The road to LDC graduation in Timor-Leste

The Covid-19 crisis hit Timor-Leste harder than many countries. (...) While the country remains an LDC the government should also use existing LDC-specific funds and facilities as fully as possible. These include the LDC Climate Fund, the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade, and the UN Technology Bank for LDCs. The WTO also provides technical assistance for acceding LDCs. The current technical assistance plan provides training, support for negotiations and an internship programme for acceding countries. (...) In many ways the response of the international community to the challenges facing a small island LDC like Timor-Leste are a measure of the global commitment to multilateralism, and a test of slogans like ‘leaving no-one behind’. If ‘building back better’ is to mean anything, it should include new and revitalised support for all LDCs, including graduating countries.