India, UN Launch Global Capacity-Building Initiative

On August 1, 2025, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) launched the first phase of the “India-UN Global Capacity Building Initiative” in New Delhi. The launch was presided over by MEA Secretary (West), Tanmaya Lal. The United Nations (UN) resident coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp, along with Heads of Missions from the countries where these projects are being launched, Heads of various UN agencies in India, and senior MEA officials, were present at the event.

The first tranche of the initiative comprises four distinct projects spread across nine countries in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. The details of the four projects are as follows:

1. Food Security in Nepal: This project focuses on “Rice Fortification and Supply Chain Management” in Nepal. The World Food Programme (WFP) and the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) will work in partnership to strengthen Nepal’s fortified rice supply chain through South-South Triangular Cooperation.
2. Digital Health in Zambia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic: This project will assist in the development of national digital health platforms. The UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), with content support from the National Health Authority (NHA) and the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), will jointly work to ensure equitable access to healthcare services through digital health platforms under the South-South Cooperation Initiative.
3. Census Preparedness for Five Caribbean Nations: This project provides “Census Preparedness” training for five Caribbean nations: Belize, Barbados, St. Kitts & Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA), with technical and knowledge support from the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (ORGI), will collaborate on this project.
4. Vocational Training Programme for South Sudan: This project aims to strengthen the “Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Ecosystem” in South Sudan, inspired by the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework of the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC). The collaboration between UNESCO and the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), with knowledge support from NSDC, will work on the project.

Under the initiative, the UN will leverage its global network to share India’s best practices and expertise with other countries, helping them progress faster towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative will include activities such as skills training, knowledge sharing, and launching pilot projects in partner countries. These will be carried out through the new UN India SDG Country Fund and the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC).

On the social media platform X, the United Nations in India shared the views of UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Shombi Sharp:

“Under the ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, India is expanding on its already long-standing leadership role in driving South-South Cooperation for SDG acceleration, leveraging the innovation and partnership power of Indian institutions and the UN system.”

In another post on X, the UN in India acknowledged the funding source:

“The India-UN Global Capacity-Building Initiative, made possible through a generous grant by the Gates Foundation India, also operationalises the United Nations-India SDG Country Fund.”

The initiative was first announced by India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, in September 2023 on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Since then, collaborative planning between the MEA and the UN Country Team in India has taken place to determine the right partner countries or states, refine specific developmental needs, identify the appropriate UN agencies to provide technical support, and match those specific needs with the specialities of training institutions in India.

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