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Mr. Chairman,
At the outset, let me congratulate you and the members of the bureau, on their election, and assure you of my delegations’ full support in the work of the Third Committee.
Pakistan aligns itself with the statement delivered by the delegation of Egypt on behalf of the G-77 and China.
We also thank the briefers for their briefings and comprehensive reports.
Mr. Chairman,
The objectives of social development are often regarded as an appendage to economic and human development. In reality, there is an inextricable link between social development and economic growth. Both are complementary and mutually reinforcing. Social development offers a comprehensive framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, reduce poverty, protect the environment and strengthen governance.
It is no coincidence that the overarching objective of the 2030 Agenda puts people and prosperity at the front and center of sustainable development.
Mr. Chairman,
Despite the tremendous progress made in reducing global poverty, significant disparities remain across regions and within countries.
Poverty and inequality are multifaceted challenges that need multi-pronged solutions. It is only through realistic and determined social and economic policymaking and implementation that we can combat poverty. Only inclusive economic growth can provide sustainable jobs and promote equality.
Mr. Chairman,
The Government of Pakistan, through its people-centered policies, is striving to lift our people out of poverty. Our policies aim to promote financial inclusion, agricultural growth, rural development, provision of educational opportunities and poverty eradication.
In a world where economies are increasingly based upon the availability of sophisticated skills and a well-informed citizenry, my country considers education as a sound investment into the future of our country. Only during last three years, 2.5 million students have been enrolled as a result of innovative initiatives taken by the Government.
Mr. Chairman,
The new government in Pakistan is making education a signature priority, with further investments and reforms for improved outcomes for children. Pakistan’s Prime Minister in his maiden address to the Pakistani nation pledged that quality education for less privileged section of the societies will be the foremost priority for his Government.
He vowed that his Government would do utmost to improve education in government-run schools and to raise the educational standards at public institutions.
This has generated new enthusiasm and has sent ripples of optimism across the country.
Mr. Chairman,
Pakistan is pursuing the policy of “putting people first” through our strategy for long-term sustainable development, called “Pakistan Vision 2025”. Vision 2025 aims at creating new and better opportunities for the welfare of all sections of society.
Our initiatives notably the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), a nation-wide social safety net programme, that provides financial support to the vulnerable and helps them overcome poverty, have been widely acknowledged for their positive contribution.
We are also implementing strategies to enable women, youth and the disabled to become real partners in development.
For us inclusive development includes gender empowerment. Social, political and economic development can only be sustained by strengthening mechanisms that ensure gender equality and women empowerment.
My Government has also put in place a stringent results-based monitoring system to evaluate the progress of a wide range of strategies to ensure implementation of the SDGs.
In addition, the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is an example of South-South cooperation for the achievement of shared economic and development objectives. This game-changing project will be pivotal to our efforts to combat poverty and achieve SDG targets. A win-win venture, it offers economic opportunities not only for the people of Pakistan but also for the entire region and beyond.
Mr. Chairman,
Empowerment requires continued national and international commitment and action. International cooperation and the promotion of partnerships and mutual responsibility are of critical importance. Similarly, development assistance, debt-relief, market access, capacity building and a fair and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system all remain important for collective growth with equity and sustainable development.
We hope our discussion will help to lead us towards realization of our shared goal of empowering the people through poverty eradication and social integration.
Thank you.