The India-UN Development Partnership Fund was established in 2017 with a commitment of $150 million to support sustainable development projects in countries located in the Global South.
These projects, led by the Government of India and implemented in collaboration with the United Nations system, The focus is primarily on the needs of least developed countries and small island developing states.
The seventh annual event of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund was organized on Thursday, attended by a delegation of visiting Indian parliamentarians along with Permanent Representatives of various countries to the United Nations and UN officials.
The annual report of the India-UN Partnership Fund was also released on the occasion, in which According to the 2030 Agenda, examples of these projects implemented in different countries are presented.
Kanni Viganaraja, UN Regional Director and Assistant Secretary-General for Asia and the Pacific, said South-South cooperation initiatives have gained momentum over the past decade and show that mutual benefits and mutual support can be achieved through collective strength. Much can be learned from its experience.
“Taking advantage of the inherent potential of technology in countries of the Global South is a huge victory,” he said.
Towards ‘Partial Enrichment’
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador P. Harish said the first two years of the global pandemic followed by two years of violent conflict had reduced financial resources for development. They have limited access to development projects in developing countries.
He said that India, a multi-cultural, multi-religious, multilingual country of 1.4 billion people, wants to share the development experiences gained at the grassroots level with the countries of the Global South.
He said that these projects conducted in different countries have focused on addressing challenges like public health, youth empowerment, capacity development, climate action, poverty and are now moving towards emerging technologies like digital public infrastructure, green energy etc.
Also, the use of technology in education and health will be promoted so that they can be taken to remote rural areas as well.
Targeted projects in various sectors
So far 84 projects in 62 countries have been supported through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund. During the discussion on Thursday, the permanent representatives of many countries gave information about these projects carried out in their countries, which were also included in the annual report published on Thursday.
Some examples:
- Bringing the benefits of homeschooling to the children of El Salvador and developing their literacy skills
- Combating the effects of climate change Providing microinsurance to protect fishermen, smallholder farmers, vendors and others from extreme weather events in Fiji
- Promoting sustainable agricultural practices in Jamaica, empowering youth and farmers by training them in modern technologies.
- Strengthening reproductive health services through consultation for telemedicine and maternity services in five hospitals in Kyrgyzstan
- Developing a new data system to monitor demographic changes and respond to emergencies in Moldova
- Ensuring reliable water supply and creating fertile land for agricultural production in Burkina Faso by building a dam
South-South Cooperation
South-South cooperation refers to mutual technical cooperation between developing countries located in the global southern hemisphere, which mainly focuses on addressing challenges such as agricultural development, technology, education, urbanization, health, climate change.
Through this, member countries, international organizations, civil society and the private sector work together and share knowledge, skills and successful initiatives.
These projects seek to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in least developed countries and small island developing states.