GoI–UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023

16-Jun-2023: NITI Aayog and the United Nations in India sign the Government of India - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027)

NITI Aayog and the United Nations in India signed the Government of India - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 today. The GoI-UNSDCF was signed by Mr. B V R Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog, and Mr. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, India in the presence of the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Mr. Suman Bery, senior representatives from NITI Aayog, central ministries and heads of UN agencies in India.

GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 represents the UN development system’s collective offer to the Government of India, in line with the national vision for development, for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting gender equality, youth empowerment and human rights. The United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/72/279 designates the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework as the principal planning and implementation instrument for the UN Development System at country level. Programme priorities of the UN entities working at the country are derived from the GoI-UNSDCF.

The GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 is built on four strategic pillars derived from the 2030 Agenda – People, Prosperity, Planet and Participation. The four interlinked pillars have six outcome areas focusing on Health and Well Being; Nutrition and Food Security; Quality Education; Economic Growth and Decent Work; Environment, Climate, WASH and Resilience; and Empowering People, Communities, and Institutions.

To further deepen cooperation in critical areas, for the first time, the GoI-UNSDCF will have specific focus on SDG localisation and South-South cooperation, in line with India’s leadership towards the implementation and acceleration of the SDGs; and India’s championing of South-South cooperation. Showcasing Indian models of development globally will be central to the effort.

The formulation of the GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 was led by NITI Aayog, on behalf of the Government of India, with robust participation of line Ministries, State Governments, and Union Territories. The UN Resident Coordinator led and coordinated inputs from the UN development system in India. Partners from civil society, think tanks, private sector, cooperatives and labour unions also contributed to the development of the document, ensuring a whole of society, whole of government and whole of UN approach. The GoI-UNSDCF was informed by a third-party evaluation of the previous Cooperation Framework (2018-2022) and a Common Country Analysis (CCA) undertaken by the UN in India.

The implementation, monitoring and reporting of GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 will be co-led by Government of India and the United Nations, India through a Joint Steering Committee.

“The next five years will be pivotal for an innovation driven, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable India. For India, the principle of "Leaving No One Behind" is particularly important due to its vast and diverse demography, as well as its potential due to tremendous demographic dividend. The GoI-UNSDCF, through its agreed partnerships, outcomes and outputs will contribute towards achievement of national development priorities. The Cooperation Framework has to be a living and dynamic framework and should adapt in the light of how India changes and the world changes,” said Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, Mr. Suman Bery.

Signing the Cooperation Framework, CEO of NITI Aayog, Mr. B V R Subrahmanyam, said: “India has advanced steadily in its ability to deliver development and resilience at scale. This includes transforming India’s social welfare system and safety nets, underpinned by a robust ecosystem of digital public infrastructure and a range of national missions. India’s leadership in climate action and resilience continues to grow. The time has come to completely address the challenges of the last century and take on the challenges of Amrit Kaal to become Viksit Bharat. The Cooperation framework will focus on and support India in its transformation where it is not just access to basic requirements such as water/ electricity/ internet that would be important, but the quality of these issues that are more relevant for future.”

The new Framework comes at a critical juncture as the world reaches the halfway mark to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and India envisions a ‘Viksit Bharat’ over the next 25 years, in line with the clarion call of the Hon’ble Prime Minister.

Presenting the Cooperation Framework at the launch. Mr. Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, said: “India is a key shaper of the 2030 Agenda. With the goal of ‘Leave No One Behind’ reflected in the Government of India’s message of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, India has aligned its flagship national initiatives with the SDGs and translated Agenda 2030 into local actions at all levels, while delivering development gains at scale. Meeting the expectations and aspirations of India’s youthful population ahead will require further accelerating progress in addressing remaining development challenges and investing in human capital to leverage a unique demographic dividend. As the United Nations Secretary-General has said, India is the country that can make achieving the SDGs a global reality”.

16-Jun-2023: NITI Aayog and the United Nations in India sign the Government of India - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027)

The implementation, monitoring and reporting of GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 will be co-led by Government of India and the United Nations, India through a Joint Steering Committee.

2022

13-Apr-2022: NITI Aayog & UN Hold Workshop on Upcoming GoI–UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023–27

NITI Aayog and United Nations on Tuesday organized a day-long national validation workshop on the upcoming Government of India–UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023–27.

This was the first such congregation that saw the participation of officials from 30 Union ministries, heads of 26 UN agencies, and representatives from all states and union territories.

The previous GoI–UNSDF 2018–22 was an agenda of cooperation, results and strategies to achieve national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The framework is the single most important instrument capturing the entirety of 26 UN entities’ plans and programmes in India. As the 2018–22 framework entered its final year of implementation, GoI and UN committed to renewing it for another five years, 2023–27.

The 2023–27 cooperation framework will be signed as India completes 75 years of independence.

In order to fulfil India’s national development priorities, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar called for the convergence of the ‘whole of Government’ and the ‘whole of UN’ in the next five years. He pointed out that the workshop was ‘an opportunity to revisit and revitalize the various contours of partnerships between the GoI and UN to make them more robust and relevant to meet the exigencies of the New India’.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant stressed the need for innovative and futuristic thinking while finalizing the 2023–27 framework. He added that ‘the success of this workshop will set the tone for the collective work to be done with the UN India team for the next five years’.

The 2018–22 framework is guided by the joint steering committee, chaired by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman and UN Resident Coordinator India, with members from the Department of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs.

One of the main accomplishments of the 2018–22 framework has been the partnering of the UN agencies with GoI to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. From training frontline workers, delivering essential drugs and medical supplies, facilitating the world’s largest vaccination drive to providing policy support and bringing in the best international practices, the UN agencies have played a critical role during the Covid crisis.

Accordingly, a key objective of the 2023–27 framework will be to utilize the India-UN collaboration to find new ways of addressing the country’s pressing developmental challenges.

The preparation for the 2023–27 framework, led by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman and the UN Resident Coordinator, was a highly participative process, which included consultations with the Central and state governments, civil society, academics, private sector, think tanks, and economic enterprises, among others.

During the workshop, UN Resident Coordinator in India Shombi Sharp complimented GoI for its strong ownership of the framework and reiterated the UN’s commitment to supporting India to achieve its development priorities and SDGs. ‘The next five years will not only be fundamental for India but also for the world as India plays an outsized role in its endeavour to achieve the SDGs. The upcoming framework will employ robust data and evidence to support India’s tremendous progress in reaching the most vulnerable and ensuring no one is left behind.’

The 2023–27 framework aims to align the four pillars of the 2030 Agenda—People, Prosperity, Planet and Participation—with India’s national priorities and provide direction to the efforts of all the UN entities working across the country.

The new framework has identified six outcome areas: (i) health and well-being (ii) nutrition and food (iii) quality education (iv) economic growth and decent work (v) environment, climate, wash and resilience (vi) empowering people, communities, and institutions.

Subsequently, six working groups were set up under the chairmanship of the secretaries of respective Government ministries, with officials from other related ministries, UN entities, and NITI Aayog as members. Each group worked under the guidance of the respective member from NITI Aayog.

At the workshop, the three groups on nutrition and food; economic growth and decent work; and climate action were steered by Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, while the others—health and well-being; quality education; and empowering people, communities and institutions—were led by Dr VK Paul, Member, NITI Aayog.

The 2023–27 framework will contain the shared vision and strategies for a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable India. While NITI Aayog and the line ministries will steer the framework at the Central level, the state governments and union territories will play a crucial role in realizing the vision and implementing the strategies.