United Nations, Feb 4 (PTI) India has expressed “grave concern” over a proposed reduction in allocation by the United Nations’ lead agency on international development to a department focused on South-South cooperation.
In 2025, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) reduced its institutional and core programme budget by over USD 80 million and for 2026, a further USD 113 million reduction is estimated, UN officials said.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador P Harish on Tuesday expressed “grave concern” over the proposed 46 per cent reduction in UNDP’s allocation to the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) under the 2026–2029 Strategic Framework.
“India strongly reiterates that South-South cooperation is a foundational pillar of the United Nations development system and an indispensable instrument for developing countries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” Harish said while delivering a statement at the First Regular Session of the Executive Board of the UNDP.
“This sharp and disproportionate cut is understandably far exceeding the average reductions across UNDP programmes and would seriously compromise UNOSSC’s capacity to effectively discharge its mandate, including its critical role in trust fund management that directly serves the interests of a large number of developing countries,” he said.
India strongly urged UNDP to ensure that reforms do not curtail the UNOSSC’s essential programmatic and operational capabilities, thereby weakening South-South cooperation in practice. “India therefore firmly urges UNDP to urgently reconsider and review the proposed allocation to UNOSSC and expects these serious concerns to be addressed in the final Strategic Framework for 2026–2029,” Harish said.
UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo told UN Member States that the agency sustained delivery in 2025 despite an “exceptionally constrained and deteriorating funding environment” across the development sector.
Looking ahead to 2026, UNDP is expecting “further drastic cuts” to its already low core funding base of 11 per cent. “This year, we are projected to work with USD 188 million less core funding than we received in 2024,” De Croo said.
In 2025, UNDP reduced its institutional and core programme budget by over USD 80 million. For 2026, “we estimate a further USD 113 million reduction and we will review our budget throughout the year against both core and non-core income,” the UNDP leader said.
De Croo further noted that through the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation as the UN’s global focal point for South-South and triangular cooperation, and through UNDP itself, “we helped countries scale solutions drawn from shared experience and grounded in national ownership. Notably, UNOSSC facilitated the implementation of South-South and triangular cooperation trust fund projects across 50 developing countries.” India pointed out that its partnership with the United Nations Development Programme spans more than six decades and represents one of UNDP’s most comprehensive and enduring country relationships.
Over the years, UNDP has been a valued development partner, supporting India’s national priorities in poverty reduction, social inclusion and institutional strengthening through close engagement with States and Union Territories, Harish said.
UNDP has also worked closely with NITI Aayog in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at both national and sub-national levels, through a highly effective localisation of SDGs.
Harish noted that the UNDP Country Programme for India for 2023–27 sets out an ambitious and forward-looking agenda for achieving the SDGs. Its focus on strengthening evidence-led institutions, expanding economic opportunities and social protection, and advancing climate-smart and resilient development aligns well with India’s national priorities.
“We particularly note the emphasis on sustainable finance, inclusive health systems, skills and livelihoods, women and youth employability, climate action, biodiversity conservation, circular economy and disaster resilience at both state and community levels,” the Indian envoy said.
He said India values UNDP’s strong partnership in operationalising the India-UN Development Partnership Fund. UNDP remains a key implementing partner, helping translate India’s commitment to demand-driven, inclusive South-South cooperation into tangible development outcomes across more than 70 partner countries.
India said that as countries seek to recover and build back better, the international community still has a historic opportunity to restore progress toward the 2030 Agenda. “To this end, adjustments in global financial and economic systems, national policy frameworks and patterns of production and consumption are required. In this context, UNDP’s role as a trusted development partner remains crucial,” Harish said.
Last month, UNDP announced that it will relocate a substantial share of positions currently based in its headquarters in New York City. The move is part of an ongoing effort to adapt to an evolving financial and development landscape, strengthen partnerships, and maximize UNDP’s ability to support the world’s most vulnerable people.
The relocation affected almost 400 posts, with approximately three-quarters of them transferring to Bonn, Germany, and about one quarter to Madrid, Spain. PTI YAS NPK NPK
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