The 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) concluded this Thursday with the commitment of States to take concrete measures to implement the Doha Action Agendamarking a transformative tipping point for the world’s most vulnerable nations.
The Doha Political Declaration was adopted to a round of applause in the main hall of the Qatar National Convention Center, where the conclave was held starting March 5.
The document marks the beginning of a new era of solidarity and huge socio-economic benefits for the world’s least developed countries following the consensus of the Doha Program of Action in March 2022.
The Declaration outlines measures to promote transformation and unlock the potential of the least developed countries, including the design of a reservation system or alternative means These will range from cash transfers to comprehensive multi-hazard crisis mitigation measures and resilience-building measures.
Commitments do not end when signing documents
“The commitments and responsibilities do not end with the signing of the documents or the attendance at congresses. They must be an integral part of our efforts towards 2030 and extend throughout the decade,” said Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary General at the closing plenary of the LDC5.
Mohammed pointed out that the five key points of the Doha Program of Action – an online university, a support package for graduation or exit from the least developed countries, a solution for maintaining food stocks, a center for investment support, and a mechanism for crisis mitigation and resilience building-, “will respond to the key challenges facing the least developed countries and lead the way for a more prosperous and equitable future.”
The official warned, however, that “success is not automatic” and added that it should go “further still”.
“To get results, the least developed countries will need massive funding, at scale and targeted where it is needed most”, he explained.
recalled the proposal General secretary António Guterres regarding the reforms to the international financial architecturealong with a stimulus to move towards the Sustainable Development Goals of at least $500 billion a year, adding that such funding could help least developed countries address the problems that prevent them from reaching their potential.
“If we are to have any hope of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, we must put those furthest behind first on their path to progress,” Mohammed stressed.
The conference
Under the slogan “From potential to prosperity”, the LDC5 aimed to promote a transformative change for positively affect the 1.2 billion people living in the least developed countries.
The meeting was attended by some 9,000 participants, including 46 heads of state and government and nearly 200 ministers and deputy ministers, who They urged the industrialized economies to support the socioeconomic and environmental development of the least developed countries.
Business leaders, along with civil society, youth and other partners, shared initiatives and recommendations in a variety of areas, from enhancing the participation of least developed countries in international trade and regional integration, to harnessing the power of science, technology and innovation.
Discussions at LDC5 focused on the implementation of the Doha Program of Action and the agreements reached this week will help least developed countries address the current crisis, including the pandemic and climate change, and help them get back on track with the SDGs and move towards graduation from the category of WFP.
According to the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Rabab Fatima, “the least developed countries have the most untapped potential in the worldfrom natural to human resources.
“What we achieved this week can harness this potential and chart a prosperous future for the people of those countries,” Fatima stressed, emphasizing that political commitment is the “fuel that will drive the engine of progress.”
