United Nations Development Programme

Context:

Spices Board India under Ministry of Commerce and Industry and UNDP India’s Accelerator Lab today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the aim to build a blockchain based traceability interface for Indian spices to enhance transparency in supply chain and trade. 

About UNDP

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations’ global development network.
• It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations and advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves.
• Formation 22 November 1965
• Headquarters New York city
• The UNDP provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries.
• UNDP works with nations on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners. However UNDP offers to help only if the different nations request it to do so.
• The UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. T
• he organization operates in 177 countries, where it works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity.
•  It works internationally to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• UNDP was one of the main UN agencies involved in the development of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
• To accomplish the SDGs and encourage global development, UNDP focuses on poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, democratic governance, energy and environment, social development, and crisis prevention and recovery.
• The UNDP Human Development Report Office also publishes an annual Human Development Report (since 1990) to measure and analyse developmental progress. In addition to a global Report, UNDP publishes regional, national, and local Human Development Reports.

UNDP and India

India and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have worked since 1951 on various issues related to human development involving sustainable livelihoods, environment, literacy, institutional strengthening, sustainable energy and resilience. 

• The Government of India aligned with UNDP to work on the India 2030 National Development Mission and build further Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The three major areas of focus for UNDP India’s country programme for 2018-2022 are:

• Inclusive Growth
• Environment & Energy
• Strengthening Systems & Institutions
• The nodal agency for all matters related to UNDP in India is the Department of Economic Affairs, Finance Ministry, GOI.
• The UNDP has offices in 6 locations in India.