Sixth Sustainable Development Conference 11-13 December, Holiday
Inn, Islamabad
Sustainable Development Conference Series: A Background
SDPI’s Sustainable Development Conference
series is another dimension of outreach to the general public as well
as policy makers where emphasis is placed on emerging sustainable
development issues in Pakistan. It is an important channel of policy
advice where each session of the conference is followed by a panel
discussion consisting of representatives from the government, community
representatives, NGOs, and donor agencies.
First SDC
The first SDC, titled The Green Economics Conference, was organized
by SDPI in 1995. This conference focused on the interaction between
economics and the environment, and included research papers on trade,
fiscal policy, EIAs, green accounting, forestry, energy, industry
and the urban environment.
Second SDC
The second SDC, in 1996, addressed the broad theme of sustainable
development including pollution abatement, resource management,
conservation of biodiversity, the transfer and use of technology,
trade and environment, human development and poverty alleviation,
and social capital and governance. The conference was successful
in highlighting key issues facing the country and bringing out the
latest thinking and analysis to identify solutions.
Third SDC
The theme of the third conference was A Dialogue on Environment
and Natural Resource Conservation. The conference, held in 1998,
focussed on stimulating a dialogue on practical policy options for
key environmental challenges facing Pakistan. The two broad thematic
areas of Urban Environment and Natural Resources concentrated on
urban pollution, water resource management, deforestation and sustainable
agriculture with presentations by experts from within Pakistan and
the South Asian region.
Fourth SDC
The Fourth Sustainable Development Conference titled Discourse on
Human Security was organised in collaboration with RCSS, ActionAid,
IPRI and SNPO in 2000. It focused on the changes and improvement
in government policies and practice with regard to human security.
The conference was designed to raise awareness of senior policy
makers, key federal and provincial government officials and civil
society groups like the media and NGOs on security issues. The immediate
feedback from government, NGOs and media was extremely encouraging.
Fifth SDC
The fifth conference titled Sustainable Development and Southern
Realities: Past and Future in South Asia, held in 2002, critically
re-examined the conceptualization and implementation of sustainable
development in its multiple dimensions: economic, political, social,
and moral. The conference scrutinized and consolidated some of the
ideas presented at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg, and resituated debates in the South Asian context.
The proceedings of the Fifth SDC are presently being edited and
will be published by October 2003.
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