2nd National Social Protection Conference is a milestone in coordinated social protection efforts: Naveed Akbar

Karachi (24 February 2025): The Second National Social Protection Conference has provided an opportunity to reflect on the successes of the First National Social Protection Conference, held in 2023 in Bhurban. Key stakeholders emphasised the significance of the first event in bringing together public, private, and development sector partners under one roof to advance social protection efforts in Pakistan.

Delivering the recap of the first conference, Mr Naveed Akbar, Director General, Benazir Income Support Programme, highlighted how the 2023 event mapped out social protection programmes across federal and provincial levels. He emphasised the need for strategic collaboration to avoid duplication and ensure efficient resource utilisation.

"The First National Social Protection Conference was a critical step towards unifying fragmented discussions around social protection. It enabled us to identify key areas where collaboration was needed and resulted in the signing of the Bhurban Declaration," he stated. The declaration was endorsed by both federal and provincial governments, marking a major milestone towards enhanced coordination in Pakistan’s social protection landscape.