Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda by adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its national development plan through a unanimous 2016 National Assembly Resolution. Since then, the country has made great strides in implementing these goals nationally. policies and strategies, including the Five Year Plan, provincial growth strategies and a vision for Pakistan’s long-term development. In 2018, the newly elected Government drafted and approved a National Framework for the SDGs that takes into account the national vision of prioritizing and prioritizing the SDGs. The country is making every effort to establish institutional mechanisms in line with the 2030 Agenda. The newly elected government has a strong position to strengthen institutions, to ensure that people are respected and transparent at all levels. This is seen as crucial in transforming our political vision into a reality by managing available resources and improving service delivery. With the establishment of state and provincial SDG units, Pakistan has established monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that are critical to supporting the implementation of the SDGs, horizontal and vertical coordination, and strengthening partnerships with development partners, civil society, think tanks, academics and the private sector. sector. To ensure a positive institutional environment, the Parliamentary Task Team is working on national and provincial forums, closely monitoring progress in the SDGs. All these efforts are expected to accelerate Pakistan’s progress towards the SDGs. Pakistan’s second smooth transition to power democracy helps to foster relationships in all institutions and sectors in order to develop programs that can help alleviate poverty and improve social inclusion; eradicate hunger and improve the quality of life of our people, while taking a single approach to health. Political commitment is largely based on adopting programs that will help us eradicate poverty. We strongly believe that population planning, the benefits of segregation, and ensuring equitable gender participation are strong components of continued economic growth.

INTRODUCTION

 POLICY AND OBJECTIVES OF THE VOLUNTEER NATIONAL REVIEW Pakistan is committed to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by October 2015 reports progress in a few numbers. The SDGs also outline future plans, based on multi-stakeholder consultation, institutional approaches, financial resources allocation and policy efficiency. 1.1.1 State of the Nation Although growth and social development must go hand in hand, growth in Pakistan has not contributed to equal social development in recent decades, largely due to high levels of population growth. As a result, many of Pakistan’s social indicators do not match the key growth rates, which are estimated at 4 percent per year. This makes the Sustainable Development Goals a priority for the country.

National Priorities Since the adoption of the SDGs, the country has worked to strengthen the SDGs in all policies, programs and strategies. Pakistan’s long-term development agenda, provincial development strategies and five-year plans are all in line with the SDGs. All spheres of government actively participate in the implementation of the SDGs. In 2017, the first SDG Local Government Conference identified education, employment, energy, water, and peace and governance as major issues to be addressed. The Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) has increased spending on energy, law and order, and security at the state level. Along the way, education, health, water and sanitation receive the highest share of the province’s budget. Based on the priorities highlighted by the public during the post-2015 agenda debate, as well as debates held during the 2017 Local Government Conference, a goal statement – comprising seven measures – was developed to prioritize national needs. This seven-pronged approach facilitated dialogue between the provinces in identifying national priorities. Based on the outcome of these discussions, a framework was developed to prioritize the SDGs in the context of Pakistan. Accordingly, the National SDG framework was prepared.