UNITED NATIONS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Wednesday launched its SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Investor Map 2023 at the SDG Investment Fair 2023 during the Pakistan session held at the UN headquarters in New York.
"The map is a dynamic impact intelligence tool that identifies a range of market-specific investment opportunities in Pakistan for SDG-aligned capital deployment, backed by Pakistan-specific data and evidence," said Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations Munir Akram at the meeting.
"The map will highlight bankable investment opportunity areas which, if prioritized, can lead to a reduced trade deficit; gradual transition to alternate and renewable energy; sustainable production and consumption patterns; robust infrastructure; and enhanced food security," he added.
Akram reiterated that the Pakistani government is fully committed to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its goals but the growth trajectory has gotten "disrupted" as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the catastrophic floods of 2022 and the ongoing food, fuel, and financial crisis.
"Our fiscal space for development expenditure has shrunk. Pakistan's annual financing gap for the SDGs stands at 3.72 billion U.S. dollars for the period 2020-2030," said Akram.
With the core support of the United Nations Development Programme, Pakistan had developed its first-ever SDG Investor Map in 2022, according to Akram.
During the meeting, the South Asian country also unveiled a diversified portfolio of climate-resilient investments worth 2.84 billion dollars.
"Being one of the top 10 countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change, our adaptation needs are immense; estimated to cost between 7-14 billion U.S. dollars per annum," said the ambassador.
Akram further emphasized the goal behind the development of the "Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework" by the Pakistani government, which was presented at the "International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan" in Geneva.
"It is time to redouble our efforts to increase investment in the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDG Investment Fair provides an inclusive platform for doing so by promoting innovative partnerships for mobilizing private capital. It is encouraging that Pakistan is presenting innovative proposals to attract private capital to drive its sustainable and climate resilient growth in the aftermath of the floods," said Navid Hanif, UN assistant secretary-general for economic development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. ■
