Reflections from the Doha High-Level Meeting: STI at the Center of Resilient Graduation

By Burcu Tamgaç Mörel, Associate Programme Management Officer

From 2–4 December 2025, I had the privilege of accompanying our Managing Director, Mr. Deodat Maharaj, to Doha, Qatar, for the High-level Meeting on “Forging Ambitious Global Partnerships for Sustainable and Resilient Graduation of Least Developed Countries” co-hosted by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the UN Office of the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS (UN-OHRLLS).

The gathering brought together ministers, senior government officials, development partners, and multilateral institutions, united by a common purpose: ensuring that graduation from the LDC category is sustainable, resilient, and irreversible.

Across the three days, one theme echoed strongly—science, technology, and innovation (STI) must be at the core of any strategy for sustainable graduation.

During Session 4, our Managing Director underlined that no country could diversify its economy, strengthen productive capacities, or safeguard development gains without investing in STI.

He emphasized that STI is not optional for LDCs—it is fundamental to sustainable development and smooth transition.

This message was strongly reflected in the Doha Agreed Statement, which reaffirmed STI as a vital instrument in forging a sustainable graduation pathway and explicitly recognized the important role of the UN Technology Bank in supporting LDCs to build technological capabilities.

The Doha Agreed Statement emphasized several principles that resonate closely with our mandate:

• Graduation should not disrupt or reverse development progress.
• Support must be predictable, long-term, and aligned with vulnerabilities.
• Smooth transition strategies must be country-led, data-driven, and anchored in national plans.
• Science, technology, and innovation are central to productive capacity, resilience, and post-graduation competitiveness.

These principles reflect the core of the UN Technology Bank’s work—helping LDCs strengthen institutions, adopt digital tools, and build STI ecosystems that enable sustainable and irreversible progress.

Alongside the formal sessions, we held focused bilateral discussions with LDCs and development partners. These exchanges reaffirmed the growing demand for UNTB’s partnership across areas such as Technology Needs Assessments, digital transformation, STI leadership, and long-term technical capacity building.

The High-level Meeting and the commitments captured in the Doha Agreed Statement—made clear that graduation is not an end point but a milestone on a longer development journey. Sustainable progress requires the right tools, targeted financing, strong institutions, and access to knowledge and technology.

USG Ms. Rabab Fatima’s leadership throughout the meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment across the UN system to supporting LDCs on their paths toward sustainable and resilient graduation.

For me, this mission reaffirmed the vital role the UN Technology Bank plays in supporting LDCs along that journey, ensuring they are not left behind in the global technological landscape.

As we enter 2026 with new initiatives and strengthened partnerships, our commitment remains clear:
to empower LDCs with the science, technology, and innovation capacities they need to achieve resilient, inclusive, and sustainable development long after graduation.