Virtually addressing the Forum on the 20th Anniversary of Juncao and Sustainable Development Cooperation, Imran Khan began by congratulating China on hosting this event and all the achievements they had attained with their technological advancements.
The Juncao technology opens doors for sustainable development in terms of economic growth. It acts as an aid for small-scale farmers and helps them in developing mushrooms cultivation that is low in cost yet commercially acceptable, and which can be used as livestock’s feed.
Discussing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Imran Khan talked about how economies had greatly suffered due to the lockdown, and poverty, which had been decreasing, began rising once more.
He stated, “For the first time in 20 years, extreme poverty rose in 2020 and food security and improved nutrition became a challenge for developing countries.”
Furthermore, the PM said that there was a need for food security and improved nutrition for all developing countries as it was becoming a growing challenge; to achieve this through low-cost, sustainable methods would be a significant development.
Stating that China was a role model for developing countries, Imran Khan further discussed how China had managed to bring 800 million people out of poverty over the past four decades, and he praised President Xi’s vision of seeing the world as a prosperous, clean, and more beautiful place.
Discussing the efforts Pakistan’s government had put forward to fight poverty, he talked about Ehsaas, a social safety program that aimed to support vulnerable households, and the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program which could act as a cushion for that part of the population that had faced the economic shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic in the most jarring sense.
He added how Pakistan had been working effortlessly on their 10 Billion Tree Tsunami to take a step towards eradicating the threat that climate change is causing.
“As part of one of the most ambitious efforts to expand and restore forests, we have already planted a billion trees as part of our 10 billion tree project. Our green initiatives resonate with the United Nations’ Decade of Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. We hope it will contribute to preventing, halting, and reversing the degradation of the ecosystem,” stated the PM.
Through these efforts, he said we are progressing towards a clean and green Pakistan.
Imran Khan deduced the virtual address by stating, “Let me conclude by expressing my strong resolve and commitment to international corporation aimed at poverty alleviation and sustainable growth and addressing climate change.”
