India has contributed USD 1 million to a fund established by India, Brazil and South Africa which undertake projects aimed at alleviating poverty and hunger.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj handed over the cheque of USD 1 million as a contribution towards the India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation Fund (IBSA Fund) to the Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Dima Al-Khatib here on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Kamboj said the focus of India’s G20 Presidency was the “development of the people, by the people and for the people”. Accordingly, “India is committed to supporting the IBSA Fund as we believe that the Fund has made a positive impact on the lives of millions across the Global South and has strengthened the spirit of South-South cooperation,” she said.

The IBSA countries - India, Brazil and South Africa - each contribute one million dollars annually to the Fund in a spirit of partnership and support for Southern-led, demand-driven, transformational projects in developing countries, a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said.

India’s contribution to the IBSA Fund has cumulatively exceeded USD 18 million since the Fund was established in 2004 and became operational in 2006. UNOSSC serves as the Fund Manager and Secretariat of the IBSA Fund.

The IBSA Fund supports projects that are concrete expressions of solidarity. Their objectives range from promoting food security, and addressing HIV/AIDS, to extending access to safe drinking water – all to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the release said.

The IBSA Fund has allocated USD 50.6 million to date, supporting 45 projects across 37 countries of the global South. This year, IBSA Fund has already approved three projects, namely ‘Rural Electrification using Micro-grids' in Southern Belize, ‘Empowering Women and Youth to Drive Sustainable Agriculture’ in South Sudan and ‘Investment in Agri-business development in Mubadrti’ in Palestine, it said.

UNOSSC said the Board of Directors of the Fund met here late last month and approved the three proposals for Belize, Palestine and South Sudan, amounting to USD 3 million in new funding. It also approved the design of a project in Mali to begin in 2024.

The project in Belize will enhance access to renewable energy in marginalised communities in the Toledo district of Belize. This district experiences the highest poverty rate in the country. The project aims to provide solar equipment to 166 households, a school and a primary health centre, the UN agency said in a statement.

The project in South Sudan aims to increase vegetable and fish production and expand distribution markets, so as to improve nutrition, food security and livelihoods in the Central Equatorial State. Eight vegetable production groups comprising 48 heads-of-household, and four fisheries groups of 30 heads-of-household will be supported.

The project in Palestine aims to create sustainable job opportunities for women, youth and recent graduates in the agricultural sector and its production chain. This will involve the production of market-oriented agricultural commodities, as well as food processing.

About 70 farmers, unemployed youth and engineers will increase agricultural productivity in Palestine through the proposed investments in agri-business, through comprehensive training programmes on farming techniques, crop management, harvesting methods, post-harvest handling, processing and packaging, marketing and business management.

In Africa, the Board endorsed the detailed design for a project in Mali’s Climate Change Resilient Community Farms and Women’s Empowerment in Baguinéda Irrigated Zone, to begin in 2024.

This project aims to strengthen the resilience of women producers and youth against the adverse effects of climate change, through the renovation of two agribusiness centres, the provision of improved seeds and capacity building to over 7,000 women producers. There will also be provision of equipment to four youth Economic Interest Groups, and the installation of solar pumping systems in five market garden areas, the UN agency said.

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