Islamabad:Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) is all set to host 4-day 28th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC), the institute’s annual flagship programme here at Allama Iqbal Open University, from November 4 to 7.
The conference will serve as a curtain-raiser to COP30 with the aim to spark actionable discussions on climate finance, trade, circular economy, inclusive growth, inequalities, Artificial Intelligence and the transformation of global governance for sustainable futures.
Alongside the conference, SDPI is also organising 3rd Sustainability Investment Expo (SIE) to bring academia, think tanks and industry close to each other in pursuit of providing capacity building and investment opportunities.
The 16th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) will take center stage under the theme, “Exploring innovations and policies in the circular economy.” Co-hosted by leading think tanks including SDPI (Pakistan), Centre for Policy Dialogue (Bangladesh), SAWTEE (Nepal), Institute of Policy Studies (Sri Lanka), and others, the summit continues its legacy as a premier regional platform fostering dialogue among policymakers, researchers and civil society.
Since its inception in 2008, SAES has been instrumental in advancing South Asian cooperation at a time when regional institutions like South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) remain stagnant. This year’s edition will feature policy and research dialogues on green industrialisation, fiscal and trade reforms, climate prosperity, digital futures and sustainable workforce development.
By gathering voices from across South Asia, the SAES will spotlight how think tanks and non-state actors can reignite the region’s stalled integration agenda through evidence-based policymaking and cross-border collaboration.
Alongside the conference, SDPI will also co-host the 9th South and South-West Asia Subregional Forum on Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office from November 4–5.
A strategic dialogue will open the forum, exploring how regional stakeholders can navigate global disruptions while keeping the SDGs on track. The sessions will discuss financing the energy transition, urban resilience and lessons from Voluntary National Reviews for stronger SDG governance and monitoring.
