Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The Future of Work in Least Developed Countries

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 17:00:00 +0000

madagascar_ilo.jpg

During the COVID period, merchants use a protective mask to sell their goods in Madagascar.

E. Raboanaly/ILO

The COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging labour markets around the world. Global trends such as globalisation, demographic shifts, climate change and technology have already brought profound shifts to the world of work, and the pandemic has accelerated changes.

Some advanced economies have been able to respond rapidly to adjust, and even take advantage, of these shifts. For some, the pandemic has generated not only new challenges but new opportunities for job creation. These countries stand ready to benefit from the spread of remote working arrangements, increasing automation and changes in international manufacturing.

But, as with many issues, the Least Developed Countries have struggled most to overcome deep-rooted and pre-existing vulnerabilities, and risk being left even further behind. LDCs often have limited cash to respond to crises, less and poorer technology available to work with and degraded environments. Their growing youth populations must be also absorbed by already fragile labour markets.

As we enter the last ten years of the 2030 Agenda and begin preparations for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the LDCs (LDC5), where a new Programme of Action for LDCs will be agreed, OHRLLS and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) held a global event on November 19, 2020 to reflect on the actions required at national and international levels to overcome these vulnerabilities and achieve a promising future of work in the LDCs.

The event brought together governments, policymakers, researchers and others to hear about the impact of COVID-19 on labour markets in LDCs and propose policy frameworks to foster recovery and build future resilience. The ILO presented the alarming impact of the effect of COVID-19 on the labour market in LDCs and suggested policy options to consider as the world prepares for LDC5.

Laying out the situation on the ground, H.E Perks Ligoya, Permanent Representative of Malawi to the United Nations and Chair of the LDC Group, said that, LDCs have suffered the collapse of exports and tourism resulting in “a perfect tsunami of unemployment”. To compound the problem, migrant workers from LDCs are also losing their jobs, resulting in a huge loss of remittances. The end result, he said, is an increase in debt burdens and “the greatest economic crisis in decades”.

Calling for investment in digital connectivity as a vital lifeline in connecting economies, Ambassador Ligoya also called for investment in “decent work” and for the IMF and other Multilateral Development Banks to meet historical commitments and cancel all debts.

The High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, called for the issue of employment to be reflected at the heart of the next programme of action for LDCs. “Generating decent jobs at a time where the future of work is shifting will be critical to the ability of the LDCs to achieve an inclusive and sustainable development in the decade to come,” she said.

Moussa Oumarou, Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships at ILO, called for the international community to advance opportunities for decent work that “provides just remuneration, ensures basic rights at work, provides adequate social protection, and the capacity to negotiate and develop work-related policies through social dialogue.”

He said that the right mix of policies to create a conducive environment for people to work themselves out of poverty is the most decent and sustainable way to avoid the deep scars on jobs and incomes resulting from the pandemic.

Speaking on behalf of the Host Country of the LDC5 Conference, HE Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, said that she hoped the Conference "builds a vision to help the 880m people in LDCs on a path to sustainable development” and delivers a “promising a future of work”.

She added that Qatar looks forward to working closely with OHRLLS and the ILO to further strengthen cooperation in 2021 as the world prepares for LDC5.

Front Page Article:

Leaving no one behind and building back better from COVID-19: The Future of Work in LDCs

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 15:57:00 +0000

Thursday, 19 November 2020 - 9:00am to 11:00am

REGISTER

https://bit.ly/3ljepGd

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing labour market ravages in all regions, some of those trends are accelerating, thereby generating new challenges and opportunities for job creation. While advanced economies are responding promptly and stand ready to invest to take benefit from the spread of remote working arrangements, increasing automation and the reshuffling of global value chains, LDCs struggle to overcome deep rooted and pre-existing decent work deficits.

As we enter the last ten years of the 2030 Agenda and begin preparations for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the LDCs (LDC5), where the new Programme of Action for LDCs will be agreed, this event will reflect on the actions required at national and international levels to achieve a promising future of work in LDCs. The event will look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on labour markets in LDCs and explore the policy frameworks that can foster recovery and build future resilience.

