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LDC5: A new pathway for the world's Least Developed Countries
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LDC5, the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries – which took place in Doha, Qatar, earlier this month - left us with a great sense of hope and optimism. 47 Heads of State or Government, 200 Ministers and Vice-Ministers, and thousands of representatives from civil society, the private sector, governments, and young people joined us to demonstrate extraordinary commitment to put the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and help them move from potential to prosperity.
Together, they make up a diverse and dynamic force that will now, over the next decade, help the LDCs overcome their most pressing development challenges. LDC5 demonstrated a spirit of renewed political commitment, and enhanced solidarity to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Doha Programme of Action.
Building on the outcomes of LDC5 our office will soon publish a comprehensive road map for the accelerated implementation of the Doha Programme of Action. This road map will identify specific roles and responsibilities. Its aim will be ensuring the commitments taken at LDC5 and through the Doha Political Declaration will lead to concrete results.
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LDC5 presented a unique opportunity to translate the vision of the Doha Programme of Action into tangible results. Countries and stakeholders showcased commitments, pledges and forged new partnerships.
From improving biodiversity and tackling malnutrition to building resilience in the LDCs, partners and stakeholders committed millions of dollars to achieving a better future for the 1 billion people living in the LDCs.
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Representatives from five key stakeholder groups held forums at LDC5: Corporate leaders, civil society representatives, young people, parliamentarians and development partners, all of whom joined LDC5 to share plans, innovations, and recommendations in several areas: from enhancing the participation of Least Developed Countries in international trade and regional integration to addressing climate change, strengthening global partnerships, supporting graduation, and leveraging the power of science, technology, and innovation.
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The Private Sector Forum convened to discuss the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action. Among the actions discussed, representatives called for more Public Private Partnerships, Digital Inclusion and Broadband Connectivity, capacity and skills development, support for SME’s and entrepreneurs, and increases in climate finance. The Forum also identified new measures that the private sector could take for the sustainable development of the LDCs into the next decade. The Forum convened five thematic sessions on energy, agriculture, connectivity, climate and tourism as well as 12 side-events.
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Youth representatives joining LDC5 launched a Youth Declaration titled “For All Generations”. The Youth Declaration – which was adopted during the LDC5 Youth Forum on 4 March and handed over to the Secretary-General of the Conference on 6 March - provides thematic recommendations for the Governments of the world’s 46 Least Developed Countries to meaningfully include young people not only in national consultative processes but also in decision-making. It also expresses young people’s commitment to contributing to the realization, monitoring, and evaluation of the Doha Programme of Action for the LDCs. The Declaration includes a call to invest in youth, improve participation, fulfill, and protect human rights, tackle climate change, ensure gender equality, and much more.
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Civil society organizations (CSOs) from around the world came together at the Civil Society Forum of the LDC5 Summit. The participants explored a variety of issues of particular concern to LDCs and expressed commitment to engage with the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) and contribute to its robust monitoring and accountability. Many CSOs participating in the Forum are rooted in local communities and derive strength and credibility from the diverse interests represented. The Forum developed tangible commitments, ideas, and solutions on how CSOs will contribute to the realization of the Doha Programme of Action.
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Cooperation among countries in the global South, anchored in solidarity and equality, means empowerment and source of inspiration for the development of the world’s LDCs. Representatives from Governments in the Global South – both from LDCs and Development Partners – met, during LDC5, in a Ministerial Meeting on South-South Cooperation. Participants identified an urgent need to renew commitment and adopt innovative approaches to help the LDCs achieve the goals and targets of the Doha Programme of Action and advance progress towards the 2030 Agenda. The Ministerial Meeting included discussions on concrete, innovative and actionable solutions in support of the deliverables of the DPoA through multi-stakeholder participation of the global South and traditional development partners.
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Parliaments and parliamentarians play a key role in realising the Doha Programme of Action. They are essential in internalising the plan through institutional and policy reforms through legislation and national budgets. 70 parliamentarians from 30 countries took part in LDC5 and agreed on an official Parliamentary Message which provides a clear vision of what needs to change if we want the LDCs to finally rise up the development ladder. In particular, the Message emphasizes the need for deep reforms in global economic governance to create a level playing field for the world’s LDCs to be competitive in the global market.
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What's next for the world's Least Developed Countries?
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At LDC5 we celebrated a global moment of solidarity for the world’s most vulnerable countries, a moment where the entire UN system, development partners, parliamentarians, the private sector and civil society and especially our youth, all came together with one ambition:
The determination to get the development journeys of the LDCs back on track, and to bring the Sustainable Development Goals back within their reach.
Taken together, the five key deliverables from the Doha Programme of Action — an online university, a graduation support package, a food stock holding solution, an investment support center, and a crisis mitigation and resilience building mechanism — will answer key challenges facing the LDCs, and set the path for a more prosperous, equitable future.
But to achieve these deliverables, LDCs need a deep and longstanding commitment to the vision of the Doha Programme of Action. The DPoA is owned by the entire international community and a vehicle to take us closer to the achievement of the SDGs.
LDCs cannot wait. They need commitment. They need action now.
At OHRLLS we go forward with renewed hope and determination, and commit to a decade of delivery for the LDCs.
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