3 October 2017, New York – The Republic of India today contributed an additional $3 million to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, a facility established in June of this year to support other developing countries in their efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With this additional contribution, to date, India has provided $5 million to the Facility.
Within a short span of time, 4 months, the Fund has developed an impressive portfolio of projects in Chad, Dominica, Liberia and a regional project benefiting seven States in the South Pacific: the Cook Islands, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Nauru, the Solomon Islands and the Kingdom of Tonga.
“This new contribution to the India-UN Partnership Development Fund emphasizes India’s commitment to support our partner countries in the spirit of solidarity, and our increasing engagement in cooperation through the United Nations system. The contribution today will also support reconstruction efforts in two of our partner countries, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.”-affirmed H.E. Mr. Syed Akbaruddin, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in New York.
It may be recalled that at the 3rd India-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting on the sidelines of UNGA (September 19, 2017) in New York, Ms Sushma Swaraj, the External Affairs Minister of India, announced, as a token of solidarity, earmarking $2 million from the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for rehabilitation projects in CARICOM. This was in addition to an emergency aid of US $200,000 to the worst affected countries from hurricanes also announced by Ms Swaraj.
The India-UN Development Partnership Fund takes a multi-dimensional approach to supporting partner-country efforts to accelerate their own sustainable development. It provides funding for demand-driven, country-own initiatives ranging all goals in the framework of the SDGs.
The fund is managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), which also serves as its Board of Directors secretariat, and coordinates implementation of projects through multiple United Nations Agencies, governments and other stakeholders.
“India is a leader in South-South cooperation, and is intensifying its support to peer-countries. It is a pleasure to work with visionary leaders that are committed to building a better future for all.” – informed Mr. Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation and Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation.
