Dhaka-Out of 48 Least Developed Countries, a total of 10 countries including Nepal and Bhutan have fulfilled the entire three criterion for graduation in the last five years while Bangladesh is closed to be graduated.Gyan Chandra Acharya, United Nations High Representative for the LDCs, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and Secretary General of the Midterm Review on Istanbul Programme of Action, disclosed this at a post meeting declaration.
He however said that the 10 countries that achieved the criterion for graduation will have to prove their development is sustainable.
Thus, the countries will remain under watch for three years before declaring them graduated, he added.
On Bangladesh, Acharya said though the country could not fulfilled all three criterions for graduation but it is very near to be graduated and it has to do more for it.
Masud Bin Momen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UN, said the implementation of the IPoA would take us a long way in our target of graduation.
“With our efforts, and with support from the international community, including the media, I am confident that we can achieve that target sooner than later,” he said.
Masud, who is also the Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of LDCs, said the development challenges of the LDCs are complex as they are being affected by a series of new and emerging challenges, including the long-lasting impacts of financial crisis, public health emergencies, devastating impacts of natural disasters. “Our structural handicaps make these challenges more daunting,” he added.
He lauded for establishing the governing council of the United Nations Technology Bank for LDCs has been established. He further said the UN system has also been requested to prioritize their allocation of resources to LDCs.
In the political declaration adopted from the three-day MTR on IPoA urged the developed and developing countries to provide financial and technical assistance for sustainable functioning the Bank.
The declaration observed that the progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals as slowest in the LDCs and they require context-specific approaches, including national policies and international support.
It emphasized on strong commitment of international community to give special attention to LDCs in implementation of the 2030 agenda.
The declaration reaffirmed the commitment to reserve the decline in ODA and fulfil the ODA commitment of the donor countries.
Turkish deputy under secretary for foreign affairs Ayse Sinirlioglu was also present at the press conference.
With adaptation of the political declaration the three-day MTR on IPoA was concluded in the tourist city of Antalya in Turkey.
Earlier at a side event
In a sideline event, Bangladesh’s leading economist Debapriya Bhattacharya said the last five years of experience of implementation of IPoA shows that whatever success we have achieved got compromise because of the unstable situation of global economy and also because many of the global commitments ın favor of the LDCs were not delivered.
He further said the ODA and foreign aid flow has fallen in a nominal consideratıon and not to pay in real sense.
So in the next five years, the economist said, we have to concentrate more in systemic issues which we do not look at. Whether it is the issue of finance and trade, global taxation, and technology transfer.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, executive director of Coastal Bangladesh, demanded formation of tax commission by upgrading the tax committee to curb the illicit follow of money.
He put emphasis on ensuring freedom of express and assembling rights of the people in LDCs hand in hand with carrying out development activities.
Over two thousand high level representatives from government, parliaments, international and regional organisations, civil society, private sector, foundations, thinks tanks and media attended the meeting at Titanic Deluxe Belek.-Rafiqul Islam Azad