SPEAKERS

H.E. Mr. Perks Master Clemency Ligoya, Permanent Representative of Malawi to the United Nations

H.E. Ms. Rabab Fatima, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations

H.E. Ms. Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations

Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

Mr. Moussa Oumarou, Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships, ILO

Mr. Aurelio Parisotto, Head, Employment and Economic Analyses Unit, Employment Policy Department, ILO

Mr. Boštjan Skalar, CEO, World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies

Ms. Chema Triki, Advisor, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Embedded at the Jobs Creation Commission in Ethiopia

Ms. Khamati Mugalla, Executive Secretary of East African Trade Union Confederation

Ms. Grace Suh, Vice President, Education and Skills, IBM Corporate Social Responsibility

KEY QUESTIONS

What are the implications of the COVID-19 crisis for labour markets in the LDCs, and what lessons can be learnt from the LDC policy responses to the crisis? How can those lessons be used to promote job recovery and future resilience?
As progress in automation, digitization, connected systems continue to advance, and economies are de-globalizing, how will this impact LDCs?
Recognizing the limited fiscal space in LDCs, what types of frameworks for employment creation and investment are required to boost job creation and productivity, while also ensuring adequate income security?
What forms of international support would be most helpful?

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this special event is to stimulate an open, in-depth and interactive discussion of best practices while highlighting both opportunities and challenges. The side event brings together governments, policy-makers, researchers and social partners to provide guidance and recommendations on key questions concerning the future of work in LDCs. It will provide the latest employment data in LDCs and present a snapshot of policy options to explore further as member States embark on the road to LDC5. It will provide an opportunity to take stock of progress made and share best practices or lessons learned to ensure a productive future of work where no LDC is left behind.

DOCUMENTS

Background Materials

Flyer
Concept Note [EN] [FR]
Video: The Future of Work in Least Developed Countries [EN]

Other

tags:

Least Developed Countries

COVID-19

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Fifth UN Conference on LDCs

Categories:

Statement at the Disaster Risk-Informed and Resilient COVID-19 Recovery Side Event

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 19:25:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

15 October 2020
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to join you at this Second Committee side event.

I thank Special Representative Mami Mizutori and team for her leadership on this event, as well as the ILO and UN Women for their close partnership.

A critical topic brings us together.

As their United Nations High Representative, I once again must stress how the Least Developed countries, Landlocked developing countries and Small Island developing countries are among them most vulnerable nations of our shared planet.

Their peoples are disproportionately affected by climate change induced risks, by health risks and by the vagaries of the global economic and financial systems.

The COVID-19 pandemic shows all too vividly the manifold inequalities, the too many exclusions we must overcome if indeed we do not want to leave anyone behind and stay true to what we promise in Agenda 2030 and the Paris Climate Agreement.

What is the situation for the peoples of the countries OHRLLS advocates for?

Like everywhere else, we see the immediate physical health impacts.

That is the tip of the iceberg and it is of great concern that by now tourism, trade, remittances, all vital livelihood ingredients, have plummeted if not come to a standstill.

What does this mean? It means job losses, it means severe decline in government revenues, it means severe worsening of debt spirals that were already barely sustainable prior to the pandemic.

In short, lives AND livelihoods are threatened.

Just like elsewhere, lockdowns and closures have major negative psychological and social impacts.

Women, disabled people, poor people are disproportionately impacted.

Food insecurity is setting in, access to education given the poor connectivities is threatened and finding work hardly possible. Take this against a backdrop where there are hardly any social protection systems!

To add to this already vicious cycle, ever more frequent extreme weather events have brought further life threatening disruption – from Category-5 Tropical Cyclone Harold in the Pacific to the devastating floods in Bangladesh and Sudan.

This brings me to the Sendai Framework.

The framework gives us both, an approach and tools to safeguard against multiple catastrophes and building resilience at all levels.

Now is the time for renewed efforts and commitment to ensure that as many countries as possible can achieve Target E of the Sendai Framework to have national and local disaster risk reduction strategies in place.

Too much time has already elapsed and we must accelerate progress. To do so, capacity building and financial assistance are critical to support the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS in this important endeavour.

