The LDC Summit is normally held every 10 years but has twice been postponed since 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Over the next five days in In Doha, government leaders and other stakeholders are set to assess the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action, adopted at a precursor UN conference held in Turkey in 2011, and mobilize additional international support and action for the world’s 46 least developed countries. In the afternoon, dozens of youth delegates, representing 226 million young people from 46 LDCs, participated in the first Youth Forum to ever be held at an LDC conference. The Forum provided a unique opportunity for young people to share their solutions, actions, and impact. In addition, the so-called SDG Stimulus package, launched in February, also proposes to increase financing for sustainable development, address the high cost of debt, and scale up emergency financing.
Massive investment to combat ‘perfect storm’
Indeed, according to the UN, 24 out of 46 LDCs had active conflicts as of 2019. Three out of four LDCs are in conflict and post-conflict situations. To achieve this, the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) – the landmark roadmap adopted in March 2022 aimed at, among others, creating new commitments and broad partnerships towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the LDCs – includes an online university, a food stockholding system, and an international investment support centre. The LDC Summit was opened by Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of Malawi, and Chair of the LDC Group. The Youth Declaration is the result of a series of consultations with young people from the world’s 46 LDCs. It has been used as an advocacy document to influence the DPoA negotiations and will be presented to world leaders at the LDC5 conference next week. UN Photo/Evan Schneider
‘A moment of justice’
The Youth Forum adopted a Youth Declaration entitled ‘For All Generations’, which expresses the commitment of young people to contribute to a better future in the world’s least developed countries and beyond. [A country can graduate from the LDC category by meeting two of three criteria (income, human assets and economic and environmental vulnerability), or by having a per capita income of more than twice the income graduation threshold, at two consecutive triennial meetings of the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP). Find out more here.] Armel Azihar Slyvania, a youth delegate from Comoros, echoed Hamzah’s sentiments when she spoke to UN News. “I believe that we as young people should be involved in decision making so that we can at least have a stable political stability so that we can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the next seven, in the next seven years,” said Hamza. “We are not gathered here to just talk,” said the President, “we have real work to do and deliverables to produce. Together we will deliver an online university; an investment promotion regime; a food stock holding mechanism; a crisis mitigation and resilience building mechanism; a graduation support package that ensures a smooth transition from the LDC category.” “Ending this (perfect) storm for perpetuating poverty and injustice…requires massive, sustained investment,” he explained, and stressed that the global financial system had been designed by wealthy countries, “largely to their benefit”.
LDC5 must be about ‘real work, not just talk’
In his address, President Chakwera stressed that the unique global challenges and multilateral obstacles facing the LDCs cannot be “surmounted by any of us on our own”, and that “most nations abandon multilateralism and turn inward, turn their back on the brotherhood of all mankind, but we must resist that temptation.” Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a GDP per capita of US9 in 2021, according to the World Bank. Like many other LDCs, poverty and malnutrition are widespread in this sub-Saharan African country, with more than half of the population living below the poverty line. Malawi is also facing the effects of climate change, with increased flooding and drought causing further damage to crop and livelihoods. During the Summit, more than a dozen LDC leaders exchanged views on how to collectively address shared challenges and find meaningful solutions. They also provided clear guidance on how to ensure effective and timely implementation of the goals, commitments and outcomes set out in the Doha Programme of Action for LDCs for the Decade 2022-2031 and the Doha Political Declaration. Looking ahead to the upcoming conference, the UN chief said it must be a “moment of justice” for the LDCs and stressed: “Let us work together to provide new avenues of support for your people. Let us make the LDC category history.” UN News/Anold Kayanda
The work ahead
In his welcoming remarks to the LDC Summit, the UN chief stressed that the cost of living was becoming increasingly difficult due to the war in Ukraine, resulting in higher energy and food prices. This, combined with the effects of conflict, drought, hunger and extreme poverty, creates an environment that fuels poverty and injustice. President Chakwera encouraged all development partners “to do their part in lifting the obstacles that stand in our way”. UN News/Anold Kayanda “If our governments are willing to listen to young people and take our solutions that we are bringing to [situations on] the ground, it will really help solve all the problems we face in [our countries],’ said Armel.
Youth engagement
The conference is expected to announce specific initiatives and concrete outcomes that address LDC-specific challenges and support the implementation of the DPoA.
