ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the world was facing a moment of “polycrisis” as “geopolitical hostility, climate stress, and technological disruption” were all converging into a single destabilizing force.
The prime minister arrived in Austria last week for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch are also part of the visiting delegation.
While addressing the United Nations’ Special Event on Sustainable Development, Pathway for Global Peace and Prosperity held in Vienna International Center, the premier said the “only one route to durable peace” was the route of “sustainable development that leaves no one behind.”
“It is humanity's ultimate prevention tool, and therefore it is need of the hour,” PM Sharif said, adding that “development cannot be called sustainable if it excludes millions from the promise of a better life.”
“We must therefore pursue policies that promote inclusion, strengthen social protection, and ensure equitable distribution of resources,” he added.
The prime minister reminded the gathering that Pakistan’s experience with climate change was illustrative as “developing countries, despite contributing least to global emissions and historical inequities, bear the heaviest cost of climate change, debt distress, and economic volatility.”
“We contribute less than 1% of global emissions, yet we bear the brunt of cascading impacts,” he said, asserting that the climate crisis “erode human security at its core.”
“Despite formidable challenges, Pakistan remains firmly committed to the ideals of sustainable development,” PM Sharif said.
“Our focus is on human development, education, health care, food security, and social protection, particularly for women and youth, who represent our greatest asset and our future,” he said.
“Therefore, let us not merely address the festering wounds of our world. Let us heal them at their source,” the prime minister added.
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