The LLDCs and SIDS concluded their mid-term reviews of their Programmes of Action respectively in September and December 2019. As I stated on other occasions, prior to the pandemic we could talk of a glass half full. By now, and in the immediate, we must ensure that the glass does stay half full and then we must together build!

An important opportunity is before us to just do that.

This is the Fifth UN Conference on LDCs, to be held in Qatar in 2022.

The Conference itself, its preparatory process, offer enormous opportunities to craft a risk-informed development agenda and plan for the next 10-year Programme of Action for the LDCs.

I have every hope that today’s meeting will explore the immediate and medium-term measures that Governments can take to address the underlying social and economic drivers at the core of disaster risk.

We have the chance to hear from an array of academics and practitioners from diverse backgrounds and countries.

Standing still is not an option. We must find solutions to ensure we leave no one behind.

I look forward to the discussions and am confident that we will make progress in advancing the debate.

Thank you.

Front Page Article:

Disaster Risk-Informed and Resilient COVID-19 Recovery

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 19:00:00 +0000

Thursday, 15 October 2020 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

At this year's General Assembly Second Committee side event, leading scientists and academics, policymakers, and disaster risk reduction practitioners will discuss how the application of the Sendai Framework in COVID-19 recovery and rehabilitation measures can change the trajectory of development from one that unintentionally creates risk to one that purposefully reduces risk and builds resilience for current and future generations.

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is organizing a Virtual Side Event at the 75th Session of the General Assembly, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office of the High Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS (OHRLLS), and UN Women. This side event will support countries in taking forward recent Second Committee decisions on a disaster risk-informed approach to sustainable development and the achievement of the SDGs. As the end of 2020 is the deadline for Target E of the Sendai Framework, for countries to have national and local disaster risk reduction strategies in place, the event will be an opportunity to take stock of progress and encourage countries to use the development of national disaster risk reduction strategies to guide a resilient, risk-informed, and inclusive COVID-19 socio-economic recovery

The Fifth United Nations Conference on LDCs (LDC5), to be held in Qatar in 2022, and its preparatory process also provides an opportunity to address risk in a systemic manner over the next decade and beyond.

BACKGROUND

Today’s risk landscape is rapidly changing, and risk has become progressively more systemic. New interactions between environmental, economic, technological and biological risks are emerging in ways that were not anticipated. One hazard can trigger another with cascading impacts across systems and borders and devastating impacts on progress across the SDGs. However, policies, institutions and financing remain focused on preparing for and responding to disasters, rather than preventing the creation of risk and subsequent losses. To achieve the SDGs, current, emerging and future risks need to be considered in policy and investment decisions in all sectors.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis exemplify the systemic nature of risk and the potential for cascading impacts. COVID-19 has triggered an unprecedented social and economic catastrophe on a global scale. Decades of development progress have unraveled, and poverty and inequality, particularly gender inequality, have deepened. As a consequence, vulnerability and exposure to other hazards, including the intensifying climate crisis, have greatly increased with impacts foreseen long into the future.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the side event are to:

raise awareness that limited attention to risk reduction in sustainable development policy, including economic policy, and public and private investments is compromising the achievement of the SDGs;
encourage Member States and stakeholders to apply the Sendai Framework in COVID-19 response and socio-economic recovery and rehabilitation policies and strategies in order to embark on a risk-informed and sustainable trajectory moving forward; and
to share promising national experience in implementing the Sendai Framework and reducing disaster risk.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

What immediate and medium-term measures can Governments take to embark on a development trajectory that reduces rather than creates risk?
What are the challenges and obstacles to applying systemic understanding of risk in development policy and investments and what measures are needed to support the public and private sectors to overcome them?
What actions can Governments take to ensure that COVID-19 recovery and rehabilitation is disaster risk-informed, inclusive, gender responsive, and addresses the underlying social and economic drivers of disaster risk?
What type of regulations standards and legislation are need, including in the workplace, to reduce disaster risk?
How can Governments and the private sector better access existing financing and disaster risk information to ensure policies and investments are risk-informed?

