Photo source: Mission LiFE website
New Delhi: NITI Aayog and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise a framework of cooperation on a range of areas, reiterating a mutual commitment towards fast-tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
The areas for cooperation include SDG localisation, data-driven monitoring, Aspirational Districts and Blocks, among others.
The MoU was signed in the presence of BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog by Dr Yogesh Suri, Senior Adviser (SDGs), NITI Aayog, and Shoko Noda, Resident Representative, UNDP India.
Shoko Noda said, “Midway to 2030, India’s leadership is critical for making the SDGs a reality. India nearly halved multidimensional poverty between 2015-2016 and 2019-2021, demonstrating that despite complex challenges, accelerating progress towards the Goals is possible. Through this MoU with NITI Aayog, UNDP stands ready to enhance its support for the localisation of the SDGs, data-driven decision-making through various indices, the Aspirational Districts and Blocks programme, and SDG financing. UNDP will also provide support for NITI Aayog’s work on women’s livelihoods, innovation, and Mission LiFE.”
Welcoming the partnership, BVR. Subrahmanyam said standing at the midpoint of the 2030 agenda, “we look forward to partnering with UNDP to showcase and share India’s successes in realising its development priorities to its peers”.
He noted that over the years, NITI Aayog and UNDP’s collaboration had grown from strength to strength. “With monitoring going beyond districts down to the block level, we see this partnership fostering data-driven policy interventions and programmatic action,” he said.
The MoU has been signed for a period of five years. NITI Aayog is the nodal institution for coordinating the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national levels. UNDP plays the integrator role in coordinating efforts to fast-track progress on the SDGs within the UN system.
– global bihari bureau
