UN Day for South-South Cooperation

“Pathways toward the SDGs through South-South solidarity beyond COVID-19”

INDIA STATEMENT

By

 Cd’A Ambassador Nagaraj Naidu, Deputy Permanent Representative

10 September 2020

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

I thank the UN Office for South-South Cooperation for organizing today’s important event.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Jorge for his exemplary leadership and for his friendship. On behalf of the Indian delegation, I would like to wish him well and post-retirement would like to see him do more for the global south.

Today’s, South-South Cooperation Day is being organized at a time when the world continues to grapple with the challenge of COVID-19 pandemic. But challenging times demand extraordinary responses. The global south should work even more closer during this pandemic and find appropriate solutions in our journey to build back better.

Excellencies,

India remains committed to the principles of South-South cooperation both at regional and global level for mutual learning, capacity building and progress of all developing countries. India has acted with a deep and abiding commitment to South-South Cooperation which it views as development partnership rather than a donor-donee relationship. We have never let geography or geometry define our approach to assisting countries across the developing world.

India’s engagement with global South has intensified over the last few years. The India-CARICOM Leaders Meeting, India-Pacific Islands Heads of State Summit and the India-Africa Forum Summits have further strengthened the special bonding between India and fellow developing countries.

India’s development cooperation has taken myriad forms - from capacity building by providing training to nearly 15,000 students annually from more than 160 countries under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme to providing developmental financing to 64 countries totaling $30.66 billion.

Another modest effort of ours has been the setting up of the US$150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund, which we operate in New York from the UN Office for South-South Cooperation.

The Fund supports Southern-owned and led demand-driven, and transformational sustainable development projects across the developing world with a focus on LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. 

In three years, the Fund has accumulated a portfolio of 39 projects in 41 countries.

From supporting a project to get ready a Convention Centre in Palau to host next year’s Oceans Conference, to rehabilitating hospitals in Antigua & Barbuda and Guyana, to building a school in Dominica, an Information Technology Centre of Excellence in Papua New Guinea to developing the capacity of women to stem desertification in the Kanem and Lake Chad regions, the India Fund is directly impacting the lives of communities across the developing world.

As has been mentioned by the PR of Brazil, the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger also hosted at the UNOSSC is another unique mechanism for South-South Cooperation. Established in 2004, the IBSA Fund is supporting initiatives in the area of food security, safe drinking water, addressing HIV/AID etc. Since 2004, a total of US$39.3 million was contributed to the Fund by the three countries. The Fund has undertaken a total of 33 projects, of which 24 have been completed.

The International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient infrastructure co-founded by India, are other examples of Southern efforts to champion the cause of affordable solutions for a greener future.

Excellencies,

India is at the forefront in the call for joint global action to address the COVID-19 pandemic with the aim of assisting fellow developing countries. We have extended medical-related assistance to more than 120 developed and developing countries, pledged US$15 Million to Gavi.

We have utilized our strength in the digital and information technology space to develop a learning platform to deliver courses for training healthcare personnel of partnering developing countries.

Excellencies,

India will continue to share its developmental experiences and technical expertise with other developing countries in the spirit of “the World is One Family. Our approach to development partnership will be human-centric, based on principles of mutual respect and national ownership with a commitment to sustainable development for all.

I thank you.