DOCUMENTS

Background Materials

WATCH LIVE ON UN WEB TV:

http://webtv.un.org/

More info: https://www.undrr.org/event/disaster-risk-informed-and-resilient-covid-19-recovery

tags:

Least Developed Countries

Landlocked Developing Countries

Small Island Developing States

SDGs

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Disaster Risk Reduction

Landlocked Ministers at General Assembly Call for Enhanced Support to Respond to COVID-19

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 19:02:00 +0000

zimbabwe_kb_mpofu_ilo.jpg

A Zimbabwean detergent manufacturing company has started making hand sanitising gel to protect against COVID-19.

KB Mpofu / ILO

NEW YORK 24 September 2020 – Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) met virtually on the margins of the UN General Assembly on September 23 and expressed concern about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their countries.

Meeting under the theme, “Partnering for accelerated implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and achieving sustainable development in LLDCs in the era of COVID-19,” they also pointed out major challenges yet to be addressed in their development progress.

The Vienna Programme of Action (VPoA) is an ambitious plan agreed in 2014 to help LLDCs increase connectivity, expand trade and structural transformation, and enhance competitiveness in pursuit of development goals. However, during a review at the end of 2019, it was found that LLDCs are off track to achieve the programme’s goals by the ten-year deadline in 2024.

Ministers also stressed that the implementation of the VPoA needs to be anchored in efforts to combat COVID-19 and called on all concerned parties to support them through the pandemic and beyond. Their key allies in this response include their neighbours, on whom access to sea ports is dependent; the private sector; and the international system itself.

UN Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres spoke at the meeting and reminded ministers to

“keep our focus on stopping the pandemic. The availability of future vaccines to all developing countries, including the Landlocked Developing Countries, is fundamental to any sustainable global recovery.”

At the meeting, ministers adopted a Declaration that addresses the structural challenges hampering development progress in LLDCs.

The Declaration calls for more investment in transport and energy infrastructure and digital connectivity, amongst other priority areas. It also requests further support to accelerate the implementation of the VPoA.

To renew efforts to meet the 2024 target, minister adopted an ambitious new plan, called the Roadmap for Accelerated Implementation of the VPoA, which identifies seven thematic priority action areas of critical importance to the sustainable development of the LLDCs. These are (1) Transit, trade and transport facilitation; (2) Energy and ITC; (3) Structural economic transformation; (4) Cooperation between LLDCs and transit countries; (5) Means of implementation and international support; (6) COVID-19; and (7) International Coordination.

H.E. Mr. Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Global Chair of the Group of LLDCs, said of the Roadmap, that

“it will help to join efforts of the UN agencies and international organizations, transit countries, development partners, private sector and other interested stakeholders. We need to … ensure better practical results on the ground in the remaining five years.”

Ministers, senior government officials and experts from LLDCs, transit developing countries and development partners as well as heads of United Nations system and international organizations attended the meeting. President of the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Volkan Bozkir was also in attendance.

Finally, ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations on its seventy-fifth anniversary and agreed their commitment to international cooperation and multilateralism.

United Nations High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, said

“Strengthening regional cooperation between LLDCs and transit countries, in particular on transit and transport along important corridors and promoting public and private partnerships is now more critical than ever.”

She concluded, “We all must come together and strengthen multilateral capacity to provide dedicated support to what is the most vulnerable group of countries and people.”

For further information on this meeting, please go here

Front Page Article:

Assessment of Financing for Development Flows SIDS (2020)

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:25:00 +0000

maldives._credit._new_zealand_ministry_of_foreign_affairs_and_trade.jpg

The Port of Male in Maldives.

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

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Closing Statement at the Virtual Ministerial Meeting of LDCs

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 20:56:00 +0000

Closing Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

17 September 2020
New York, USA

Hon. Minister Mkaka, thank you for giving me the floor again to say a few closing remarks, and let me thank and congratulate you for chairing this very important and successful meeting. The efficient and substantive way in which you presided over the proceedings was simply exceptional.

