Islamabad: The 28th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC), titled 'Sustainable Development in the Emerging World Dis/Order', organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with Allama Iqbal Open University, commenced here on Tuesday. The four-day event also includes the 16th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES), 3rd Sustainability Investment Expo (SIE), and the 9th South and South-West Asia Subregional Forum on Sustainable Development (UNESCAP).
Addressing the inaugural plenary, Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik condemned the 'global hypocrisy' of wealthy nations demanding developing countries to adopt greener pathways while withholding climate finance. He said that countries like Pakistan - among the lowest carbon emitters but most affected by climate disasters - are being unfairly penalized in the new global order.
He criticized international lenders for pressuring Pakistan to 'repurpose' funds meant for education and welfare to rebuild infrastructure devastated by floods and other climate catastrophes.
Echoing these concerns, Bangladesh's Advisor for Climate Change, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, warned that multilateralism is losing ground amid increasing political unrest in South Asia. She highlighted worsening natural disasters, soil degradation, and regional water disputes that threaten millions, saying, 'Pakistan has witnessed upper riparian actions violating international law.'
SDPI Executive Director Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri said the conference serves as a platform 'where research meets policy, ideas meet responsibility, and optimism meets realism.' He observed that traditional pillars of progress - such as trade integration and multilateralism - are weakening amid growing geopolitical volatility and climate extremes.
Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Chairperson of SDPI's Board of Governors, said threats to peace, prosperity, and human well-being have multiplied even as the world's collective response has weakened. UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, Mohamed Yahya, added that 'the era of small projects is over,' emphasizing that while the UN can support governments technically, it cannot replace them.
In the second plenary titled 'Collaboration for a Climate Smart Future', Federal Minister for Planning and Development Prof. Ahsan Iqbal stressed that Pakistan must harness innovation, inclusivity, and integrity to shape a new development world order amid global instability. He noted that although Pakistan's contribution to carbon emissions is negligible, it remains highly vulnerable to climate shocks that erode economic stability.
Board of Investment (BoI) Chairman Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh underlined that export-led growth and value addition are essential to achieving sustainable poverty reduction and steering Pakistan toward a $1 trillion economy by 2035.
Peter Emil Nielsen, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Denmark, and Arno Kirchhof, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Germany, both emphasized the urgency of moving beyond reactive climate policies toward a comprehensive shift to sustainable economic growth.
At a strategic dialogue titled 'Accelerating SDGs in the World Today - Challenges and Opportunities', experts from across South Asia called for bold transformation, inclusive governance, and regional cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNESCAP Director Mikiko Tanaka questioned whether the current global 'order' serves its purpose amid declining development financing and called for better integration of energy, water, and mobility within national frameworks. Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to UNESCAP, Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, said crises offer opportunities to rebuild stronger systems, urging younger generations to forge a new, more equitable order.
SAARC Secretariat's Prathma Uprety and Nepal's Daya Sagar Shrestha highlighted the need for regional cooperation on cross-border climate resilience and warned that progress on SDGs 10, 12, and 13 is regressing. Youth representative Danish Tariq urged governments to meaningfully include youth voices in policymaking, saying, 'Youth are not a demographic challenge - we are the region's greatest asset.'
SDPI Deputy Director Dr. Sajid Amin Javed said the current system is not delivering on its goals, calling for a shift from 'accelerating SDGs' to 'inclusively accelerating SDGs.' Sri Lanka's Dr. Dushni Weerakoon and Bangladesh's Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya both emphasized that fiscal and governance challenges continue to hinder sustainable progress.