ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue scheduled to take place in New Delhi from November 20 to 22, 2026.
The government has nominated Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Masood Malik to represent the country at the three-day event.
The dialogue will provide a platform for representatives of SCO member states to discuss civilisational engagement, cultural understanding and cooperation among different societies.
In a statement, the government reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to encouraging inter-civilisational dialogue and strengthening people-to-people relations under the SCO framework, based on mutual respect.
The development comes as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been highlighting the need for stronger international cooperation to address the growing challenges posed by climate change.
Addressing the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, Türkiye, the prime minister called for greater access to grant-based financing, public-private partnerships and increased funding for climate resilience and adaptation, particularly for economically vulnerable countries.
He stressed that nations facing climate-related disasters needed immediate assistance that would not add to their debt burden.
Climate change, he said, transcended national boundaries and required collective international action rather than isolated efforts.
Recalling the devastation caused by Pakistan’s 2022 flash floods, Shehbaz Sharif thanked the Turkish leadership and people for their support during the country’s floods in 2010 and 2022, saying their friendship and solidarity would remain deeply valued.
The prime minister also outlined Pakistan’s efforts to expand clean energy, saying renewable and other clean sources accounted for nearly 55 per cent of the country’s energy mix.
He added that Pakistan was promoting electric mobility and had set a target of reducing projected emissions by around 50 per cent by 2035.
However, he cautioned that national initiatives alone could not substitute for an equitable global response, pointing out that countries contributing the least to climate change were suffering its most severe consequences.
Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the COP31 summit in Antalya on Wednesday.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Senator Sherry Rehman and senior officials from both countries attended the meeting.
During the talks, held in a cordial atmosphere, the two leaders reiterated the longstanding friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran and discussed ways to expand cooperation across various fields.
They also exchanged views on the evolving regional situation.
