Indian MPs Push UN Budget Reforms, Global South Financing at 81st UNGA

Indian parliamentary delegation calls for fair financing, UN budget reforms, and Global South support at 81st UNGA

New York, October 6

The delegation began its official program in New York by paying floral tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi bust inside the UN Headquarters, signalling the start of a series of engagements across key United Nations committees.

Delivering India's official statement at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly Second Committee, MP C P Joshi centred his address on economic inclusion and global financial equity.

He emphasised that developing nations require "affordable, predictable financing and greater representation" in global financial institutions to bridge development gaps.

Drawing on India's domestic successes, Joshi highlighted "India's experience in digital public infrastructure, financial inclusion and domestic resource mobilisation" as actionable models for the Global South. He further pointed to India's active development partnerships through mechanisms like "the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, IBSA Fund, ISA and CDRI," while insisting that international efforts must prioritise "carrying forward the SDGs' unfinished work beyond 2030, respecting national ownership and strengthening the UN's development pillar."

In the UN Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee) session focused on the "Scale of Assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations," MP Banshilal Gurjar raised critical concerns over financial equity and the burden placed on troop-contributing nations. Pointing to India's own record, he noted the "UN's consistent recognition of India in its 'Honour Roll' for timely and full payment of its assessed contributions to the UN regular budget."

However, Gurjar voiced strong "concern over the delayed reimbursements to troop- and police-contributing countries (TCC/PCCs), most of whom are developing countries, and who have essentially become de facto financiers of UN peacekeeping."

To prevent unfair fiscal pressures, he "reaffirmed the principle of 'capacity to pay' in the scale of assessments," warning that "developing countries must not be burdened disproportionately" and emphasising that "any review of the current scale methodology must keep its core elements intact, which is non-negotiable."

Gurjar supported a waiver request from Article 19 of the UN Charter for São Tomé and Príncipe while stressing that all member states must honor their dues "in full, on time, and without preconditions."

Also addressing the Fifth Committee during its initial meeting on the "Organisation of Work," MP Gumma Thanuja Rani focused on institutional accountability and safeguarding funding for sustainable development. She emphasised "the need to continue with the reform agenda during the 81st session," maintaining that the "prerogatives of the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) and Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) are intrinsic to the work of the Fifth Committee."

Reinforcing the call for financial accountability, Rani urged all member states to submit "their assessed contributions in full, on time, and without preconditions." She called on the Assembly to "ensure adequate financial resources for the UN's development pillar, including leveraging the UN80 Initiative to strengthen the development pillar," while underscoring "the importance of consensual outcomes" in steering the committee's work forward.

Later in the day, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Harish Parvathaneni, briefed the delegation of parliamentarians on India's wide-ranging engagements with the UN, the Permanent Mission wrote in a post on X.

The members also interacted with UN ASG and Regional Director for Asia and Pacific Kanni Wignaraja.

The Mission wrote in a post on X that the parliamentarians "discussed UNDP's work in India, exchanged views on India-@UNDP cooperation, and explored the role of parliamentarians in advancing sustainable development and accelerating SDG implementation."

The 15-member parliamentary group will continue its delegation meetings and committee engagements throughout their visit to UN Headquarters.

— ANI