United Nations Development Partnership Fund

• It was established in 2017 with an initial corpus of USD 150 million, led by the Government of India.
• The Fund supports Southern-owned and -led, demand-driven, and transformational   sustainable development projects across developing countries.
• It focuses particularly on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
• United Nations agencies implement these projects in close collaboration with partner governments.
• The Fund is a notable example of South-South Cooperation.
• Its thematic scope covers all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with several initiatives addressing more than one goal.

Key Areas of Work

• Climate resilience
• Environmental sustainability
• Renewable energy
• Gender equality
• Health and pandemic response
• Education and skill development
• Livelihoods
• Infrastructure
• Water and sanitation
• Agricultural development

Commonwealth Window

• Under this Fund, the “Commonwealth Window” aims to accelerate the achievement of SDGs in Commonwealth countries.

Commonwealth of Nations

• It is a voluntary association of independent and equal sovereign states.
• It mainly comprises former territories of the British Empire, including India.

Management

• The Fund is managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).

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Project Chetak

Project Chetak was established in 1980 by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in the strategically important western sector of India.

• The project has played a significant role in the development and maintenance of infrastructure in Rajasthan, Punjab, and the northern parts of Gujarat.
• It has contributed greatly to connecting border areas, as well as to national security and regional development.
• It is one of the largest BRO projects in terms of geographical area, covering more than 4,000 km of road network and 214 km of ditch-cum-bund.
• The project supports the defence forces by maintaining key feeder roads leading to the International Border, with continuous efforts underway to upgrade them to National Highway double-lane standards.

Motto: “Chetak ka Prayas, Desh ka Vikas”

Border Roads Organisation (BRO)

• It is a road construction executive agency in India that supports the Indian Armed Forces.
• In 2015, BRO was brought entirely under the Ministry of Defence.
• Established: 7 May 1960
• Its objective is to secure India’s borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of the northern and northeastern states.
• It constructs and maintains road networks in India’s border areas and in friendly neighbouring countries.
• BRO specializes in the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields, and marine works in some of the world’s most challenging terrains.

Motto: “Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam” (Everything is achievable through hard work)

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