5th UN meet on Least Developed Countries ongoing in Doha
Qatar has donated US $60 million towards least developed countries. Out of 60 million US dollars, 10 million US dollars will be allocated for supporting the implementation of the Doha Program of Action activities for the least developed countries, and 50 million US dollars will be allocated for supporting the intended outcomes of the Doha Program of Action and building resilience potential in the least developed countries.
The announcement was made by H.H. Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar during opening speech at the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries on Sunday, March 5, 2023.
“Based on the State of Qatar’s firm commitment to supporting the development process of the least developed countries, I announce a financial contribution of a total amount of US $60 million, of which $10 million will be allocated for supporting the implementation of the Doha Program of Action activities for the least developed countries,” announced the Qatari Amir at ongoing Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5).
“Additional US $50 million will be allocated for supporting the intended outcomes of the Doha Program of Action and building resilience potential in the least developed countries,” announced the Amir.
“I urge the development partners to follow the example of Qatar and take the initiative to support the implementation of the Doha Program of Action as part of our humanitarian and development duty towards the peoples of the least developed countries.”
Aside from the donation announcement, the Amir addressed many concerns affecting the least developed countries, such as support to earthquake-affected Türkiye & Syria, the importance of international human solidarity, support towards poverty-struck countries and other global challenges like food security challenges, climate change, energy crisis amongst others.
“From this standpoint, the convening of this conference represents a renewal of our solidarity and unity of our will in facing common challenges and exploring futuristic, effective, and sustainable solutions to them,” Sheikh Tamim said.
“The convening of this conference is a unique opportunity for our international community to renew and reinvigorate our commitments and partnerships to support LDCs to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century,” he added.
The LDC5 conference aims to confront food security challenges, climate change, energy crises, and debt crises as a joint global liability, and find solutions through shared collective tasks and responsibilities among all countries.
It encourages rich and developed countries to contribute more to assist the least developed countries in overcoming global challenges.
The Qatari Amir also urged development partners to follow the example of Qatar and take the initiative to support the implementation of the Doha Program of Action as part of their humanitarian and development duty towards the peoples of the least developed countries.
The conference of Least Developed Countries or LDCs takes place every 10 years and this year’s meeting from March 5 to 9, 2023, known as LDC5, but has been postponed twice since 2021 because of the Coronavirus pandemic, will focus on returning the needs of the 46 designated countries to the top of the global agenda and supporting them as they strive to get back on track to sustainable development.
The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are countries listed by the United Nations that exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development across a range of indexes.
All LDCs have a gross national per capita income (GNI) of below US $1,018; compare that to almost US $71,000 in the United States, US $44,000 in France, US $9,900 in Turkey and US $6,530 in South Africa according to data from World Bank.
These countries also have low scores on the indicators for nutrition, health, school enrolment and literacy and high scores for economic and environmental vulnerability, which measures factors such as remoteness, dependence on agriculture and exposure to natural disasters.
According to the UN Economic and Social Council, there are currently 46 LDCs are home to some 1.1 billion people, that’s 14 per cent of the world’s population, and more than 75 per cent of those people still live in poverty, the vast majority of which are in Africa.
LDCs are at risk of deepening poverty and remaining in a situation of underdevelopment. They are also vulnerable to external economic shocks, natural and man-made disasters, communicable diseases and crucially climate change.
Besides, debt being a major problem for all LDCs, the climate change hottest issue also would devastate LDCs contributing carbon emissions. Thus, LDCs require more attention from the international community.
Six countries have graduated from LDC status between 1994 and 2020.
Since then, the UN has paid special attention to LDCs, recognising them as the most vulnerable in the international community and granting them certain benefits.
The first LDC conference was held in Paris, France in 1981 and LDC5, marking the 50th anniversary, was due to be held in March 2022, but was postponed to this year due to COVID.
The Doha Programme of Action (or DPoA, for acronym lovers!) is the development road map for LDCs agreed in March 2022 that includes six key focus areas:
Eradicating poverty and building capacity.
Leveraging the power of science, technology, and innovation to fight vulnerabilities and to achieve the SDGs.
Supporting structural transformation as a driver of prosperity.
Enhancing international trade of LDCs and regional integration.
Addressing climate change, environmental degradation, recovering from COVID-19 pandemic and building resilience against future shocks.
Mobilizing international solidarity and reinvigorating global partnerships.
The full implementation of the DPoA will help LDCs to address negative socio-economic impacts and enable them to get back on track to achieve the SDGs including addressing climate change.
“The Doha Programme of Action reminds us that global recovery depends on LDCs getting the support they need. They need bold investments in health, education and social protection systems — all the resources required to fully implement Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.”
The following 46 countries were listed as LDCs by the UN as of March 2023:
Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia of African continent.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Timor-Leste and Yemen of Asia.
Haiti in the Caribbean and Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuval in the Pacific.
Speaking at the opening of the fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC) in Doha on Sunday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the least developed countries need massive investments in industry, calling on partners to achieve the Doha Agenda and its goals.
In his speech, Guterres called on developed countries to support the least developed countries to face the effects of climate change.
Wealthy countries should give US $500 billion a year to help the countries he described as trapped in vicious circles that are hampering their efforts to strengthen their economies and improve health and education, Guterres said.
The Nepalese delegation at the 5th United Conference of Least Developed Countries being held in Doha of Qatar was led by Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha.
While addressing the conference the DPM Shrestha highlighted Nepal’s policies and priorities as well as compounding problems being faced by the LDCs.
Besides the meeting, according to the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Nepal, DPM had a sideline meeting with various leaders and personalities of the various UN organizations and countries of the globe.
