisional level workshops on priority areas and embedded them into national
In addition to that prioritization workshops were conducted in the provinces involving government departments, civil society,
intelligentsia, academia etc.A local government Summit was also held in Islamabad on March 09, 2017 with active participation of 79 elected
heads of District Councils from all four provinces
The Summit focused on the role of local governments in achieving SDGs and how an effective monitoring mechanism could be established in
SDG Committees of Parliament are also established in the federal as well as provincial levels
Federal PSDP and provincial ADPs of two provinces, namely, Sindh and Punjab have made it mandatory for all development projects to have a
reference to specific SDG goal and target in the project document beginning July 2017
The other two provinces are working on it and most probably soon finalized the mapping of SDGs with their ADPs accordingly.The government
has changed its development strategy from centralized planning process to participatory planning
For SDGs, government has considered private sector as a major player in the achievement of SDGs
various SDG targets.The federal and provincial governments are cognizant of the value of implementing 2030 agenda and diverting resources to
have effective planning, implementing, monitoring and coordination mechanisms
The SDGs support units both at federal and provincial levels are working closely with Planning Commission and Provincial Planning and
Development Departments to develop a strong partnership among all stakeholders for the effective implementation of SDGs in Pakistan
An appraisal of existing policies, institutional arrangements and capacities, means of financing, and scope in future is being done at
federal and provincial level, which will be gradually extended to districts
Recently (March 2018), National Economic Council (NEC) has approved National Framework on SDGs.This framework has given prioritized national
goals and indicative targets, which will ultimately converted into provincial and district plans
alignment between the global SDGs and national and provincial annual and long-term development plansBroad-based stakeholder engagement for
greater ownership; and synergies among government, academia, civil society and the private sectorEstablish an efficient system to
monitor/track and review progressAn effective reporting and coordination mechanism at the federal levelThe priority areas for Pakistan
include eradication of poverty and hunger, sustainable and inclusive growth, quality education and health services for all, affordable and
accessible energy for all, food and water security, resilient infrastructure, decent and productive employment, access to justice, and
quality of life for the poor.The writer is Chief Poverty SDGs at the Planning Commission of Pakistan and can be reached at:
