On 16 July 2021, Jose Antonio Ocampo , Chair of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) introduced the Committee's report to the High-Level Segment of ECOSOC. He stressed the importance of universal vaccination, increased financial support and debt relief to developing countries, structural transformation and a new, supportive, multilateralism to secure a sustainable, equitable and resilient recovery from COVID-19.
Amidst a challenging global environment, this side event aimed to discuss how the international community can give concrete support to least developed countries that are graduating as well as to graduated countries. The new Programme of Action for the LDCs is critically important to build on successes achieved on reaching graduation thresholds, to provide further impetus to LDCs in meeting the 2030 Development Agenda and SDGs, to identify and respond to new and emerging challenges, and to leverage opportunities, rather than fall farther behind.
4 May 2021.
11 February 2021. The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution extending the preparatory period preceding Angola's graduation from the LDC category. Angola will now graduate in 2024.
The graduation of the LDCs is expected to mark a significant achievement in their development path. However, despite new prospects, LDC graduation also present some challenges in meeting the demands of a successful transition to the next stages of socio-economic development. Upon the graduation, LDCs will lose a number of support measures after specific transition periods.
21 December 2020. The United Nations General Assembly has issued a resolution on the Graduation of Vanuatu from the LDC category (A/RES/75/128).
11 December 2020. Two proposals were submitted recently by the LDC group at the WTO seek the extension of LDC support measures under the WTO for a period after graduation:
On 4 December, Vanuatu became the sixth country to graduate from the least developed country (LDC) category. As noted by the United Nations Secretary-General, this is “testimony to years of effort resulting in hard-won sustainable development gains”. The government of Vanuatu has prepared a smooth transition strategy which will help navigate the next steps in its development path.
This was the second mission of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on LDC Graduation (IATF) and was led by UN-OHRLLS, DESA, ESCAP and UNDP in close cooperation with the Government of Solomon Islands, the UN Resident Coordinator and the Country Team in Honiara. The UNCDF, OECD, Asian Development Bank and PIF Secretariat also participated in the mission.
