Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the closing press conference for the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, in Doha on 9 March:

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the closing plenary of the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, in Doha today:

DOHA, 9 March — Stressing that graduation from the least developed countries category must be sustainable and irreversible, speakers warned today that the appeal for continued and innovative financing and support measures “has fallen on deaf ears”, as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries held the last of its eight high-level thematic round tables.

DOHA, 9 March — The fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries concluded today with world leaders adopting a Political Declaration that welcomed the Doha Programme of Action and strongly committed to its implementation throughout the coming decade.

​​​​​​​DOHA, 8 March — International solidarity is the first line of defence for transitioning from a pandemic-prone world to a pandemic-proof one, speakers at the sixth high-level thematic round table agreed as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries began its penultimate day.

​​​​​​​DOHA, 8 March — Efforts to mobilize domestic resources, increase Government revenues, promote investment and fight illicit financial flows are required to offset the challenges that least developed countries face in accessing concessional financing and insufficient external development aid, speakers stressed today as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries held its last full day of high-level thematic round tables.

Given the diverse nature of least developed countries, accurately identifying the specific interests of each and supporting them in a tailored manner is a pressing task, speakers stressed today as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries held its fourth and final day of debates, which also featured States and intergovernmental organizations detailing initiatives to help least developed countries overcome pressing challenges and move towards smooth graduation.

DOHA, 7 March — Despite the massive expansion of trade and investment over the past decades, least developed countries still face considerable challenges in effectively integrating into the global trading system and benefiting from the opportunities afforded by international trade and global value chains, speakers stressed today during the fourth of a series of high-level thematic round tables of the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries.

DOHA, 7 March — Stressing that there is no vaccine against climate change and disaster, speakers called for urgent action today to assist vulnerable States because “the ‘now’ is long overdue”, as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries concluded its third day of high-level thematic round tables.

DOHA, 7 March — Overcoming the digital divide through investment in broadband infrastructure will help those living in least developed countries leverage economic opportunities in a world that is increasingly moving online, speakers stressed today as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries held its third day of debates, which also featured States offering to share their development experience with the international community.

​​​​​​​DOHA, 6 March — Structural transformation — through measures such as increased market access, industrial development, export diversification and capacity-building — is required to bolster the stagnating economies of many least developed countries, speakers stressed today as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries concluded its second day of high-level thematic round tables.

DOHA, 6 March — The world is facing an “inequality crisis”, in which 46 countries comprising 14 per cent of the global population face serious impediments directly hampering their ability to progress economically and graduate from the least developed country category, world leaders warned today as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries entered its second day in Doha.

DOHA, 6 March — By leveraging science, technology and information, least developed countries must be transformed into knowledge societies, speakers at the second high-level thematic round table emphasized as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries began its second day.

​​​​​​​DOHA, 5 March — With least developed countries fast approaching tipping points across a range of interlocking crises — including climate change, conflict and the first increase in extreme poverty in a generation — speakers today stressed that the international community must rise to the occasion, as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries held the first of its eight high-level thematic round tables.

Acknowledging that the 46 countries in the least developed category have been handed “the rawest of deals”, world leaders called for a radical transformation of the deeply dysfunctional global financial order and a renewed commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries opened today in Doha.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the plenary of the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, in Doha today:

​​​​​​​Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the leaders’ summit of the least developed countries at the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, in Doha today:

Member States today moved closer toward helping the world’s most vulnerable countries pull out of poverty and debt, recover from the pandemic and meet ongoing climate challenges by adopting, through consensus, a resolution that lays down a 10-year blueprint called the Doha Programme of Action.

The intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries voted to endorse a draft Programme of Action ahead of the January gathering in Qatar, concluding its third session today.

The intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries concluded its second session today, after a week of negotiations on a new 10-year road map for sustainable development of these vulnerable States.

The second session of the intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries opened at Headquarters today with delegates — mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 on the world’s poorest nations as they struggle to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals — aiming to finalize a draft programme of action for when the Conference takes place in Doha, Qatar, on 23 to 27 January 2022.

Reducing the cost of remittances is key to helping the world’s poorest countries marshal the resources needed to graduate from their low-income status and reliably finance sustainable development, experts said today as the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries concluded.

The world’s poorest nations need international support to build their digital infrastructure and reskill their workforce so that they can better integrate into the sprawling global value chain, speakers told the Preparatory Committee for the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries today.

Digital connectivity and access to modern technologies are essential for least developed countries to reap the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution and build resilient economies after the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, speakers and panellists told the Preparatory Committee for the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries today.

Access to finance and technology and building resilience against climate change, natural disasters and other shocks are among the key drivers of sustainable development for the world’s poorest countries, speakers said today as the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries got under way.