India’s contribution to the IBSA Fund has cumulatively exceeded US$18 million.
United Nations:
India has contributed US$1 million to a fund set up by India, Brazil and South Africa that runs projects aimed at reducing poverty and hunger.
Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj presented a check of US$ 1 million as contribution to the India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Eradication Fund (IBSA Fund) to the Director of the United Nations Office for the South-South Assigned to. Cooperation (UNOSSC) Dima Al-Khatib here on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms Kamboj said the focus of India’s G20 presidency was “development of the people, by the people and for the people”. Accordingly, “India is committed to supporting the IBSA Fund as we believe that the Fund has positively impacted the lives of millions of people in the global South and strengthened the spirit of South-South cooperation,” he said.
According to a press release issued by the Permanent Mission, the IBSA countries – India, Brazil and South Africa – are each contributing one million dollars annually to the Fund in the spirit of partnership and support for Southern-led, demand-driven, transformative projects in developing countries. Let’s give. India told the United Nations.
India’s contributions to the IBSA Fund total more than US$18 million since the Fund was established in 2004 and began operations in 2006. UNOSSC serves as the fund manager and secretariat of the IBSA Fund.
The IBSA Fund supports projects that are concrete expressions of solidarity. The release said their aims range from promoting food security and addressing HIV/AIDS to increasing access to safe drinking water – all to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The IBSA Fund has allocated US$50.6 million to date, supporting 45 projects in 37 countries in the Global South. This year, the IBSA Fund has already approved three projects, namely ‘Rural Electrification using Micro-grids’ in Southern Belize, ‘Empowering Women and Youth to Drive Sustainable Agriculture’ in South Sudan and Palestine. In ‘Investing in agri-business development in Mubarati’. , it said.
UNOSSC said the fund’s board of directors met here late last month and approved three proposals for Belize, Palestine and South Sudan, which include $3 million in new funding. It also approved the design of a project in Mali to begin in 2024.
The project in Belize will increase access to renewable energy in marginalized communities in the Toledo District of Belize. The district experiences the highest poverty rates in the country. The project aims to provide solar equipment to 166 homes, a school and a primary health centre, the UN agency said in a statement.
The project in South Sudan aims to increase vegetable and fish production and expand distribution markets, to improve nutrition, food security and livelihoods in the central equatorial state. Eight vegetable production clusters of 48 household heads and four fisheries clusters of 30 household heads will be supported.
The project in Palestine aims to create sustainable employment opportunities for women, youth and recent graduates in the agricultural sector and its production chain. This will include production of market-oriented agricultural commodities as well as food processing.
Approximately 70 farmers, unemployed youth and engineers in Palestine through the proposed investment in agri-business through comprehensive training programs on agricultural technologies, crop management, harvesting methods, post-harvest management, processing and packaging, marketing and business management. Will increase agricultural productivity. ,
In Africa, the Board supported the detailed design for a project in Mali’s climate change resilient community farms and women’s empowerment in the Baguinéda irrigated region, starting in 2024.
The project aims to strengthen the resilience of women producers and youth against the adverse impacts of climate change through the renovation of two agribusiness centres, provision of improved seeds to over 7,000 women producers and capacity building. The UN agency said there will also be provision of equipment to four youth economic interest groups and installation of solar pumping systems in five market garden areas.
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