ISLAMABAD: Senator Sania Nishtar, adviser to the prime minister on social protection and poverty alleviation, addressed a high-level event attended by heads of various ministries and agencies of member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov hosted the virtual event.
Speaking at the event, Nishtar thanked the SCO secretariat for encouraging all the members to cooperate in poverty alleviation as it was outlined in the Action Plan for 2021-2025 for the implementation of the SCO Development Strategy.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan in his speech at the meeting of Head of States of SCO which was held in June 2019 in Bishkek articulated his eight-point agenda.
This included a proposal to narrow the research-policy gap through the establishment of a leading knowledge centre for poverty reduction within the SCO framework,” she highlighted.
“There is an urgent need to establish a permanent mechanism for regular exchange of experiences and information on the applied innovative measures aimed at poverty alleviation.”
Nishtar also reflected on Pakistan’s experience in poverty alleviation.
“In Pakistan, poverty alleviation is a top priority of our government. There are multiple programmes in Ehsaas for 16 target groups, and each programme is aligned with a certain quantifiable goal and 292 initiatives and policies which support these programmes.”
The event discussed regional approaches to poverty alleviation in the SCO states. Speakers reviewed a wide range of issues on the state and prospects of development of the their cooperation in poverty alleviation.
The event was attended by heads and representatives of the ministries and agencies of the SCO member states on poverty alleviation, as well as representatives of the SCO Secretariat.