Excellencies,

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the distinguished speakers during the opening session:

HE Mr Volkan Bozkir, President of the General Assembly

HE Ms Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General

HE Mr Munir Akram, President of the ECOSOC

HE Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhil, Minister of State of Qatar and the host of the LDC-V

Ms Karin Finkelston, Vice President of Partnerships, Communications & Outreach, IFC and

Mr Nishio, Vice President, Development of the World Bank

I also thank Hon Ministers and distinguished representatives from the LDCs, Development partners and other stakeholders for your active participation. I am particularly grateful that you have all been able to set aside the time to respond to the invitation of the Chair and that you stay throughout the meeting, despite often the huge difference in time zones. I take it as a sign of the large reserve of goodwill and commitment that exist, in LDCs and development partner countries, towards advancing the sustainable development of LDCs and strengthening their resilience.

We are grateful to His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar and H.E. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani for agreeing to host the LDC-5 and their full commitment of support to the LDCs.

We deeply appreciate H.E. Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar for his participation today in our meeting and his reassurances that Qatar will spare no efforts to provide all the requirements for the success of the LDC-5.

I also thank Her Excellency Ambassador Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani and her team with whom we have excellent working relationship.

With the a generous host like Qatar and with the support of our development partners, I echo the sentiment expressed by the Honourable State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar that a new program of action for LDCs for the coming decade will serve as a road map and a solid basis for raising the level of ambition for LDCs.

We also acknowledge the support of the government of Turkey and other development partners towards the preparatory process leading to LDC5.

I once again also thank HE Ambassador Perks Ligoya, Chair of the LDC Group and his team, the members of the Global Coordination Bureau and the entire membership of LDCs for their efforts in relentlessly advocating for the needs and shared interests of LDCs.

We are looking forward to working together with all of you to make the Fifth UN Conference for LDCs a game changer for the people of the LDCs.

Last but not least, I wish to thank my team at OHRLLs, the interpreters and UN support team for their support and contribution to ensure a successful meeting.

Malo aupito, Thank you very much .

Front Page Article:

Foreign Ministers from Least Developed Countries Meet to Forge New Path Forward on Development Goals in Light of COVID-19

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 19:25:00 +0000

bangladesh_ochaanthony_burke.jpg

Communities affected by heavy monsoon rains that triggered a widespread flooding in Bangladesh. COVID-19 is just the latest in a series of crises striking Least Developed Countries.

OCHA/Anthony Burke

NEW YORK 17 September 2020 – Reiterating their call for a global stimulus package for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Foreign Ministers met virtually at the General Assembly this week to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically hampered efforts for more vulnerable countries to meet their development goals.

On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, LDC Ministers and their development partners met to express their concern at slow, or reversing, progress towards the Istanbul Programme of Action and the Sustainable Development Goals.

In a declaration that was agreed at the meeting, Ministers expressed deepening concern about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on health and the loss of life, mental health, humanitarian needs, human rights and many spheres of society, including livelihoods, food and nutrition, education, poverty, employment, and the environment.

Hosted by the Malawi Foreign Minister, Chair of the LDC Group, the annual meeting was also attended by ministers from traditional donors and partner countries from the emerging South, known as "Friends of LDCs." The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations also attended the meeting in a strong signal of support for the poorest and most vulnerable countries of the world.

Addressing the meeting, the newly-elected President of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, explained how Least Developed Countries and their economies have been hit harder by the pandemic:

"The International Labor Organization estimates that the livelihoods of almost 1.6 billion informal workers are at risk. COVID-19 has, in many ways, pulled back the curtain on global inequality. It is imperative that the international community extends its full support to LDCs to tackle this pandemic – both the health impacts and the socio-economic response."

Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, put the pandemic in the context of a wider lack of development progress that preceded the coronavirus:

"Before COVID-19, our collective efforts towards the SDGs were already falling short. The projected global economic slowdown risks making matters worse. LDC economies will be hardest hit. In response, we must expend extra effort and garner extra support for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda."

Hon. Eisenhower Nduwa Mkaka, Foreign Minister of Malawi and Chair of the Bureau of LDCs, reminded the international community that action taken on debt for vulnerable countries will not see them through this crisis:

“We would like to note and thank the World Bank, IMF and G-20 for the debt moratorium. We note however, that the moratorium only runs up to 2020 or 2021 and we further note the unpredictability of the crisis and therefore call for an extension of this moratorium and ultimate consideration of debt cancellation for LDCs.”

