PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson, Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, has said the world is living through an extraordinary era of anxiety and disruption where global development and multilateralism face an existential threat.
Sherry was speaking at a plenary session of 28th Sustainable Development
Conference organised here by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan.
She warned that “shared global development is no longer possible without peace and architecture of law” noting that rising nationalism, conflicts and shrinking international funding fractured the world’s development agenda.
Former State Bank Governor Dr Ishrat Husain noted that China emerged as a giant in human capital and technology, surpassing the United States and emphasised that Pakistan must maintain sovereignty in its choices within a multipolar world. He cautioned that global power contestation will intensify, requiring Pakistan to align decisions with its own priorities.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan Mohamed Yahya said the rise of China marks a shift toward a multipolar order, urging developing nations to adapt strategically to this transition. He lamented that no civil society movements in developed countries protest against rising defense budgets, underscoring the urgency of addressing mass poverty, migration and conflict through transformative governance rather than piecemeal projects.
Haroon Sharif, Chairperson, Pakistan Regional Economic Forum (PREF), remarked that “uncertainty is the new normal” with global institutions struggling to forecast beyond six months.
Rabi Shanker Sainju from South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal, shared Nepal’s efforts to build resilience through climate adaptation and non-aligned cooperation amid growing geopolitical pressures.
Dhani Ram Sharma from Ministry of Finance, Nepal, highlighted initiatives the government is taking to support circular systems, noting that South Asia’s transition requires institutional commitment and stakeholder coordination.
Dr Pham Ngoc Bao from IGES emphasised that circularity needs clear responsibility frameworks for producers, recyclers, consumers and regulators. Circularity succeeds when roles are defined and accountability is enforced across the value chain, he said.
Sakib Sherani, CEO, Macro Economic Insights, noted that Pakistan’s nutritional indicators are worse than the regional average for South Asia, as well as for comparable economies.
Udaya Namalgama from Sri Lanka observed that despite significant expenditure on agriculture and social services, a persistent gap existed in aligning fiscal and trade policies with food security goals.
