Top UN official praises India for “thoughtful leadership and commitment”

A top UN official has hailed India for its “thoughtful leadership and commitment” to advancing high-impact South-South cooperation, as New Delhi stressed that it has never let geography or geometry “define us” as it assists countries across the developing world.

India’s Permanent Mission to the UN organised a special event here on Friday to mark the fifth anniversary of the USD 150 million India-UN Development Fund.

Addressing the event, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said in a video message that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated in stark terms the need for global, intergenerational solidarity and new ways to cooperate towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

The pandemic “tested the limits of our existing social contract and is reshaping how we understand our roles and responsibilities in achieving shared goals. That’s why the USD 150 million India-UN Fund is so significant. It represents a distinctive and successful example of how we can advance and adapt South-South cooperation to be timely and responsive to emerging country needs,” she said.

Mohammed thanked India for its “thoughtful leadership and its commitment” to advancing high-impact South-South cooperation. “Let us use this positive momentum and scale up our commitments” towards the achievement of the SDGs, she said.

Agencies