United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation

[ECOSOC Chamber, September 12, 2024, 1000-1300 hrs]

Statement by Amb. Parvathaneni Harish

Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations

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Thank you Chair,

Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,

I am pleased to join you all to speak about the important contribution being made by India towards strengthening South-South Cooperation, within the ambit of IBSA and India-UNDP Funds. Guided by its philosophy of “Vasudaiva Kutumbkam” or envisioning the world as one family, India has consistently championed the cause of the Global South.

In our increasingly interconnected world, where global challenges recognize no borders, cooperation among nations has never been more vital. South-South cooperation, in particular, offers the potential to build stronger ties among countries of the Global South, fostering mutual growth and addressing shared concerns.

India's commitment to the India-UNDP Fund and the IBSA Fund along with our colleagues from Brazil and South Africa, is an example of our dedication to fostering global development and creating a more equitable and sustainable world for all. These Funds have been playing a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development goals through South-South cooperation. The India-UNDP Fund with a corpus of USD 150M has already supported 82 projects in 60 countries since 2017, while IBSA Fund, with over USD 53M has supported 46 projects across 35 countries over 20 years, proving that this partnership has made a substantial contribution to global development. The Funds support a broad spectrum of developmental areas, including but not limited to health, education, gender equality, access to clean water, alleviating hunger and environmental sustainability.

Both these Funds provide a platform for member states to identify their own specific development needs and priorities, thus tailoring projects to their unique circumstances. This approach ensures that the assistance provided through these Funds aligns closely with the development objectives of partner countries, and most importantly respecting their sovereignty and ownership over the projects. The commitment of the funds to the principles of inclusiveness, flexibility, and sustainability has demonstrated a path toward achieving the SDGs, even in the face of daunting challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our special focus has also been to better integrate the perspectives of developing countries, including LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS and to strengthen the voice of developing countries in global decision making. Therefore, SIDS get a major share of the development assistance with 70 projects; followed by LLDC with 51 projects. In terms of geography, we have 48 aid projects in Africa; 32 projects in Asia Pacific, and 41 projects in the LAC region. We are happy about our progressive involvement in the growth story, and particularly thank the UN implementing agencies, UNOSSC for being our extended arm of friendship to the global south.

Colleagues,

Let us not forget that the challenges before us are immense and complex, while resources remain limited. In this context, initiatives such as the India-UN Development Partnership Fund and IBSA Fund, serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for the international community. It shows that when countries come together with a shared vision and a commitment to making the world a better place, remarkable progress can be achieved. We thank the UN agencies for their support as we move forward on our collective journey toward a more sustainable and equitable world, let us draw inspiration from this partnership, and let us continue to work together to create a brighter future for all.

I thank you.