ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) is hosting the ‘Third Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Regional Seminar on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Parliaments of Asia-Pacific from September 13 to 14 in the federal capital.

The event is being held in the backdrop of the devastating rains, floods and landslides that have impacted more than 33 million people in different parts of the country.

According to the report, over 1,100 people including 350 children have lost their lives, more than 1,600 people have been injured, over 287,000 houses have been fully and 662,000 partially destroyed, over 735,000 livestock have perished and two million acres of crops have been adversely impacted, besides severe damage to communications infrastructure.

This regional seminar aims to highlight the vulnerabilities of developing countries especially the countries of the Asia-Pacific region from the ever-intensifying impacts of global climate change.

The NA by using this platform, aims to sensitize the foreign parliamentarians to advocate for climate change in the region by witnessing the intensity and magnitude of climate catastrophe first hand in Pakistan.

The two-day event comprises of diverse activities. Its inaugural session would be graced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, welcome remarks by NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and speech of IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong.

The seminar also consists of breakout sessions on ‘SDGs implementation in Asia- Pacific’, envisioning inclusive development, promoting quality education and decent work for Youth, ensuring equitable access to health, parliamentary mechanism and practices to institutionalize the SDGs, women at the center of development agenda, building resilience to preserve our common future.

The participants and representatives from the seminar would be given the opportunity to physically observe the incalculable loss to the lives and properties of the ordinary people of Pakistan due to devastating floods.

In this context, the NA would also arrange a visit of participants to flood-affected areas and campuses. The aforementioned seminar would be held in the NA hall, in order to cut the expenses keeping in view the huge blow to the economy of Pakistan as a consequence of the devastating floods, the money saved would later be donated for the rehabilitation of the flood affected. The seminar upon conclusion intends to set out a well-coordinated and inclusive plan of action to respond to the needs of the affected people in this grim hour of need.