NEW YORK: In partnership with UNDP in Pakistan, the government of Pakistan will unveil a Climate Investments Portfolio at the Pakistan Session of at United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ (UNDESA) SDG Investment Fair 2023.
The Pakistan Session of the United Nations SDG Investment Fair 2023, entitled ‘Advancing Pakistan’s Climate Resilience by Catalyzing Innovative SDGs Financing’, will be held on April 19, 2023 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The event will highlight Pakistan’s macroeconomic indicators, fiscal and public financing challenges and development gaps/needs (including losses incurred by 2022 floods and the opportunities from Geneva Pledges), and the need for leveraging innovative and climate resilient financing to meet these needs for the country’s sustainable development and inclusive growth.
The participants will present financial value propositions for climate bonds (private placement), support to the microfinance sector for enhanced resilient lending to the most vulnerable, potential partnership with financial sector alliance, and select portfolio of green private sector projects.
Solutions include financing SDG bonds, ensuring equitable participation when allocating funds to women and the agricultural sector, and cohesing relations with donors such as Development Finance Institutions (DFI), investors, and member states to build a Climate Resilience Fund that will invest in SDG-aligned projects.
The event will help engage with investors on potential opportunities both through public-private partnership and/or private sector transactions to enhance climate linked investments in Pakistan.
The objectives are aligned with Pakistan Floods Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (2022), Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework-4RF (2022), Co-Chair Summary International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan, Geneva (2023) and Pakistan SDG Investor Map (2023).
The session will be facilitated by Mr. Marco Neto, Director Finance Sector Hub of the UNDP. Welcoming remarks will be delivered by Mr. Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development.
Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Pakistan Ambassador Munir Akram will be launching the Pakistan SDG Investor Map. Kanni Wignaraja, Assistant Secretary General, Assistant Administrator and Director for Regional Bureau of Asia-Pacific of the UNDP; H.E. Mr. Tariq Bajwa, Special Assistant to Prime Minister of Pakistan on Finance; Mr. Hamid Yaqoob, Pakistan Federal Secretary of the Finance Division; Mr. Haroon Sharif, Former Pakistan State Minister Investments / Senior Advisor Financing for Development of UNDP Pakistan; and Mr. Syed Mohsin Ahmed, CEO of Pakistan Microfinance Network are among key participants.
Other discussants include Mr. Muhammas Aurangzeb, CEO and President of Habib Bank Limited of Pakistan, representative from J.P Morgan, and representative from World Bank Group Representative.
The event will be concluded with a Q&A session with participants.
The hybrid session will be held from 1730 hrs to 1900 hrs on the 15th floor of the UN Secretariat Building.
