Nigeria to Fiji: how India-UN Development Partnership Fund is helping meet SDGs

When the Indian government launched the India-UN Development Partnership Fund in June 2017, it signalled its intent to provide support for projects in developing countries, particularly in the Global South, that aim to contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Over the past few years, the fund has allocated finances for projects ranging from poverty reduction and clearing land mines to climate disaster risk financing and maternal health services.

As of now, the Indian government has committed US $150 million over the next decade for the fund. This includes US $50 million to support fellow Commonwealth developing countries, US $14 million for the CARICOM group of countries and US $12 million for the Pacific Islands Developing States (PSIDS).

Here are some illustrative examples of how the India-UN Development Partnership Fund is trying to make a difference across the world.

US $1 million to Nigeria

India will provide US $1 million in financial assistance through the “Commonwealth Window” of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund at the request of the government of Nigeria. This funding will be allocated to the project titled ‘Biodiversity Business in Biosphere Reserves’.

The main goals of this project are to acquire the instruments and equipment required for creating different biodiversity-based livelihood activities, carry out stakeholder discussions and stakeholder mapping and perform socio-economic surveys.

It also intends to provide training on biodiversity conservation and environmental management, encourage the construction of specific biodiversity livelihoods, provide services for small company incubation, and promote the growth of business networks.

Speaking about this project, Permanent Representative of India to the UN Ruchira Kamboj expressed India’s commitment to advancing the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals in the global South through this funding support for Nigeria.

“India’s funding support to Nigeria for this project is reflective of India’ commitment to further advance the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals in the global south,” she said.

The project will contribute to Sustainable Developments Goals relating to zero hunger, quality education, decent work and economic growth and life on land.

Helping Senegal clear unexploded mines

In Senegal, India will extend a funding support of US $771,931 from the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for a project known as the ‘National Mine Action Centre’.

According to information released by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in New York, an area of 139,000 square metres in the Bignona and Oussouye districts in Senegal have unexploded mines which were laid during the internal armed conflict in the 1980s until early 2000s. The presence of mines in these highly cultivable districts displaced communities adversely impacted the socio-economic development and caused deaths and injuries to nearly 1,000 people.

“The funding assistance will be utilised to undertake technical surveys of locations, acquisition of advanced equipment and to accomplish demining activities. Demining exercise, once completed, will restore confidence among displaced community to return, commence income-generating activities and cause economic reconstruction of the region,” the mission said last month.

The project will contribute to Sustainable Developments Goals relating to no poverty, zero hunger, good health and decent work and economic growth.

Funding for Fiji

India will extend funding support of US $700,000 from the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for the project ‘Scaling climate disaster risk financing framework and parametric insurance’.

The project seeks to extend parametric insurance digital solutions to households most vulnerable to climate catastrophe. The project expects 5,000 households and 200 MSMEs to register and benefit from the new parametric scheme.

The scheme will include heavy wind and heavy rainfall products as well as insurance products specifically for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises. It will develop financing solutions like digital savings and parametric micro-insurance products specifically for women and expand customer education campaigns.

“India’s funding support to Fiji for this project will assist local communities vulnerable to cyclone and related natural disasters,” Kamboj said.

Boosting maternal health in Kyrgyz Republic

India will extend funding support of US $1 million to the Kyrgyz Republic for a project to ‘Increase access of rural women to quality reproductive and maternal health services in maternity hospitals with the highest number of deliveries’.

The project aims to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity through ensuring that quality tele-networking reproductive and maternal services are accessible and available in five maternity hospitals in the rural and mountainous regions of Jalal Abad, Karakol and Chui.

Two hospitals at the tertiary level in Bishkek, namely, the National Centre of Maternal and Child Health and Osh inter-oblast Hospital will be equipped to provide supportive supervision through tele-networking to three maternity hospitals at the secondary level in the aforementioned regions.

The project will contribute to Sustainable Developments Goals relating to ‘good health’.

Additionally, India will extend a funding support of US $1,081,500 from the India-UN Development Partnership Fund to Moldova for the project, ‘Moving from a traditional to a register-based statistical system, resilient to humanitarian and emergency shocks’.

The project aims to address key challenges of data system in Moldova by shifting the focus from traditional data collection modalities to modern ones and conducting targeted longitudinal studies to better understand triggering factors of demographic changes in the country.

According to the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in New York, the fund adheres to the principles of South-South cooperation and places a priority on national ownership and leadership, equality, sustainability, development of local capacity and mutual benefit.

The fund particularly welcomes proposals from least-developed countries, landlocked-developing countries and small-island developing states and supports projects that are in alignment with the 2030 Agenda. The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation is the designated fund manager.