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 towards deeper instability.
At a special event on “Sustainable Development: Path 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 that humanity was at a crossroads. “The defining danger of our time is not a single threat, but the combination of many,” he said, adding that poverty, debt overhang, mass displacement and unresolved conflicts continued to intensify global instability.
“Development cannot be considered sustainable if it excludes millions of people from the promise of a better life,” he said, pointing to the disproportionate burden borne by developing countries that contribute the least to global emissions but suffer the most severe climate impacts.
He said Pakistan accounted for less than 1% of global emissions and yet remained among 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 erode human security at its core.
He warned that technological inequality risked deepening global divisions. “Unaddressed digital gaps will soon become entrenched development gaps,” he said, calling for capacity development and technology transfer so that emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology benefit all humanity.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and said 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 a challenge and an opportunity, and underlined the need for skills development, digital transformation and institutional strengthening.
Calling for dialogue, diplomacy and multilateralism as the only sustainable means to resolve disputes, the prime minister urged reforms to strengthen the United Nations system as a pillar of global peace and cooperation.
Citing Vienna’s unique role within the UN architecture, he highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to 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 the formalization ceremonies of the UNIDO Country Partnership Program for Pakistan 2025-2030, the UNODC Country Program for Pakistan 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 remained
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Prime Minister urges to promote inclusive global development
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firm in its commitment to the United Nations Charter, describing Vienna-based mandates as central to the peace-development nexus.
He praised the IAEA’s role in peaceful nuclear applications and said Islamabad was strengthening cooperation with UNODC to reinforce the rule of law, while calling UNIDO vital for poverty eradication, job creation and cleaner industrial growth.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he had visited several nuclear facilities in Pakistan, including the Chashma unit under construction, and called them impressive.
He acknowledged Pakistan’s technical expertise and said Islamabad was well positioned to assist other member states in peaceful nuclear applications, expressing hope in Pakistan’s active participation in the Nuclear Energy Summit scheduled in France in March.
In a separate meeting at the Vienna International Centre, Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong support for the IAEA’s work in 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, which marked 70 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Austria, also included bilateral talks with Christian Stocker, with both leaders reaffirming their support for multilateralism and a rules-based global order based on the United Nations Charter.
According to a joint statement, both sides agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education, information technology, healthcare and human resource mobility, committed to accelerate pending memorandums of understanding and co-chaired a forum of leading companies from Austria and Pakistan.
Shehbaz invited Austrian companies to participate in the EU-Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad in April 2026 and extended an invitation to Chancellor Stocker to visit Pakistan. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Minister Amna Baloch were also present.
