India Statement under Agenda Item 7_3rd IDDA

50th Session of Industrial Development Board of UNIDO

India statement on Agenda Item No 7: Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III)

[To be delivered by Shri Gyanveer Singh, First Secretary]

Thank you Mr President,

1.       We associate ourselves with the statement made by the Ambassador of Morocco on behalf of the Group of 77 and China under this agenda item and would like to add the following points from our national perspective.

Mr President,

2.       The India-Africa development partnership is guided by the historical and civilizational linkages between India and countries in Africa. This partnership is multifaceted, demand driven, free of conditionality and based on the principle of partnership among equals. India’s Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme has grown steadily over the years in line with growth in India’s capabilities and the stated needs of African countries.

3.       The engagement is guided by Kampala Principles presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before parliamentarians in Uganda in July 2018 when he said, and I quote  “Our development partnership will be guided by your priorities. It will be on terms that will be comfortable for you, that will liberate your potential and not constrain your future. We will rely on African talent and skills. We will build as much local capacity and create as many local opportunities as possible”

4.       Like Africa, India too has one of the youngest populations on the planet. We understand that this presents opportunities as well as challenges. Therefore, our partnership with countries in Africa encompasses a diverse set of engagements including in education, healthcare, agriculture, science and technology, capacity building, and infrastructure.

6.       To give an example, in the face of Covid-19 Pandemic, India quickly launched e-ITEC on COVID-19 prevention and management protocols to prepare healthcare professionals locally to face the unprecedented situation. This underlines our commitment both to Africa and to the role of technology in broadening development partnerships and developing self reliance.

Mr President,

7.       UNGA has declared 2023 as International Year of Millets. India and Africa are among the largest producers and consumers of millets in the world. Millets are important for food security and sustainability. UNIDO has the expertise of implementing projects in the field of Agrobusiness and we see an opportunity to join hands in value added agribusiness for millets.

8.       We have taken note of the activities presented in the Director General’s progress report on implementation of IDDA III. We have gone through the similar journey and have the experience both in public as well as private sector to develop industry specific solutions be it agrobusiness, or digitalization or development of pharma and solar industries. We will be happy to partner with UNIDO on this journey.

I thank you, Mr President