India highlights partnership, contribution with UN Development Programme

India has highlighted its significant contribution to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resources during an interactive dialogue at the world body.

India’s First Secretary at United Nations for the Second Committee of UNGA, Petal Gahlot on Tuesday (local time), emphasised that UNDP was a knowledge partner on Digital Public Infrastructure during India’s G20 Presidency.

She also pointed out the joint work by India and UNDP on SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) localisation and the multidimensional poverty index in India.

“Participated in an interactive dialogue today with the Administrator of @UNDP @ASteiner and highlighted India’s partnership with the organisation through:- India’s significant contribution to UNDP resources- UNDP as a knowledge partner on DPI during India’s G20 Presidency- joint work on SDG localisation and the multidimensional poverty index in India,” the Indian diplomat posted on social media platform X.

In April, United Nation’s First International Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure was held under India’s leadership.

India’s Permanent Representative to UN, Ruchira Kamboj, said that the conference was aimed to harness the technology to propel Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and foster inclusivity.

The conference prominently featured India’s pioneering Citizen Stack initiative, inspired by the transformative India Stack, showcasing the nation’s successful integration of technology into citizen services. This event marked a significant step in promoting international cooperation for the development of digital infrastructure globally.

The session hosted by the Permanent Mission of India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in collaboration with iSPIRT, the inaugural United Nations conference on Digital Public Infrastructure: Citizen Stack brought together global leaders, technology innovators, and policy experts to explore the global implementation of digital public infrastructure, said the Permanent of India to the UN said in a statement.

In her opening address, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj underscored India’s dedication to enhancing global discussions on digital transformation.

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant also delivered a compelling keynote on “Advancing the Digital Frontier using Citizen Stack,” highlighting the significant changes DPI has brought to governance.

The conference also showcased case studies demonstrating how components of Citizen Stack, like the Modular Open Source Identity Platform, are helping countries such as Ethiopia and the Philippines tailor DPI to their specific needs and achieve digital sovereignty.