Vice President of Development Finance at the World Bank, Akihiko Nishio, highlighted that debt relief is a crucial part of the response to COVID-19 and reiterated the call by the Bank to extend and broaden the current debt service suspension initiative by the G20.

The meeting heard from high-ranking ministers from Least Developed Countries and development partners, so-called “Friends of LDCs”.

H.E. Dr. Francis M. Kai-Kai, Minister of Planning and Economic Development for Sierra Leone, expressed a concern held by many LDCs that the world will never return to normal after COVID-19 unless all countries, especially the most vulnerable, are assisted in gaining access to the -19 vaccine when it finally arrives:

"Critical to any return to normalcy is the availability and accessibility of vaccines to all who need it, but especially for low-income countries at the tail end of the global supply chain."

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Gedu Andargachew, said the 2030 Development Agenda itself is at risk if the Least Developed Countries are not given the support they need:

"We continue to face multiple challenges, including poverty, unemployment, and climate change. We are, therefore, the battleground for the success of the 2030 Agenda."

The Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, at which the next decade’s Programme of Action will be agreed, will be held in Qatar in early 2022. Speaking at the meeting, State minister for Foreign Affairs for Qatar, H.E. Soltan Bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, welcomed the opportunity to host the LDCs in Doha. In setting the scene for the LDC5 conference as an opportunity to take great strides in international collaboration with the LDCs, he looked forward to agreeing ambitious new targets for the Decade of Action there:

"The Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, to be hosted by Qatar, will provide a unique opportunity to chart a course that responds to the needs and priorities of the Least Developed Countries."

Closing the meeting, the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, thanked the Qatari government for its generous support in hosting the LDC5 conference and for its commitment to LDC development. She also focused attention on the people of Least Developed Countries who are suffering the most through this series of crises – and the ones who stand to lose most if the International Community fails to deliver on its commitments:

"We must ensure our actions are driven by the ultimate goal: including the peoples of the world on a more sustainable path for development."

"We may be in the same storm. But we are in different boats."

We asked ambassadors from the Least Developed Countries to share their ambitions for this year's General Assembly.

Front Page Article:

Closing Statement at the Virtual Ministerial Meeting of LDCs

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 19:01:00 +0000

Closing Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

17 September 2020
New York, USA

Excellencies,

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the distinguished speakers during the opening session:

HE Mr Volkan Bozkir, President of the General Assembly
HE Ms Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General
HE Mr Munir Akram, President of the ECOSOC
HE Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhil, Minister of State of Qatar and the host of the LDC-V
Ms Karin Finkelston, Vice President of Partnerships, Communications & Outreach, IFC and
Mr Nishio, Vice President, Development of the World Bank

We are grateful to His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Honourable Emir of Qatar and H.E. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani for agreeing to host the LDC-5 and their full commitment of support to the LDCs.

I also thank Her Excellency Ambassador Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani and her team with whom we have excellent working relationship.

With the a generous host like Qatar and with the support of our development partners, I echo the sentiment expressed by the Honourable State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar that new program of action for LDCs for the coming decade will serve as a road map and a solid basis for raising the level of ambition for LDCs.

We also acknowledge the support of the government of Turkey and other development partners towards the preparatory process leading to LDC5.

We are looking forward to working together with all of you to make the Fifth UN Conference for LDCs a game changer for the people of the LDCs.

Last but not least, I wish to thank my team at OHRLLs, the interpreters and UN support team for their support and contribution to ensure a successful meeting.

Malo aupito, Thank you very much.

Front Page Article:

Opening Statement at the Virtual Ministerial Meeting of LDCs

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 15:25:00 +0000

Opening Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

17 September 2020
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

At the outset, I wish to express my deep gratitude to you, Hon. Eisenhower Mkaka, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malawi, for your commitment to and leadership of the Group of LDCs.

In the same vein, I must thank you Ambassador Perks Ligoya and your team for inspiring and leading the work of the Group in New York.

Last but not least, I express my appreciation to the members of the Global Coordination Bureau and the entire membership of LDCs for their efforts in relentlessly advocating for the needs and shared interests of LDCs.

