India contributes $500,000 to UN Peacebuilding Fund

UNITED NATIONS: India has contributed $500,000 to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, expressing hope that more funding by nations will boost efforts by the world body to build and sustain peace.

India has been a member of the Peacebuilding Commission since its inception in December 2005 and has so far contributed $5 million to the Peacebuilding Fund. The fresh contribution of $500,000 to the fund will be effected over the coming days.

The fund was launched to support activities, actions, programmes and organisations that seek to build a lasting peace in countries emerging from conflict.

"We hope that the Peacebuilding Fund will be able to attract much greater funding as we go along so that the UN efforts to build and sustain peace can have greater impact on the ground," India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Tanmaya Lal said here yesterday at the fund's annual stakeholders' meeting.

"India has always argued for comprehensive sustainable development, inclusive economic growth and political processes for preventing conflict as well as undertaking effective peacebuilding efforts," Lal added.

He said that this was obviously not easy and required a long-term commitment and sustained investment, including a vastly expanded funding. He noted that for UN's own peacebuilding efforts to have an impact, a significantly enhanced level of funding is required.