PAKISTAN'S UNSETTLING TREND OF STAGNATION

Country is running out of time to catch up on its UN Sustainable Development Goals, as progress will be assessed in 2030

- BY SAJJAD ASHRAF | Special to Gulf News

Pakistan's track record on global development commitments is becoming a cautionary tale.

With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index score falling to 57.02 in 2024 and Pakistan ranking 137 out of 166 countries, the message is clear: urgent course correction is imperative. With most countries in the region performing better, Pakistan has little time left till 2030 when there will be a final determination on how countries have fared in attainment of these goals.

Adopted in 2015 by the UN member states, the SDG are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030.

After failing to fully meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the country's current trajectory on the SDGs also reveals an unsettling trend of stagnation. Out of 41 indicators adopted by the government to track MDG progress, Pakistan fully achieved only three.

As for the current trends, Pakistan's progress towards SDG attainment looks unlikely to be fulfilled. From the earlier 124, Pakistan now (2024) ranks at 137 out of 166 countries in the SGD Index. Making modest progress in five goals, Pakistan has regressed in three while stagnating in the rest.

Ill-advised move