Seminar: CSOs role underlined for sustainable development

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar here on Wednesday termed civic space and role of civil society organisations (CSOs) imperative for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation and achievement of gender equality.

A CSO, Blue Veins, and KP government had jointly organized the event, which was attended by local CSOs, INGOs, UN agencies, and academia and government departments officials.

The seminar participants said the CSOs were the voice of the poorest and most marginalized citizens.

The participants reminded that “Leaving no one behind” is an underlying principle of the SDGs.

It aims to ensure that development throughout the world has positive impacts on the poorest and most marginalized members of society and that can be achieved only with the meaningful collaboration of government and CSOs along with a conducive environment.

Member of the Provincial Assembly MPA Ayesha Bano said as an agent of accountability, CSOs need to participate and be integrated into development and planning processes at the national and local levels.

The legislator from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said one of the failures of the UN Millennium Development Goals MDGs was the exclusion of civil society from the planning and formulation of goal-setting processes and development strategies in the beginning.

Manzoor Ahmad, Secretary Social Welfare Department, said: “The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is committed to promoting gender equality and protect children from exploitation and abuse”.

He said to ensure effective civil society engagement, it is important that civil society should have formal roles such as through formal consultations on government implementation plans and measures, representation on mechanisms that oversee implementation.

Qamar Naseem Programme Coordinator, Blue Veins, said existing linkages between the exercises of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development were closely linked.

He called for creating opportunities, spaces and platforms to promote genuine dialogues, build community awareness and develop strong relationships.