Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has said that Parliament will continue to play its role in capacity building of its members and staff. He was speaking at a ceremony of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Parliament's Sustainable Development Goals Secretariat and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), here on Friday.
He said that in the wake of global emerging challenges to development, the SDG Secretariat will seek evidence-based advice and technical support from the SDPI. Under the agreement, forthcoming Parliament would have a great opportunity to better function around SDGs targets, he added. Sadiq and Executive Director SDPI Abid Sulehri signed the MoU. The speaker said that various steps had been taken for training and capacity building of members of the Parliament so that they could take part in the affairs of the House more efficiently.
Cooperation would continue with other institutions to conduct research and take benefit from the new knowledge, he noted. He said that gaining of knowledge was a constant pursuit and the effort to acquire education should continue throughout the life. According to the MoU, the SDPI will conduct workshops, carry out different initiatives and provide research to help parliamentarians in enhancing their capacity for effective oversight of the government and evidence-based legislation. The institute will also give technical assistance to the parliamentarians and standing committees. Convenor of the Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs Marriyum Aurangzeb and other members of the Parliament were also present on the occasion.