The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (hereinafter referred to as “SDPI”) in Pakistan is an independent non-profit and non-partisan think tank, is the Center of Excellence conducting policy research, advocacy and outreach in Pakistan and South Asia. On August 4^th, 1992, SDPI was founded on the recommendation of the Pakistan National Conservation Strategy (NCS), also called Pakistan’s Agenda 21. In March 1992, the NCS placed Pakistan’s socio-economic development within the context of a national environmental plan. This highly acclaimed document, approved by the Federal Cabinet in March 1992, outlined the need for an independent non-profit organization to serve as a source of expertise for policy analysis and development, policy intervention, and policy and program advisory services.

The SDPI’s mandate includes:1) conducting policy advice, policy oriented research and advocacy from a broad multi-disciplinary perspective; 2) promoting the implementation of policies, programs, laws and regulations based on sustainable development; 3) strengthening civil society and facilitate civil society-government interaction through collaboration with other organizations and activist networks; 4) disseminating research findings and public education through the media, conferences, seminars, lectures, publications and curricula development; 5) contributing to building up national research capacity and infrastructure.  

In providing international development services, SDPI’s core capacities and assets include: 1) providing comprehensive “International Development” consultancy, project design, training and management expertise; 2) in-depth understanding and engaging in he typical factors – cultural, social, human resource, political and/or economic – affecting Pakistan in varying ways; 3) accessing a wide spectrum of expert technical resources in Pakistan and internationally; 4. sound project/program and contract management capacity and systems; 5)delivering high-quality services on international development effectively within contract parameters; and 6) establishing well-developed project financial management system and have the expertise that satisfy the requirements of funding bodies the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the UN.

RDI and SDPI have carried out in-depth cooperation to realize resource sharing and complement each other. On July 22^th, 2020, the Webinar on New Opportunities and Challenges of China-Pakistan Cooperation in the Post-epidemic Era, co-sponsored by SDPI and RDI and hosted by Pakistan-China Institute was held, where Joint Initiative on Promoting International Cooperation in COVID-19 Prevention and Control and High-quality Development of CPEC was released.

In the future, RDI and SDPI will continue to explore potential cooperation areas and deepen the cooperation under the framework of CPEC to realize common development and prosperity