Pakistan, UN discuss youth empowerment to achieve SDGs

ISLAMABAD: The chairman of the Pakistan government's youth program and the president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council discussed youth empowerment as a means of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals during a meeting, according to a post shared by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN on X on Monday.

Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, chairman of the Prime Minister's Youth Programme (PMYP), met with Lok Bahadur Thapa, the president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) and the Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, on the sidelines of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF2026), the post said.

Khan and Thapa “discussed a wide range of issues including empowering young people through education, skills development, entrepreneurship, decent work, and digital inclusion as key drivers of sustainable development.”

They also underscored the importance of strengthening youth participation in decision-making and fostering innovation to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the post said.

Khan and Thapa “expressed their readiness to work together in the lead-up to the SDGs Summit 2027 to advance the 2030 Agenda.”