UN advocate for the poor calls on less poor countries for help

31 May 2005 – The United Nations envoy for the world's poorest countries today called on developing countries that have progressed beyond such poverty to open their markets to products from the least developed countries and to double such assistance to them as education and training.

UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Anwarul K. Chowdhury was addressing the 14th session of the High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation at UN Headquarters in New York.

Better-off developing countries should “remove all existing tariff and non-tariff barriers to their markets for the products of Least Developed Countries and support them to overcome their supply-side constraints,” he said.

They should also “double the present technical assistance, training, research and educational facilities and scholarships provided” to LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, he said.

Developing countries should improve transit transport capability for LLDCs, increase foreign direct investment (FDI) in the needy countries, especially to build infrastructure and increase export capacity, and aid them with social sector development, especially in coping with HIV/AIDS, population issues and women’s empowerment, Mr. Chowdhury said.

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