The Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals inculcate a vision and direction for a better tomorrow, targeting human prosperity, reduction in poverty, healthy eco-systems, a stable climate, and a clean environment. 193 countries have committed to the Agenda 2030; Pakistan being one of them.
With the principles to leave no one behind and reach the furthest behind first, the Agenda 2030 has led Pakistan onto a transformative journey, where we can no longer proceed with business as usual. We need to explore development interventions through a different lens that capture the local needs, integrate cross-cutting issues, forge multi-sectoral linkages, enhance contribution of public-private partnerships, and bring the country at par with the international standards for development.
It has been globally recognized that the role of private sector is indispensable to achieving sustainable development goals. With its strong foothold in the market, ability to adapt and innovate, the private sector is well-equipped, and has both the potential and power to bring forth multiple solutions to address the development challenges that the province is facing and contribute immensely towards achieving the high priority SDGs. On the other hand, for the private sector, the SDGs open-up new market and investment opportunities, leveraging companies’ core competencies, expertise and resources.
Sindh is home to a thriving private sector, from large-scale corporations to micro-enterprises, fostering the economic landscape of the province. Alongside economic contributions, the private sector also has a share in social and environmental well-being through philanthropic initiatives. UNDP Pakistan and SDGs Support Unit Sindh has engaged with Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy and Tundra Fonder to strengthen its engagement with the private sector to support localization of SDGs in Pakistan.
Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy is helping UNDP measure and map the corporate philanthropy initiatives with SDGs, taking stock of the resources spent by private sector towards achieving Agenda 2030, through a Corporate Philanthropy Survey Tool. Technical surveys, such as the Corporate Philanthropy Survey, will help log information about the private sector’s contributions onto the National SDGs Dashboard, and enable the policy makers, and the common man alike to see how the private sector is doing its share to make their lives better.
At a consultative workshop held in Karachi, attended by renowned private sector entities, UNDP and PCP initiated discussion on mapping of corporate philanthropy with SDGs using the Corporate Philanthropy Survey tool, with the broader aim to stimulate philanthropic initiatives, and greater engagement of private sector in accelerating progress towards Agenda 2030.
At the same time, UNDP Pakistan has engaged Tundra Fonder to develop a framework that can help private sector companies map and report progress against SDGs. A workshop was held recently, supported by SDGs Support Unit Sindh that brought together close to 20 companies listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, and engaged them in a thought-provoking dialogue towards increasing and strengthening private-sector’s role in achievement of SDGs in Pakistan.
UNDP and the SDGs Support Unit Sindh are keen to keep the private sector very close in the localization process of Agenda 2030 and have involved private sector representatives in all leading advocacy and policy planning platforms established within the existing government structure. With such initiatives in place, supported with a robust communication and coordination mechanism to keep the private sector close to the development agenda, UNDP Pakistan and SDGs Support unit Sindh is hopeful that private sector will play an instrumental role in addressing several complex development issues and help Pakistan achieve 17 SDGs by 2030.
