New Delhi: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has committed to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) to speed up India’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).
This collaboration was formalised in the presence of B L Verma, the Minister of State for both the Ministry of DoNER and the Ministry of Cooperation, as well as Ulrika Modeer, the UN assistant secretary-general & director of the UNDP Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
In this MoU, the UNDP has committed to providing technical assistance to MDoNER in several important areas. This includes speeding up progress towards the SDGs, enhancing the ability to monitor and evaluate projects, and building capacity. The partnership will also extend support to aspirational districts and blocks. Furthermore, UNDP will assist in implementing cutting-edge technologies within governance and expanding successful approaches.
During the event, Minister of State B L Verma shared his thoughts, highlighting the Prime Minister’s primary focus on advancing social and infrastructure connectivity within the North Eastern Region (NER). He expressed optimism that UNDP’s collaboration would be vital in realising this objective.
Verma also pointed out the remarkable strides made by the Ministry of DoNER across various essential sectors, such as infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, climate change, and economic growth. He emphasised UNDP’s instrumental role in promoting data-driven decision-making, mainly through the North East Region District SDG Index.
The Minister of State also highlighted how the NER District SDG Index served as the basis for the flagship PM-DevINE scheme. This initiative aims to provide funding for infrastructure and social development to enhance livelihood opportunities in the region, with a particular focus on empowering women and youth.
Ulrika Modéer, acknowledging the Indian government’s dedication to accelerating development in the North Eastern Region, expressed her appreciation. She stated, “UNDP is honoured to establish this MoU with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. Our commitment lies in assisting both national and subnational endeavours to expedite progress toward the goals. This assistance will involve specialised support in localising the SDGs and strengthening program implementation and monitoring capacities.”
