Introduction

Since the adoption of 2030 Agenda for sustainable development including SDGs UN in September 2015, the government of Pakistan and the national Parliament also recognized the importance of SDGs and adopted them as national agenda for sustainable development in Pakistan. Pakistan has already taken some affirmative actions establishing Parliamentary Task Forces and SDG Secretariats at National, Provincial and regional level and approving national and provincial priority frameworks. However,  the subsequent assessments carried out AwazCDS-Pakistan including Where Pakistan Stands on SDGs in 2018?  & Citizens’ Voices on Voluntary National Review of SDGs in 2019 revealed that majority of people as well as stakeholders like parliamentarians, government officials and media at large, lack information and awareness regarding SDGs. Therefore, the efforts being made the government and other related stakeholders for the achievement of SDGs at various levels also lack inclusion, participation of the citizens’ as well as social accountability processes. In order to ensure better governance and accountability of state led institutions and programs responsible for the implementation of SDGs at various levels, “The SDGs Citizens’ Watch Pakistan (SCWP) Program”, was conceived AwazCDS-Pakistan to bridge the gap between policy makers, implementers and civil society actors. The program also helped us to identify the risks and challenges of social and economic stresses in achievement of SDGs in Pakistan. The SCWP followed the core approaches regarding social accountability, resilience and social inclusion. The SCWP ensured the engagement of citizens for holding peoples’ representatives, governments and other stakeholders in to account through social accountability mechanisms like SDGs Citizens’ Scorecards. The program was implemented in collaboration with provincial & district lead organizations, Parliamentarians, volunteers, representing Pakistan Development Alliance, Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights   and Parliamentary Task Forces on SDGs at national and provincial levels. The program was funded Voluntary Service Overseas-VSO-PakistanSDGs Citizens’ Scorecard was launched in the 14 districts across Pakistan.