Excellencies,

When we met around this time a year ago, I doubt that anyone of us could have pictured the circumstances and settings in which we meet now.

Months after months have now elapsed where everybody, everywhere lives every day with the sense of the unknown, the unsettling and the uncertain.

By now, millions of people are out of formal and informal employment in LDCs.

Too many men, women and often young girls and boys do not enjoy any kind of safety net. Even the precarious safety net of remittances is broken and they must rely on what may be left to family and extended family.

We had already sounded the alarm prior to the pandemic given the precarious situations of the fiscal state in many countries.

By now, we see a constant, a daily struggle to meet just basic public health requirements. The risk that the few and limited social protection schemes may vanish altogether with ever increasing budget constraints is very real.

Export earnings are falling at a speed not witnessed before.

Export orders amounting to likely billions of dollars have been lost.

Remittances diminish rapidly.

The tourism sector has collapsed.

A global recession is reality by now and it can only exacerbate this already dire situation.

What we are faced with is having to manage a severe social, economic and institutional storm.

What we are faced with is to give people HOPE and not let people despair.

Without robust and far reaching global and regional responses, the people of the LDCs will be left further behind.

Countries urgently need special and fast action. If we do not act now, we compromise the achievement of the 2030 Agenda!

So, what is OHRLLS doing?

In an immediate response, we organized a series of virtual briefings such as on external debt, food security and agricultural development, broadband and digital access.

We actively contributed to the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

We facilitated the Deputy Secretary-General’s dialogues with representatives of the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS groups during April.

The Group of LDCs issued a statement on COVID-19 outlining their special challenges and needs to address the impacts of the pandemic and how to build back better.

The DSG assured all possible support of the United Nations system to address and to overcome the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of our advocacy role, OHRLLS set up a webpage on the impacts of COVID-19 on LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS.

We provide regular updates on the COVID-19 situation in these countries.

Excellencies,

We are at a turning point - a point we must seize.

As we almost reached the end point of the implementation period of the Istanbul Programme of Action, the report of the Secretary-General finds that the LDCs achieved some notable successes.

These pertain to access to electricity, ICT, safe water and sanitation.

Progress is also recorded in key indicators on poverty, health and gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Furthermore, unprecedented progress has been achieved towards graduation, with 12 LDCs at various stages in this process.

As I often said, it is a picture of a glass half full. It is a picture prior to COVID 19.

Despite this progress, there is however no room for complacency.

We must be concerned that for many other goals and targets, progress had either stalled or been reversed.

And again, I talk about data we had PRIOR to the pandemic.

Already then, we could see how global poverty and malnutrition rates were on the rise.

Since, COVID-19 has pushed millions and millions of people back into extreme poverty and hunger.

It is somewhat of an understatement to say that this is truly challenging the scope to realize the SDG targets in these areas. This will have a serious domino effect on other socio-economic indicators.

Add to this that COVID 19 has not given any holiday to climate change ! Quite the opposite!

Climate change impacts are accelerating and escalating . We see ever more severe tropical storms, droughts and related events around the globe. This further compounds and seriously jeopardizes the development prospects of LDCs.

Now, building domestic capacity and resource mobilization is a MUST for LDCs.But this has to be complemented and accompanied by robust global partnerships.

This is our litmus test for multilateralism to prove its relevance and effectiveness.

The Fifth UN Conference on LDCs provides us with great opportunities and above all a powerful platform to build a renewed global compact in favour of the peoples of the LDCs.

We really must come TOGETHER and do all we can to ensure that we do not miss this opportunity.

Excellencies,

Earlier, I mentioned the DSG’s commitment to bringing the full UN system capacities to deployment.

OHRLLS chairs the Inter-Agency Task Force on Graduation of LDCs (IATF) with the objective to provide strengthened and coordinated UN system-wide support to the countries graduating from the LDC category.

We have already organised joint UN missions to Sao Tome and Principe and Solomon Islands last year.

A virtual workshop was held in Laos just 2 weeks ago.

The IATF is supporting graduating countries in developing their smooth transition strategy.

The Secretary-General for his part repeatedly reiterated his full commitment to supporting the graduating countries, including through the IATF.

