Workshop: Localization of SDGs – Youth Consultation Workshop
Date: August 11, 2022
Venue: District Mirpurkhas, Sindh

International Youth Day is celebrated every year on August 12 to promote and appreciate youth, encourage them to come forward for sustainable development. In this context, Transparency international Pakistan in collaboration with ARTS Foundation arranged a workshop on „Localization of SDGs – Youth Consultation Workshop‟ at Mirchi 360 Restaurant, District Mirpurkhas, Sindh. A total of 45 participants including 30 males and 15 females participated in the workshop.
The event formally started with a welcome note by Ms. Saira Falak, Program Manager, ARTS Foundation. The responsibilities of event moderation were performed by Mr Shahzado Malik, Executive Director, ARTS Foundation. Mr. Shahzado said that the strength of Pakistan is its youth population which consists of 60% of Pakistan‟s population. Young people have the potential to change Pakistan‟s destiny. He highlighted that the objective of the workshop is to urge youth to be aware of how they can play their role in achieving 169 Targets of 17 SDGs.

Moving on, Mr. Ashfaque Ahmed, Project Coordinator, TI Pakistan provided a brief overview of TI Pakistan. He emphasized that the vision of TI Pakistan is to stop corruption and promote transparency and accountability in governance. He shared that the TI movement is currently working in more than 100 countries to end the injustice of corruption by promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity. Next, Mr. Jhaman Das, Assistant Commissioner, Taluka Sindhri, Mirpurkhas shared his views with regard to „SDGs and Youth Leadership‟. He highlighted that young people today have a unique ability to influence decision-makers like never before. They play a significant role in the implementation, monitoring and review of the agenda as well as in holding governments accountable. With political commitment and adequate resources, young people have the potential to make the most effective transformation of the world into a better place for all through playing an active part in the implementation of SDGs.

Later on, Mr. Kashif Ali Shaikh, Program Manager, Transparency International Pakistan in an interactive session with the participants shared about „SDGs localization and the role of youth in implementing the 2030 agenda for sustainable development‟. Mr. Kashif shared that in 1999 through the resolution 54/120, United Nations General Assembly endorsed a recommendation that 12 August be declared as International Youth Day. The purpose of Youth Day is to collectively raises awareness around issues which affect Youth around the world. He further highlighted that this year the theme of International Youth Day as decided by United Nations is “intergenerational solidarity, intergenerational equity, future generations, and ageism”. This means that to achieve sustainable development, we must push for action and solidarity and leverage the full potential of all generations including young people.

He emphasized that with a similar objective, Transparency International Pakistan in collaboration with ARTs Foundation has organized today‟s youth consultation workshop to raise awareness about SDGs but at the same time to also hear your recommendations on the role and potential of young people in the implementation of SDGs. He emphasized that youth is more than 60% of Pakistan‟ population, and they have an important role to play in solving Pakistan‟s socio-economic and development problems including achieving sustainable development goals.

Mr. Kashif also provided the participants with a brief overview of Sustainable Development Goals and shared some of the ways young people can play their part in achieving SDGs including Sustainable Development Goal (SDG16). Next, Dr. Hameeduallah Bhutto, Lecturer, University of Sindh Mirpurkhas Campus delivered his speech about „Youth participation for inclusive and sustainable development and the barriers to youth engagement at the local level‟. He shared that the millennials have an opportunity to contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals: including ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting oceans and forests. But the research revealed several barriers to meaningful youth engagement, such as tokenism, social power imbalances, and biases on the part of both the young people and the practitioners. Young people in care, in particular, face barriers to youth engagement. In our society, the corruption, nepotism and political interference/influence are bigger barriers to youth to participate in development of nation as in most cases talented youth remain unable to contribute well. So, today event in continuation to talk and explore possibilities is a good step towards youth inclusion and curb barriers. At the end, the workshop was closed with a vote of thanks paid by Mr. Shahzado Maik. He paid thanks to all participants and the speakers in particular team of Transparency International Pakistan for making this event possible in District Mirpurkhas. In the end, refreshment was served for the participants