ISLAMABAD, October 27, 2026: The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) will host its four-day 29th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) from November 2 to 5 at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad, under the theme “Rethinking Development in an Age of Disruption.”The conference will bring together policymakers, researchers, development experts and other stakeholders to explore solutions to emerging global challenges, including geopolitical conflicts, climate change, economic uncertainty and declining multilateral cooperation.Alongside the conference, SDPI will organize the 4th Sustainability Investment Expo (SIE) under the theme “Connecting Ideas, Investment and Impact for Resilient Development,” highlighting opportunities to promote sustainable investment and strengthen development resilience.
SDPI Executive Director Abid Qaiyum Suleri said the conference would move beyond reviewing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals to examine how development can be reimagined to strengthen resilience, manage risks and sustain human well-being in an increasingly volatile world.The programme will focus on the three Es of development—Economy, Environment and Equity—with development finance serving as a cross-cutting theme. Discussions will cover debt, domestic resource mobilization, blended finance and inequalities in the global financial system.Other key areas will include air and water security in South Asia, the emerging heat economy, Individual Development Goals, reconstruction in conflict-affected regions and multilateral cooperation for the Global South. Artificial intelligence, digital trade and data governance will also feature prominently.
The conference will launch the Global South Solutions Without Borders (GS-SWB) Platform, aimed at translating policy dialogue into pilot projects, policy toolkits and financing partnerships.The opening plenary, scheduled for November 2 at 9:30 a.m., will be held in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. Federal Minister Prof. Ahsan Iqbal will attend as chief guest, while Prof. Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, is listed as guest of honour.Two publications, Sustainable Development in the Emerging World Dis|Order and Journal of Development Policy, Research & Practice (Volume 10), will also be launched during the opening session.The Sustainability Investment Expo’s awards plenary and ribbon-cutting ceremony will follow at 11:30 a.m., with Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja as chief guest. Sustainability Awards will be presented in seven categories, covering areas such as climate adaptation, the circular economy, digital innovation, clean energy and research-to-impact.
An OICCI report will also be launched.In the afternoon, Prof. Dr Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies, is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on “Strengthening Climate Action: Priorities and Proposals for Effective Implementation.” The State of Environment Report will also be launched in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and Southern Voice.Further discussions will focus on regenerative agriculture, soil and water restoration, and the relationship between social protection and climate change.The thematic sessions on November 3 and 4 will address the economy, energy, water, health, governance, youth, geopolitics, women’s empowerment and artificial intelligence. Key sessions will examine development through the three Es, energy transition in South Asia, water security and hydro-diplomacy, tobacco control in Pakistan, the country’s hydrogen economy and the implications of shifting geopolitics.The expo will also feature six fireside chats on corporate sustainability.A session on climate finance will include the launch of the Pakistan Climate Action Hub and a dashboard on Country Platforms, with Denmark’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Maja Derrous Mortensen, as keynote speaker.
Another session on disaster preparedness, organized with the World Food Programme and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, will feature Idrees Mehsud, Member for Disaster Risk Reduction at the National Disaster Management Authority.Tuesday evening’s plenary will present SDPI’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 to former State Bank of Pakistan Governor Dr Ishrat Husain. Wednesday’s closing plenary will focus on the circular economy transition beyond 2030 and include the launch of a report in collaboration with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies.The conference will conclude on November 5 with discussions on private-sector growth, fiscal policy, agricultural transformation, food systems and the role of artificial intelligence in regenerative and climate-smart agriculture.
The programme will also feature the launch of the Annual State of Renewable Energy 2026 report and a plenary on the Middle East crisis and its economic outlook.The final plenary, titled “Where Reforms Matter the Most for Growth?”, will feature Prof. Dr Stefan Dercon of the University of Oxford as keynote speaker. The event will conclude with a conference summary, acknowledgements to partners and the presentation of SDPI Awards, including the Best Pavilion Award.
