General Assembly General Assembly

ECOSOC Partnership Forum 2023

Tuesday, 31 January 2023
 

Theme: Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels.
 

Thank you for giving me the floor, Madam President.
 

Allow me to begin by thanking you for convening this Partnership Forum. This is a useful prelude to the Coordination Segment, and enables us to take stock of the partnerships we can forge, even as we consider the theme of this meeting today. India aligns with the statement by the Chair of the G77.

Madam President,

2. The last three years have been difficult, and developing nations were hit the hardest. The challenges of the COVID pandemic, rising prices of fuel, fertilizer and foodgrains, and geo-political tensions, particularly the Ukraine conflict, impacted our collective development efforts. As a result, Agenda 2030 and development priorities took a backseat.
 

3. The road ahead, therefore, needs our focus and attention. We must take collective experiences from the past few years while forging partnerships to accelerate the recovery from the pandemic, towards full implementation of the SDGs. Allow me to share a few thoughts in this regard:
 

First, we need partnerships that bridge divides. This was apparent during the pandemic when discriminatory practices characterized global response, starkly exposing the dangers of over-centralized globalization and unreliable supply chains. A more democratic and equitable world can only be built on greater diversification and localization of capabilities.
 

Secondly, and related to the point above, is to ensure that partnerships are locally driven and context specific. Sustainable solutions cannot be driven by measures that are imposed upon others. India’s approach to development partnerships has always been consultative, outcome oriented, demand driven, people-centric, and respectful of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our partner countries. The $150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund, established in 2017, is an illustration of successful South-South cooperation. Managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) as the coordinating partner, the fund supports projects that advance SDGs in LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS.
 

Thirdly, partnerships must embrace reforms. At the heart of the discussions today is a recognition that one cannot keep doing the same thing and expect different results. We need to carefully examine our structures, systems, and processes to reflect the imbalance and the errors. This includes reform of multilateral institutions to correct the imbalance, so that the voice of the Global South is reflected, as it should, on the decision-making table. This is also the essence of the call made by the Chair of the G77 today.

Madam President,

4. We will need to work together with all stakeholders to find innovative, affordable, and sustainable solutions. Without reinventing the wheel, we must scale up existing models of partnerships that have been successful in lifting up countries in distress, especially in the Global South. India’s experience with fellow developing countries provide ample evidence that lasting solutions are scalable and within reach.

Thank you for your attention.