July 1, 2020 – Islamabad, Pakistan: Ending poverty and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is at the heart of the government’s vision for Pakistan. This was the key message delivered by Dr. Sania Nishtar to the United Nations yesterday in a speech to the General Assembly on behalf of the Government of Pakistan. Dr. Nishtar, who is Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation and head of the Ehsaas program, delivered the speech via video link as part of the virtual inauguration of the Alliance for Poverty Eradication, a new global body designed to address poverty from all possible angles, and serve as a forum for networking, information-sharing, and bridge-building. The Alliance for Poverty Eradication is a flagship initiative of the President of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, who also spoke at the event alongside UN Secretary-General António Guterres and representatives including Heads of State from over 30 countries. Dr. Nishtar was one of the opening speakers along with Secretary General Gutteres, President Buhari of Nigeria, and President of ECOSOC. Dr. Nishtar’s full speech can be watched here.