Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets IAEA DG 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 deeper instability.
Speaking 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 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 distress, mass displacement and unresolved conflicts continued to intensify global instability.
“Development cannot be called sustainable if it excludes millions from the promise of a better life,” he said, pointing to the disproportionate burden borne by developing countries, which contribute the least to global emissions yet suffer the harshest climate impacts.
He said Pakistan accounted for less than 1% of global emissions, yet remained among the most climate-vulnerable states. Recalling the devastating floods of 2022 that claimed thousands of lives, destroyed crops and infrastructure and displaced millions, he warned that these disasters are eroding human security at its core.
He warned that technological inequality risked deepening global divides. “Unaddressed digital divides will soon become entrenched development divides,” he said, calling for capacity-building and technology transfer so that emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology benefit all of humanity.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and said these had been integrated into national planning with emphasis on education, health care, food security and social protection, especially for women and youth.
The Prime Minister described Pakistan’s large youth population as both a challenge and an opportunity, emphasizing the need for skill development, digital transformation and institutional strengthening.
The Prime Minister called for dialogue, diplomacy and multilateralism as the only sustainable means of resolving disputes, and urged reforms to strengthen the UN system as a pillar of global peace and cooperation.
Referring to Vienna’s unique role within the UN 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 Country Partnership Program Pakistan 2025-2030, the UNODC Country Program Pakistan and a cooperation agreement between Lahore’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology and the IAEA.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan remained
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The Prime Minister calls for inclusive global development promotion
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steadfast in its commitment to the UN Charter, which describes Vienna-based mandates as central to the nexus between peace and development.
He praised the IAEA’s role in peaceful nuclear applications and said Islamabad was strengthening cooperation with UNODC to strengthen the rule of law, while calling UNIDO crucial for poverty alleviation, 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 described them as impressive.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s technical expertise, he said Islamabad was well placed to assist other member states in peaceful nuclear applications, and expressed hope for Pakistan’s active participation in the nuclear energy summit planned 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 contribution to nuclear safety and security.
The Prime Minister’s two-day visit to Vienna, marking 70 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Austria, also included bilateral talks with Christian Stocker, where both leaders reaffirmed support for multilateralism and a rules-based global order based on the UN Charter.
According to a joint statement, both sides agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education, information technology, healthcare and human resource mobility, pledged to expedite pending memoranda of understanding and co-chaired a forum of leading Austrian and Pakistani companies.
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.
