India has pledged to contribute $100 million to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund to help the poorest nations achieve the world organisation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reduce poverty and raise the quality of life. This contribution would be in addition to $10.582 million India is contributing to various other UN programmes, he said. The $100 million that India is contributing is not earmarked “in the spirit of sustained predictable funding for SDGs and South-South Cooperation,” Kumar said. Criticising the practice of donors earmarking their contributions, Kumar said it leads to the collective priorities of the UN being disregarded. The contributions totaling $10.582 million are for the UN Development Programme ($4.5 million), World Food Programme ($1.92 million), UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians ($1.25 million), UN Women ($1 million), Unicef ($862, 000), UN Population Fund ($500,000), UN HABITAT ($150,000), UN Environment Programme ($100,000), UN Office on Drugs and Crime ($100,000) and Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation ($200,000).

Source: Hindustan Times November 07, 2017 04:18 UTC