Excellencies,

Allow me to now update you on the preparations for the Fifth UN Conference on LDCs.

Needless to say, the entire timeframe had to be revisited.

Under the rescheduled timeframe, we are drawing a new calendar of preparatory events leading up to LDC-V. Our substantive preparations for the Conference are ongoing.

We already held several thematic meetings on COVID-19 as I mentioned earlier.

Several documents have been finalized or will be released shortly.

These include:

the report of the Secretary-General on the 10-year implementation of the IPoA,
the synthesis of national reports submitted by LDCs,
a report on UN System Best Practices on Supporting the Least Developed Countries (LDCs): Overview and Analysis of Contributions from the Inter-agency Consultative Group on LDCs (IACG)”.

support for the implementation of the IPoA, and
the 2020 Policy brief on Advancing SDG7 in LDCs.

We continue our preparations for the Helsinki academic conference. The conference is now scheduled to take place from 12-14 May 2021.

Almost 1000 submissions with some fifty per cent from LDCs were received.

OHRLLS interacts with the entire United Nations System to rally support for LDC5.

The past three meetings of the Inter-Agency Consultative Group (IACG) on LDCs have discussed how different agencies can make contributions to the Conference and its preparatory processes.

This will continue up to the Conference and beyond to draw on the collective expertise and resources of the System as a whole in support of the LDCs.

A new dedicated website for the conference has already been launched and my hope is that the website will grow as the details of various events unfold.

Let us indeed seize the moment and work together to turn LDC5 into the most important moment in the international development calendar in 2022.

As part of the OHRLLS advocacy role, we foresee to engage with media globally. It is all about creating awareness, mobilizing support and build action consensus. The key audiences in favour of LDCs must be built in LDCs themselves as well as in partner countries and organizations.

So, this is a busy time, an intense moment but again a moment where we have to double effort and push ahead.

It is in this context, that I kindly once more must ask for the support of LDCs and the Friends of LDCs to the work of OHRLLS.

We need to strengthen capacity to continue to provide extended and targeted support to LDCs in enabling them to implement the 2030 Agenda and the Programme of Action in a coordinated and coherent manner.

As I said a year ago, we could see the glass half full.

Now I would say we must make every effort to first keep the glass half full and in doing so we must ensure our actions are driven by the ultimate goal: including the peoples of the LDCs into a sustainable path for their development.

The challenges for the LDCs have grown considerably this year and beyond. The need for support and assistance has thus grown considerably.

Just as COVID 19 knows no borders, gender, race, or religion , the challenges ahead of us require concerted, focused and action driven multi- lateral cooperation.

It will be of critical importance that we all come together and strengthen multilateral capacity to provide dedicated support to what is the most vulnerable group of countries and people.

We are in this together and it is indeed only together that we can lay the foundations for the future people want.

I thank you.

Front Page Article:

Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The Future of Work in Least Developed Countries

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Leaving no one behind and building back better from COVID-19: The Future of Work in LDCs

REGISTER

SPEAKERS

KEY QUESTIONS

OBJECTIVE

DOCUMENTS

Statement at the Disaster Risk-Informed and Resilient COVID-19 Recovery Side Event

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

15 October 2020 New York, USA

Disaster Risk-Informed and Resilient COVID-19 Recovery

BACKGROUND

OBJECTIVES

GUIDING QUESTIONS

DOCUMENTS

WATCH LIVE ON UN WEB TV:

Landlocked Ministers at General Assembly Call for Enhanced Support to Respond to COVID-19

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Assessment of Financing for Development Flows SIDS (2020)

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Closing Statement at the Virtual Ministerial Meeting of LDCs

Closing Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

17 September 2020 New York, USA

Foreign Ministers from Least Developed Countries Meet to Forge New Path Forward on Development Goals in Light of COVID-19

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Closing Statement at the Virtual Ministerial Meeting of LDCs

Closing Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

17 September 2020 New York, USA

Opening Statement at the Virtual Ministerial Meeting of LDCs

Opening Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

17 September 2020 New York, USA

15 October 2020
New York, USA

17 September 2020
New York, USA

17 September 2020
New York, USA

17 September 2020
New York, USA