India has reaffirmed its steadfast partnership with the Least Developed Countries. Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Sudhakar Dalela, participated in the Annual Ministerial Meeting of LDCs on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. He called for accessible finance, investment in local production and job creation, and technology partnerships to support the sustainable and irreversible graduation of LDCs.
Mr. Dalela also addressed an engagement on inclusive disaster and climate resilience, organised by Thailand, the Philippines, Japan and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. He highlighted India’s strengthened early warning systems, risk-informed infrastructure and disaster preparedness, as well as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and India-ASEAN cooperation. He stressed the need to translate early warnings into timely action and reiterated India’s offer to host the Fourth UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2030.
Earlier, at a UN meeting on financing adaptation and just transition, Mr. Dalela highlighted India’s life-saving early warning systems and efforts to mainstream adaptation through national and state-level planning. He called for predictable finance for country-led adaptation and stressed that adaptation finance should protect vulnerable countries and communities without adding to their debt burdens.
