In a groundbreaking move, India and the United Nations launched a joint capacity-building initiative called the “India-UN Capacity Building Initiative,” which aims to share India’s development experiences, best practices, and expertise with partner countries in the Global South.
The announcement was made during an event called “India-UN for the Global South-Delivering for Development,” on September 23 in New York, which was attended by India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Dennis Francis, President of the 78th General Assembly.
The permanent mission of India to the UN says, “The “India-UN Capacity Building Initiative” builds upon the extensive cooperation in development and capacity building that India already has bilaterally with the partner countries.”
The Indian mission also informed that its India-UN Development Partnership Fund has developed a portfolio of 75 development projects in 61 countries in the last 6 years.
Under this initiative, the UN India team and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will partner to leverage India’s Technical and Economic Cooperation platform to share India’s development experiences and best practices across the world. A Joint Declaration of Intent was exchanged today between the UN Resident Coordinator in India and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to this effect.
The “India-UN Capacity Building Initiative” will also play a pivotal role in implementing development-relevant deliverables of India’s G20 Presidency, including the G20 Action Plan. These goals encompass accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fostering technological transformation, and building Digital Public Infrastructure, among others.
India, the powerhouse of the Global South
India has successfully positioned itself as a 21st-century powerhouse during the course of its 75-year journey. The country’s global stature has continuously expanded and has played a crucial role in mitigating global crisis situations. Aside from having one of the largest diasporas, other factors such as technical breakthroughs, economic potential, and improvements in social indicators have helped the country establish itself as a strong global leader.