Permanent Mission of India to the UN
New York
Other Statements
Permanent Mission of India
New York
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India-UN Fund
Statement by Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, Permanent Representative
22 October 2026
Parliamentary Delegation from India,
led by Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo ji,
Permanent Representatives,
Colleagues from the United Nations,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Namaskar and Good morning:
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the ninth edition of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund Annual Day event. Today, we celebrate our shared achievements and renew our commitment to delivering meaningful development outcomes for the Global South.
2. As you all know, in 2017, the Government of India had pledged a sum of USD 150 Million to assist the Global South to attain their development goals. The essence of this programme is to ensure national ownership, that the projects are nationally-driven and tailor-made as per the host countries’ requirements.
Excellencies,
3. India’s approach to development cooperation is rooted in the civilizational ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam— that the world is one family. We believe that progress becomes more enduring when countries share their experiences, strengthen each other’s capabilities and advance together. The India-UN Fund gives practical expression to this conviction by bringing together the priorities of developing countries, India’s commitment to South-South cooperation and the United Nations’ expertise and presence on the ground.
4. At its heart is a simple principle that our partner countries determine their own development priorities. The proposals we receive from the Member States reflect local circumstances, as per their priorities, and are implemented with their national institutions at the helm. In the entire life cycle of the project, the essential ingredients are mutual respect, unconditional support, national ownership and partnership among equals, which guide our engagement.
5. The Fund is designed to particularly assist the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS which reflects our determination to reach those facing acute development challenges. As of now, we are half way through with allocation of about 82 million Dollars, that assisted 94 projects in 64 Member States.
6. The value of this partnership is best understood through the lives it touches. I will give brief illustrations. Building a disaster resilient structure in The Bahamas, which functions as a Community Centre and doubles up as a Hurricane Shelter during natural calamities; strengthening agricultural skills, poultry training and expand opportunities for small-scale farmers in Jamaica; strengthening the resilience and bringing essential health services closer to the citizens living in remote parts of Paraguay; reduction of preventable maternal mortality by strengthening midwifery education in Rwanda; constructing a check-dam to provide a water reservoir with an estimated capacity of 580,000 m³; creating the conditions for more reliable water availability and improving rural livelihoods in Burkina Faso; serving to ensure social harmony, community development through musical education in Venezuela; establishing two climate-resilient processing facilities to strengthen local skills to produce and market higher-value coconut products in Kiribati are some of the many projects that demonstrate South-South cooperation at work.
Excellencies,
7. As we approach 2030, our responsibility is to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Climate pressures, constrained resources and persistent inequalities make effective partnerships increasingly essential. Looking ahead, we should deepen our efforts in strengthening implementation and measure results through improvements in people’s lives, alongside timely project delivery. We must invest in national capabilities, ensuring that knowledge, skills and institutional capacity remain with our partners.
8. We encourage greater exchange among participating countries so that successful approaches can be adapted to other settings. India’s experience in digital public infrastructure, affordable healthcare, skills development and climate resilience offers opportunities for such learning, and are guided by partner countries’ priorities.
9. As we mark this ninth edition, India reaffirms its commitment to this partnership and to the aspirations of our fellow developing countries. In this journey, we are thankful to the UN Office for South-South Cooperation which provides Fund management and the Secretariat.
10. Let us carry forward this spirit of solidarity with renewed purpose, ensuring that our cooperation creates lasting opportunities and reaches those who need it most.
Thank you.