International Cooperation (IC)
The International Cooperation (IC) Division under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) serves as the nodal coordination unit for India's international engagement on matters relating to women and children. It liaises with multilateral institutions, bilateral partners, and inter-ministerial stakeholders to facilitate the articulation and representation of the Government of India’s legal and policy positions.
The International Cooperation (IC) Division under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) serves as the nodal coordination unit for India's international engagement on matters relating to women and children. It liaises with multilateral institutions, bilateral partners, and inter-ministerial stakeholders to facilitate the articulation and representation of the Government of India’s legal and policy positions.
The MWCD coordinates the preparation of national statements and briefs, in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) to the United Nations in New York, and concerned line Ministries/Departments. It also coordinates the Ministry’s engagement with relevant UN bodies, including the preparation and submission of India’s periodic reports under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Further the Ministry of WCD provides inputs to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process under the UN Human Rights Council, to the extent these pertain to women and children. It also facilitates engagement with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and coordinates MWCD’s participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly.
MWCD engages with regional and plurilateral mechanisms to advance national priorities in the domain of women and child development. The Ministry coordinates such engagements, including India’s participation in the BRICS Working Group on Women’s Issues, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Women’s Council, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The MWCD is also facilitates the negotiation, conclusion, and operationalization of bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and cooperation agreements with partner countries in areas falling within MWCD’s mandate. During India’s G20 Presidency and in subsequent cycles, the IC Division coordinated MWCD’s contributions to the Women’s Ministerial and the EMPOWER Alliance.
MWCD provides inputs for the integration of gender considerations into India’s trade policy framework, World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly in respect of trade and gender-related provisions. The International Coordination of the Ministry coordinates the contributions to ongoing negotiations on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs), in consultation with the Department of Commerce.
| S.No. | Title of the MoU | Country signed with | Date of signing | Validity | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MoU among India, Brazil and South Africa on Cooperation in the field of Women’s Development and Gender Equality Programmes | The Federative Republic of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa (IBSA- India-Brazil-South Africa) | 23-02-2024 | Indefinitely unless terminated by any Party giving six months’ written notice. | To strengthen South-South co-operation amongst the three countries and promote trilateral co-operation in the field of women’s development through people-to-people contact that builds on sharing and learning from successful practices within IBSA countries. |
