General Assembly General Assembly

Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations
New York
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First Regular Session 2025 of the Executive Board of
UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS-UNDP Segment: Interactive Dialogue with the Administrator


Statement by Ms. R. Mythili, First Secretary & Legal Adviser

30 January, 2025



 

Thank you Mr. President for giving us the floor.


We express our deepest condolences to the US Delegation and the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic air crash yesterday at Washington


Mr. President,


We align with the statement made by Iraq on behalf of the G77 and China.

We take this opportunity to deliver the following remarks in national capacity.

Allow us to also congratulate the UNDP team and the Secretariat of the Board for their tremendous and tireless efforts in conducting the session during the difficult times. We have no doubts that this session, will contribute in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation and to streamline better delivery of its mandate.


We thank the Administrator Achim Steiner for his comprehensive statement and, most importantly, for his remarkable contribution to the management of this critical and complex organization and wish him continued success in his endeavours in addressing future challenges.


Mr. President,


The statement highlights the challenges developing countries face, including conflicts, economic and environmental issues, and the digital divide, which hinder their recovery and progress. We emphasize the importance of multilateral efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while stressing the responsibility to foster hope in 2025. We call global collaboration to achieve the SDGs, particularly in the remaining five years.

With a crucial responsibility ahead, along side the recent adoption of the QCPR, the Global Digital Compact, the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, and the Social Summit, we are committed to making every effort over the next five years to fulfill the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We urge our partners to join us in this endeavor and work towards achieving the goals set in 2015 for the betterment of everyone.


Mr. President,


In India, we have demonstrated the transformation potential of digital technologies. The Digital India Initiatives demonstrates how digital public infrastructure can drive sustainable development and is today an example of what India can readily offer to the world. With over 1.3 billion digital identities and a globally recognized digital payments ecosystem - driven by the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) – India has made financial services accessible to millions, particularly in rural areas, fostering inclusion and reducing inequality. India is sharing India Stack and Digital Public Infrastructure solutions, and undertaking development projects in almost 80 countries, many of them as grants. The Social Impact Fund has been created to accelerate DPI in the developing world. UNDP has served as the knowledge partner of India on DPI during our G20 Presidency. UNDP also supported the implementation of CoWIN, a health – focused DPI that provided vaccination support to people in India during the COVID Pandemic.


Mr. President,


We reaffirm our continued support in the UNDP’s role in global sustainable development by addressing key challenges. We would like to highlight some of the key areas requiring urgent attention such as a unified, effective, and efficient UN system, stable and core financing, reforming the international financial architecture for greater participation of developing countries, urgent climate action with equity, and mobilizing investment in sustainable infrastructure, technology transfer, and resilient supply chains.

 

Thank you Mr. President.