UNDP's Kanni Wignaraja to Strengthen India Ties for Sustainable Development

UN Assistant Secretary-General Kanni Wignaraja is visiting India from October 3-8 to enhance cooperation on sustainable development. She will engage with key officials and participate in high-level events focused on SDG localisation, financing, and South-South Cooperation. Highlights include workshops, policy dialogues, and roundtables in various states.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Kanni Wignaraja is scheduled to visit India from October 3-8, aiming to bolster efforts in sustainable development between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Indian authorities.

Wignaraja, also the UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, will liaise with officials from multiple ministries, such as External Affairs, Finance, and Agriculture, among others. Discussions will revolve around localizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), financing these goals, and India's expanding role in South-South Cooperation.

During her visit, she will join high-profile events, including a national workshop on SDG financing co-hosted by the Ministry of Finance and NITI Aayog, and a policy dialogue on pandemic preparedness. Wignaraja is also slated to attend a roundtable on urban childcare and the care economy, reinforcing UNDP's comprehensive approach to sustainable development.

In Meghalaya, she will engage with the state's deputy chief minister and participate in a roundtable on gender equality in collaboration with UN Women. Wignaraja will interact with young entrepreneurs under UNDP's Youth Co:Lab initiative and meet with women healthcare workers at a community health centre. Her itinerary also includes a visit to the Living Root Bridges, a UNDP-supported biodiversity project.

Wignaraja's visit will wrap up in New Delhi on October 8.

(With inputs from agencies.)