SDPI to host 29th sustainable development conference in Islamabad from November 2-11659-News

The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) will hold its flagship 29th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in Islamabad from November 2 to 5, 2026, bringing together experts and policymakers to discuss development challenges in an increasingly uncertain world.

The four-day event will focus on the theme “Rethinking Development in an Age of Disruption”. Alongside the conference, the institute will organise the fourth Sustainability Investment Expo (SIE), under the theme “Connecting Ideas, Investment and Impact for Resilient Development”.

SDPI Executive Director Abid Qaiyum Suleri said the conference would examine how development priorities need to evolve amid geopolitical conflicts, climate-related disasters, economic fragmentation and declining multilateral cooperation.

He said the discussions would go beyond reviewing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and considering what follows them, with greater emphasis on building resilience, managing risks and protecting human well-being in a rapidly changing global environment.

The conference programme will revolve around three core areas of development: economy, environment and equity. Development finance will feature prominently, with sessions examining debt, domestic resource mobilisation, blended finance and inequalities in the international financial system.

Other subjects on the agenda include cross-border air and water security in South Asia, the emerging “heat economy”, Individual Development Goals (IDGs), reconstruction in conflict-affected areas and cooperation among countries of the Global South.

Artificial intelligence, digital trade and data governance will also form part of the discussions. The conference will introduce the Global South Solutions Without Borders (GS-SWB) Platform, which aims to translate policy discussions into pilot projects, practical policy tools and financing partnerships.

The conference will formally open on Monday, November 2, at 9:30am with a plenary session titled “Rethinking Development in an Age of Disruption”, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

Federal Minister Prof. Ahsan Iqbal is listed as the chief guest, while Prof. Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, is scheduled to attend as guest of honour.

Two publications, Sustainable Development in the Emerging World Dis|Order and Journal of Development Policy, Research & Practice (Volume 10), will also be launched during the opening programme.

The Sustainability Investment Expo will hold its awards plenary and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30am, with Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja as chief guest. Sustainability awards will be presented across seven categories covering areas such as climate adaptation, the circular economy, digital innovation, clean energy and research with practical impact. An OICCI report is also scheduled for launch.

Later in the day, Prof. Dr Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies, will deliver a keynote address titled “Strengthening Climate Action: Priorities and Proposals for Effective Implementation”.

The programme will also feature the launch of the State of Environment Report in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and Southern Voice. Other sessions will explore regenerative agriculture and the links between social protection and climate change.

Thematic discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 3 and 4, will cover the economy, energy, water, health, governance, youth, geopolitics, women’s empowerment and artificial intelligence.

Key sessions will examine development through the three Es, energy transition in South Asia, water security and hydro-diplomacy, tobacco control in Pakistan, the country’s hydrogen economy and the changing geopolitical landscape.

The expo will also host six fireside chats focused on corporate sustainability.

A session on climate finance in Pakistan will feature the launch of the Pakistan Climate Action Hub and a dashboard on Country Platforms. Denmark’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Maja Derrous Mortensen, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address.

Another session, “Living with Disasters: Understanding Risks, Anticipatory Planning and Financing for Preparedness”, will be held in collaboration with the World Food Programme and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Idrees Mehsud, Member for Disaster Risk Reduction at the National Disaster Management Authority, will serve as keynote speaker.

Tuesday evening’s plenary will present SDPI’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 to former State Bank of Pakistan governor Dr Ishrat Husain.

On Wednesday, the closing plenary will focus on “Circular Economy Transition Beyond 2030: From Policy Ambition to Inclusive Action in South Asia”. A circular economy report will be launched in collaboration with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).

The conference will conclude on Thursday, November 5, with a morning plenary titled “Private-Sector Growth and the Fiscal Policy Agenda for 2027”.

Further sessions will examine the transformation of Pakistan’s agriculture and food systems, as well as the use of artificial intelligence in regenerative and climate-smart farming.

The afternoon programme will include the launch of the Annual State of Renewable Energy 2026 report, followed by a plenary on the Middle East crisis and its economic implications.

The final session, “Where Reforms Matter the Most for Growth?”, will feature Prof. Dr Stefan Dercon of the University of Oxford as keynote speaker. The conference will end with a summary of the proceedings, acknowledgements to partner organisations, and the presentation of SDPI awards, including the Best Pavilion Award.