Upon request of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the Committee for Development Policy undertook a comprehensive on the impact of COVID-19 on the LDC category. It has two main intended uses. First, it is an input to the 2021 triennial review, meant to enable the Committee to incorporate fully into its triennial reviews the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on LDCs and countries graduating from the LDC category. Second, it is an input to a possible contribution by the Committee to the forthcoming fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, to be held in Doha from 23 to 27 January 2022. As a result, the study contains suggestions for support for LDCs and graduating countries in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study consists of three main chapters. Chapter II contains a review of the impacts of COVID-19 in LDCs. Chapter III discusses the implications on LDC graduation by exploring the multiple linkages between the COVID-19 pandemic and the LDC criteria. Chapter IV contains a review of ongoing international support for LDCs to address the COVID-19 pandemic, covering bilateral and multilateral institutions.