India call for additional aid to developing nations to deal with climate change

Developing nations should be given extra international aid to deal with the looming problems of climate change and not be forced to dip into the traditional aid they receive for development as they strive to meet the next set of UN development goals, India has said at the UN.

Amit Narang, a counsellor at India's UN mission, said Monday that the burden of broader sustainable development goals for the period after this year would require more aid if developing nations are to attain them.

Speaking at a high-level debate convened by the General Assembly (UNGA) President on implementing the Post-2015 development agenda, Narang said, "It is important to ensure that the enhanced provision of resources to developing countries for climate change and environmental concerns is additional and not at the cost of traditional development finance."

With the target period of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) set by world leaders in 2000 ending this year, the UN is crafting a Post-2015 development agenda, which is to emphasise sustainable development.

Noting the increased responsibilities developing countries face to ensure sustainable development taking into account climate change and environmental issues, he expressed concern over the present practice of double counting of climate finance with development aid.

South-South cooperation among developing countries cannot be expected to meet the shortfall in aid from developed countries and they should not be "straitjacketed in terms of rigid rules or policy prescriptions derived from North-South Aid."

He also said that one of the reasons for the shortcomings in reaching MDG was "an excessive reliance on donor-recipient framework to the detriment of systemic issues for boosting growth."

"The new universal development agenda represents our collective commitment to humankind and the planet," UNGA President Sam Kutesa said. "Together, we must spare no effort to formulate and agree on a framework for development and international cooperation that improves the everyday lives of people worldwide, and protects the environment."

Stressing the need for more aid, Under Secretary General Jan Eliasson said, "It is clear that today's financing and investment patterns will not deliver sustainable development - even though current global savings are actually sufficient to finance sustainable development needs. Intensified international cooperation on many fronts and in new ways is needed to change the way finance for development works."

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in)

--Indo-Asiain News Service

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