Mr. President, thank you for giving me the floor and our compliments to you on your appointment as President of the Executive Board. 

 

2.We thank Administrator Helen Clark for her statement. We would also like to take this opportunity to convey our best wishes for UNDP's 50th Anniversary commemoration next month.

 

3.I would like to align myself with the statement delivered by the distinguished Deputy Permanent Representative of Thailand, on behalf of the G-77 & China. 

 

 

4.For India, and indeed for the entire developing world, the vision for the future should have the eradication of poverty as its overarching goal, which has also been rightly emphasized in Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and UNDP's Strategic Plan. In the 2030 Agenda, we have a path-breaking template of action to guide the work of the UN system. This template represents a decisive and important break from the past. It will require fresh thinking unencumbered from past precedents. It will also require fresh mindsets and the ability to embrace change.

 

5.   The 2030 Agenda is notable for the high political vision of a relentless focus on ending poverty as the fundamental cornerstone of international cooperation. Our leaders have underlined their belief that with political will and right policies, it is possible to end poverty and hunger within one generation. Through our policies at the international as well as national level, we must now put this dream into action. This relentless focus on ensuring a life of dignity for all must remain the central feature of the vision of the UN Development system, along with the essential human amenities for all our citizens - better food and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, better health facilities, better education, respect for women,  affordablehousing, and access to energy. A complementary focus on better quality of growth, cleaner energy and environmental protection and most importantly responsible lifestyles and consumption patterns must also be prioritized.

 

6.     It is imperative for UNDP to produce results in line with this vision of Agenda 2030.

 

7.The Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) Resolution, which forms the defining basis of the UN Development System's overall policy framework, provided an overarching mandate to 'assign the highest priority to poverty eradication' and that 'it should continue to be the core focus area for the United Nations development system and that all its development programmes and projects should attempt to address this greatest global challenge as their underlying objective'. This year will also see consultations among member states for the next QCPR resolution and we believe that poverty eradication must remain the highest priority. This is also the mandate provided by our leaders in the 2030 Agenda.

 

8.The draft South-South Cooperation (SSC)and Triangular Cooperation Strategy presentedby UNDP seems to be an ambitious one with tight timelines. While we are currently examining the draft strategy, we believe that more consultations should be held with Member States before the strategy is finalized. The issue of marshalling required resources for undertaking developmental activities in the South should be given due importance in the strategy. The strategy should, of course, seek to enhance the contribution of SSC, but only as a complement to the North-South cooperation and not a substitute for it. 

 

9.We hope that, as consistently requested by my delegation, the revised Evaluation Policy will factor into account issues of time-bound compliance, capping of budget being spent on individual evaluations and ensuring that the operational independence of the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) is maintained. We feel that the IEO should be made independent of the body that it would evaluate and that the Executive Board of UNDP should also be involved more directly with the selection process of the Director, IEO.

 

10.In light of the mid-term review of the UNDP Strategic Plan, my delegation reiterates its request to delete two indicators viz. Indicator 2.1.1 (assessing functioning parliaments) & Indicator 3.5.1 (assessing security sector institutions) from the monitoring, aggregation and reporting systems related to the Integrated Results and Resources Framework (IRRF) as we believe these indicators have the potential to encroach upon issues that pertain to the sovereignty of Member States. 

 

 

11.Representing a country that has one of the longest relationships with UNDP and is the biggest contributor to its core budget among developing countries, we have an abiding interest in UNDP's success and in our collective efforts to implement the mandate of the UNDP Strategic Plan and decimate poverty from the face of this planet. 

 

 

12.Please rest assured of our fullest cooperation with UNDP.