Rising Youth Population, Limited Fiscal Resources Pose ‘Distinct’ Challenges to Least Developed Countries, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Meeting

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks to the twenty-second inter-agency consultative group meeting of the United Nations system and international organizations on the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020, today:

Thank you for inviting me to participate in this important discussion.

With a steadily rising young population and limited fiscal resources to respond to the impending climate catastrophe, the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) face distinct challenges in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change.  These challenges have been further compounded by COVID-19, which has affected the LDCs disproportionately and drastically restricted the finance needed to respond to the immediate crisis and recover better.

OHRLLS [Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States] plays an important role in ensuring the full mobilization and coordination of all parts of the United Nations system, and as focal point for preparations for LDC5.  The upcoming LDC5 Conference offers an opportunity to set an ambitious new programme of action and emerge stronger from the devastating impacts of the pandemic.

At Doha in January 2022, we need a renewed partnership between the LDCs and their development partners, including the private sector, civil society and Governments.  The new programme of action must catalyse ambitious action across the Decade of Action to achieve the SDGs.  It must complete the unfinished business of the current Programme, including eradicating extreme poverty, addressing food security and hunger, building productive capacity, promoting export diversification and moving up global value chains.

The Conference is also mandated to address new and emerging challenges such as climate change, the debt crisis, support to graduation, access to digital technologies and building resilience.  But a new programme of action only makes sense if steps are taken in parallel to address the broader debt landscape, which has reached crisis levels in several LDCs.

At the recent high-level event on the international debt architecture and liquidity, which we organized with Jamaica and Canada, the Secretary-General’s messages were clear.  The G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative must be extended into 2022 and be made available to all highly indebted countries.  The Common Framework must be complemented with initiatives and instruments so that participating countries are not penalized with downgrades to their credit ratings.  Targeted debt relief will also be needed.  And the private sector must be brought into the dialogue.

At the recent climate and development ministerial meeting convened by the United Kingdom COP26 presidency, I highlighted the interconnections between the climate change and development agendas, including the need for a major breakthrough on adaptation.  The new programme of action for the LDCs must contribute to building resilience, while reinforcing, and ensuring consistency with, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework.

High-quality data is essential for LDCs to assess progress and to inform the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks.  Support to national Governments on data gathering must be a true inter-agency endeavour.  Through these and related initiatives, I assure you of the high priority that the Secretary-General and I attach to the cause of the LDCs, and to seeing a successful and ambitious outcome of this Conference.

United Nations system entities have a critical role to play in the preparatory process, at the LDC5 Conference itself and in implementing its outcome.  Already, you have organized a broad array of events, prepared reports and carried out assessments to guide the system in providing the best possible support to the LDCs.

As Member States move forward with the formal preparatory process, I encourage you to bring to the table concrete proposals for action.  You can count on my full support.