麻豆传媒

Honourable Anil Kumar Sinha, Chair of the Group of Least Developed Countries,
Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary General of UNCTAD,
Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues.

I thank you Mr. Chairman, for convening this timely ministerial meeting.  

We meet at a moment of profound global challenges - rising inequality, deepening geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties, worsening debt vulnerabilities, widening digital divides, and escalating climate crisis. 

The need for sustainable and inclusive economic transformation in the LDCs has never been more urgent.

The Doha Programme of Action (DPOA), anchored in six priority areas, and five flagship deliverables, provides a concrete roadmap to reset the trajectory of LDCs toward achieving the SDGs.

My Office is leading the roll-out of the deliverables, in close collaboration with the UN development system. 

UNCTAD has a special role to play in this regard.  

Excellencies,

LDCs continue to face deep-rooted structural challenges. 

Over one-third of their populations live below the poverty line. 

Economic growth reached 4.1% in?2024 - up from?2.7%?in?2023 - yet far below the 7 per cent target of the DPOA and the 2030 Agenda. 

Despite contributing barely 3.3 per cent of global emissions, the LDCs account for two-thirds of climate-related deaths.

ODA to LDCs fell by 7.1 per cent in 2024, while debt service now consumes 14 per cent of their export earnings. 

These figures underscore the immense financing gaps undermining their development efforts.
Yet there are encouraging signs. 

Since the LDC5 Conference in 2023, two countries have successfully graduated, bringing the total to 8, while 14 others are in the graduation pipeline. 

In the interest of time, allow me to briefly update you on progress made on the five key deliverables of DPOA:

With 57% of LDC populations facing food insecurity, the Food Stockholding Mechanism for LDCs will be instrumental in addressing food insecurity and building resilience. 

A feasibility study is underway in collaboration with WFP, FAO and other key partners. 

The Government of Qatar is providing USD 10 million as seed funding to advance this deliverable.

Second: to advance the Resilience Building Mechanism, my Office, together with UNDRR and WMO, published a comprehensive report on Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems in LDCs.

The report revealed that less than half of LDCs have such systems in place. 

With Qatar’s support of USD 11 million, we are scaling up efforts to close this gap.

Third: we have also made good progress on establishing an Online University for LDCs. 

The Secretary-General’s report, which came out last month, confirms this as an urgent necessity to expand access to higher education and digital learning across LDCs. We are working closely with UNU and other relevant partners to advance this important deliverable.

Fourth: The Sustainable Graduation Support Facility-iGRAD-, is now supporting 14 countries at different stages of graduation. 

Readiness assessments are underway for Bangladesh, with Nepal next in line. 

We are organizing a Ministerial meeting in Doha in December to strengthen strategic support for sustainable graduation.

We value UNCTAD’s continued partnership in supporting graduation efforts.

And finally: we have the International Investment Support Centre. We will pilot needs-based projects in some LDCs to help them attract FDI. We will be working closely with UNCTAD and others in taking this forward.

Excellencies,

My Office is developing operational guidelines for coordinated UN support to LDCs in conflict or post-conflict situations. With over 20 LDCs in such situations, this is an important priority identified in the DPOA. 

We are also encouraged by the success of the LDC Future Forum, supported by Finland, which has evolved into a dynamic platform for policy dialogue and innovation. The next session will take place in Helsinki in May 2026. I thank the Government of Finland for its steadfast support for the LDCs.  

Looking ahead, the Midterm Review of the DPOA, to be held in Qatar in March 2027, offers a critical opportunity to assess progress and renew global solidarity. 

National reviews are already underway, supported by Resident Coordinators, and will feed into regional and thematic reviews. 
UNCTAD has traditionally made important substantive contributions to these processes, and I count on your full engagement.

Excellencies,

The promise of the DPOA is a promise of transformation - to build LDCs that are resilient, competitive, and fully integrated into the global economy. 

As we move forward, let us be guided by solidarity and partnership, by innovation and inclusivity.

I commend you on a strong Ministerial Declaration – let this moment mark a genuine turning point for the world’s most vulnerable countries.

I thank you.