Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the Vienna International Centre. Photo: INP
VIENNA:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for a renewed global commitment to “inclusive and sustainable development,” warning that a convergence of geopolitical hostility, climate stress and technological disruption is pushing the world toward greater instability.
Addressing a special event on “Sustainable Development: Pathway to Global Peace and Prosperity” in Vienna, the Prime Minister described “inclusive and sustainable development” as the only credible path to lasting peace and shared prosperity.
He said humanity was at a crossroads. “The defining danger of our time is not a single threat, but a combination of several,” he said, adding that poverty, debt overhang, mass displacement and unresolved conflicts continue to intensify global instability.
“Development cannot be called sustainable if it excludes millions of people from the promise of a better life,” he said, highlighting the disproportionate burden borne by developing countries which contribute the least to global emissions but suffer the most severe climate impacts.
He said Pakistan accounts for less than 1% of global emissions and yet remains one of the most climate-exposed states. Recalling the devastating floods of 2022 that claimed thousands of lives, destroyed crops and infrastructure and displaced millions, he warned that these disasters were eroding human security at its very core.
He warned that technological inequality risks deepening global divisions. “Unresolved digital divides will soon become deep-seated development divides,” he said, calling for capacity building and technology transfer so that emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology benefit all humanity.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, saying these had been integrated into national planning, with emphasis on education, healthcare, food security and social protection, particularly for women and youth.
The Prime Minister described Pakistan’s large youth population as both a challenge and an opportunity, emphasizing the need to develop skills, digital transformation and strengthen institutions.
Calling for dialogue, diplomacy and multilateralism as the only sustainable means to resolve disputes, the Prime Minister called for reforms aimed at strengthening the United Nations system as a pillar of global peace and cooperation.
Citing Vienna’s unique role within the United Nations architecture, he highlighted Pakistan’s engagement with key institutions, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Later, he attended ceremonies formalizing the UNIDO Pakistan Partnership Program 2025-2030, the UNODC Pakistan Country Program and a cooperation agreement between the Lahore Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology and the IAEA.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan remains
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Prime Minister calls for inclusive global development
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faithful to its commitment to the United Nations Charter, describing Vienna-based mandates as essential to the peace-development nexus.
He praised the role of the IAEA in peaceful nuclear applications and said Islamabad was strengthening its cooperation with UNODC to strengthen the rule of law, while calling UNIDO a vital element for poverty eradication, job creation and cleaner industrial growth.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he visited several nuclear facilities in Pakistan, including the under-construction Chashma unit, calling them impressive.
He acknowledged Pakistan’s technical expertise and said Islamabad was well placed to assist other member states in peaceful nuclear applications, expressing hope for Pakistan’s active participation in the Nuclear Energy Summit scheduled to be held in France in March.
In another meeting at the Vienna International Centre, Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong support for the IAEA’s work in the areas of cancer diagnosis and treatment, agriculture, nuclear power generation and industrial applications, while Grossi praised Pakistan’s contributions to nuclear safety and security.
The Prime Minister’s two-day visit to Vienna, marking 70 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Austria, was also marked by bilateral talks with Christian Stocker, with both leaders reaffirming their support for multilateralism and a rules-based world order anchored in the United Nations Charter.
According to a joint statement, the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, education, information technology, healthcare and human resource mobility, pledged to accelerate ongoing MoUs and co-chaired a forum bringing together leading Austrian and Pakistani companies.
Shehbaz invited Austrian businesses to participate in the EU-Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad in April 2026 and invited Chancellor Stocker to visit Pakistan. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Minister Amna Baloch were also present.
