India-UN Development Fund hailed as epitome of South-South cooperation

By Arul Louis

United Nations, Nov 30 (IANS) The India-UN Development Fund (IUNDPF) that has financed 76 projects in 54 countries brings to life New Delhi's philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (The World Is One Family) and shows the power of South-South cooperation, according to Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. 

Speaking at the commemoration of the sixth year of the IUNDPF at the UN headquarters on Wednesday, Mohammed said: “India has long been a champion of South-South cooperation and the global pursuit of the SDGs (UN’s Sustainable Development Goals).”

It demonstrates “the remarkable achievements that countries in the UN can accomplish when working together with developing nations”, she added. 

Mohammed said that the IUNDPF has reached “significant milestones making a positive difference in the most vulnerable of our communities” and gave some examples of its achievements. 

In Haiti, she said, it has installed solar water pumping systems for clean water and improving agricultural irrigation. 

In Moldova, it strengthened national statistical systems, and in Zimbabwe, it provided drought-resilient seeds, technical training and post-harvest support to small smallholder farmers, Mohammed noted. 

General Assembly President Dennis Francis said that the extent of IUNDPF’s contributions across the globe “is no small feat, especially in this age of shrunken fiscal spaces, compounded by the impacts of pandemic and other global shocks in recent years”. 

Of the 76 projects, 28 are in small island developing states, he said, adding: “I'm equally pleased that the Caribbean Community CARICOM, my own region is a major constituency of the funds attention, where it supports innovative, Southern-owned and led demand-driven sustainable development projects.” 

In his own country, Trinidad and Tobago, one of the projects is a telemedicine system to provide remote care”, he said. 

India’s Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj said: “India stands as a pillar of leadership and advocacy for the Global South. In a world of shifting global dynamics, our nation has risen as not just a voice, but as a representative of the hopes and challenges of developing countries emerging as a global beacon of hope and support. 

“Our commitment to the ethos of 'leaving no one behind' is not just rhetoric but a demonstrated reality." 

Working also beyond the IUNDPF, Kamboj said that India’s development partnerships over the past decade have spanned 78 nations with 600 projects. 

(Arul Louis can be contacted at [email protected] and followed at @arulouis) 

--IANS

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