India and the United Nations have launched a joint capacity-building initiative to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals across the Global South, connecting Indian institutions and development models with partner countries through a new framework.

The initiative, called the UN-India Global Capacity-Building Initiative, was formally launched on Thursday at an event hosted by India’s Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

It aims to support a range of programs, including digital health platforms, fortified food supply chains, statistical capacity for census operations, and technical and vocational education.

The collaboration leverages India’s longstanding Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme alongside a newly established UN India SDG Country Fund, backed by a foundational contribution from the Gates Foundation.

“In the spirit of SDG-17 and effective international cooperation, this new India-UN initiative assumes even greater importance,” said Shri Tanmaya Lal, secretary (west) at India’s MEA. “It is aimed at sharing experience and empowering Global South partners in key areas related to the SDGs.”

Projects Span Health, Nutrition, Statistics and Skills Training

Following a competitive selection process, four India-led partnerships with UN agencies have been selected for implementation in countries across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean:

  • Zambia and Lao PDR: A collaboration between the UN Development Programme and India’s Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, with support from the National Health Authority and National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, will deploy digital health platforms to expand healthcare access.
  • Nepal: The World Food Programme will work with the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management in Haryana to strengthen Nepal’s fortified rice supply chain.
  • Caribbean nations: The UN Population Fund will partner with the National Statistical Systems Training Academy and the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India to improve census preparedness in Barbados, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago.
  • South Sudan: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization will collaborate with India’s National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development and the National Skills Development Corp. to strengthen the public-private partnership model in South Sudan’s technical and vocational education system.

India’s Global Development Role

UN Resident Coordinator in India Shombi Sharp highlighted the broader context of the initiative under the Indian philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – the world is one family – and India’s emerging role as a global development partner.

“India is expanding on its already long-standing leadership role in driving South-South cooperation for SDG acceleration, leveraging the innovation and partnership power of Indian institutions and the UN system,” said Sharp.

Radhika Kaul Batra, chief of staff at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, said the partnership with the ITEC program enhances the reach and depth of the initiative, bringing “India’s best practice models and institutional excellence to partner countries.”

Foundation Laid in 2023

The UN India SDG Country Fund and the wider initiative follow the signing of letters of intent in September 2023 between the UN and the Gates Foundation, in the presence of Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, during the UN General Assembly high-level meetings in New York.

The new partnerships mark a strategic shift in India’s development cooperation efforts, placing a stronger focus on knowledge-sharing and institutional capacity-building to advance the 2030 Agenda globally.

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