Mr. President, 

 

Please allow me at the outset to extend our sincere felicitations to you on your election as Chair of the 2017 United Nations Pledging Conference.  We wish you all success and hope that under your stewardship the Pledging Conference would achieve even greater results. 

 

Mr. President 

 

This year's conference is taking place at a time of introspection and change. Introspection about whether the UN system is adequately resourced to be effective and whether it is able to use the resources efficiently. 

 

The International community has adopted Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. It is an ambitious project with the noble aim of inclusive growth. The emphasis is to ensure that no one is left behind. Availability of predictable and sufficient resources and their efficient deployment is the key here.  

 

The Secretary General understands the scale of challenges that the UN system faces. We have welcomed his initiative in making specific reform proposals for efficient deployment of resources. 

 

The QCPR resolution, adopted last year, on operational activities for development also aim to optimize efficiency in the UN system. 

 

Mr. President 

 

Besides the stagnation in the availability of overall resources required for the delivery of core mandates, even as the demands on the system multiply, the mismatch in the earmarked and non-earmarked funding also continues to expand. This has its own implications in terms of departure from the collective priorities of the UN System.

  

Mr. President,  

 

India has been a regular contributor to the United Nations since its founding.  India believes that the United Nations should have the necessary resources to finance its activities, in an appropriate and balanced manner.    

 

Mr. President,  

 

Earlier this year India announced setting up of an India-UN Development Partnership Fund in association with the UN Office of South South Cooperation. The first project from the Fund is being executed in partnership with seven Pacific Island countries. The Fund has since then identified 15 more projects. This year India has contributed $5million to the Fund. $2 million from the Fund would be utilized for reconstruction of the damages caused by hurricanes in Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda.  

 

I am happy to announce that India has now decided to significantly scale up the contribution to the Fund through a multiyear contribution of $100 million.  

 

These resources are  non-earmarked in the spirit of sustained predictable funding for SDGs and South South Cooperation.   

 

The other contributions are as follows:  

 

1. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - USD 4.5 million .

 

2. World Food Programme (WFP) - USD 1.92 million (Biennium 2017-18) .

 

3. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Near East(UNRWA)- USD 1.25 million.

 

4. UN Women: USD 1 million .

 

5. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - USD 862, 000.

 

6. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) - USD 500,000.

 

7. United Nations Commission on Human Settlements Programme (HABITAT) - USD 150,000.

 

8. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - USD 100,000.

 

9. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) - USD 100,000.

 

10. Voluntary Fund for Technical Co-operation - USD 200,000. 

 

Mr. President, 

 

This list is not exhaustive. We are processing contribution for: 

 

1  Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery;

 

2  Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Torture;

 

3  UN Volunteers and shall be announcing the commitments soon. 

 

I thank you, Mr. President.