Building Effective Governance, Inclusive Societies, and Strong Institutions: An Assessment of Citizen Participation in Pakistan

Pakistan, a pioneer in promoting sustainable development, has been working toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its Parliamentary SDGs Secretariat. The country’s commitment to justice, the rule of law, human rights, and effective, transparent, and accountable public institutions is crucial for achieving sustainable development. In the face of increasing social, economic, and political issues like poverty, political conflicts, inequality, urbanization, and climate change, it is essential to build political systems and effective public institutions to strengthen inclusivity, equity, and trust. This chapter assesses the level of citizen engagement in Pakistan’s governance system using Sherry Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation framework. The study, based on secondary data, found that the implementation of good governance practices in Pakistan is uneven and superficial, with political conflicts and instability acting as major hindrances to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16). The findings suggest that a politically stable Global South could provide a more favorable environment for citizen participation and SDG 16 implementation.