Explaining India’s response to the pandemic globally he said “India’s answer has been to immediately come to the support of countries vulnerable to the pandemic rush urgently needed medical supplies, strengthen national health capacities and mitigate the diverse socio-economic impact of this crisis.”
Marking the third year of India-UN Development Partnership Fund within the United Nations Fund for South-South, Tirumurti said ‘it embodies the spirit of South-South cooperation’. He added that it is guided by the priorities of the partner countries to foster sustainable development and is completely demand-driven.
Established in 2017, the India-UN Development Partnership Fund focuses on least developed countries and small island developing states. United Nations agencies implement the projects in close collaboration with partnering governments.
Sustainability has been the focus of India’s developmental efforts. “India shuns any effort to impose conditionalities or to create indebtedness or to constrain developmental space for developing countries,” said the Indian PR.
The Fund now encompasses 59 projects, approved in partnership with nine United Nations agencies in 48 countries. “India has always remained a strong votary of non-earmarked resources for development in multilateral institutions,” said the permanent representative.
The India-UN Development Partnership Fund, managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), is working rapidly to support projects responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Projects are supplying medical equipment and aim to build healthcare capacities, mitigating socio-economic impact, and catalyzing transformative recovery.
Lauding India’s developmental works Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland said that the projects of Indian supported funds in collaboration with the Commonwealth are just the beginning. “India’s ambitious support is a statement of intent that is greatly welcomed,” said Scotland
Congratulating the Indian initiative permanent representative of Fiji at UN, Satyendra Prasad said that some of the most catalytic-innovative SDG investments are supported through this South-South Partnership. “Fiji welcomes India’s support for risk financing”
In his address Tirumurti said that India has through history prioritised cooperation over conflict, co-existence over competition, sharing over receiving, plurality over hegemony and inclusivity, and democracy over exclusion and control. “This has underpinned our approach to development cooperation as well,” he added
The Fund, managed by UNOSSC, is working rapidly to support projects responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Projects are supplying medical equipment and will be building healthcare capacities, mitigating socio-economic impact, and catalyzing transformative recovery.
On the occasion, Palau’s envoy to the UN appreciated the gesture of solidarity from India and said that the Fund is an important partner of Palau and is valuable especially in the time of the Pandemic. Under India supported Fund a budget of USD 153,000 was approved for Palau for the purchase of medical supplies, equipment, and strengthening testing capacity to deal with the COVID Pandemic.
The Envoy of Antigua and Barbuda at the UN said that the Fund has been extremely cooperative and helpful. A total budget of $1 million has been approved for UNDP implementation in Antigua Barbuda. As the pandemic spiked in the country, on an urgent basis, USD 150,000 were disbursed immediately to purchase 5 medical ventilators that are now installed and operationally ready.
Sustainability has been the focus of India’s developmental efforts. The Fund project portfolio aims to contribute to the efforts of developing countries towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
-Abhishek Jha