Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - LDCs

Nepal Takes Over as LDC Chair

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 17:38:00 +0000

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UN-OHRLLS

Nepal has taken over as Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) after five years of stewardship by Malawi.

At a ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on April 5, the Permanent Representative of Malawi, Amb. Agnes Chimbiri-Molande, handed the chairmanship to Amb. Amrit Bahadur Rai of Nepal.

The Bureau is mandated to promote and protect the interests of LDCs, which are low-income countries confronting severe structural impediments to sustainable development.

Supported by the UN through the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), the bureau advocates for the LDCs’ interests and the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

During the handover, the new Chair, Amb. Amrit Bahadur Rai, vowed to “make every possible effort to protect and promote [LDCs’] common interest”.

The handover happens at a pivotal time for LDCs, just weeks after the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5). With the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action now underway, Nepal will lead the Bureau as it tackles the most pressing challenges, concerns, and priorities of LDCs, advocating for real change on a global scale for the most vulnerable.

The Doha Programme of Action marks a new era of global cooperation and partnership on trade, climate, finance, debt relief, and technology transfer, enabling LDCs to achieve the SDGs and ensure their graduation with momentum.

Ms. Rabab Fatima, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States commended the sincere efforts and commitment of Malawian Ambassador Agnes Chimbiri-Molande and her team in “relentlessly pursuing the goals and purposes of the Group with great success”.

The High Representative also congratulated Nepal, noting their “vast knowledge, experience, and an excellent track record of leading LDC issues in the global arena”.

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Ocean Conference Side Event: Ocean partnerships and science-based solutions for strengthening sustainable ocean economies in SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 19:22:00 +0000

Tuesday, 28 June 2022 - 5:30pm

Venue: Committee Room, Altice Arena

Background

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) depend heavily on ocean-based industries and are subsequently highly exposed to the consequences of ocean degradation.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and amplified the vulnerability of SIDS and LDCs, resulting in a new array of challenges. Both groups could develop their resilience through economic diversification and the development of their ocean resources.

Given they play a key role in the sustainable management of ocean and coastal resources, SIDS and LDCs are also priority partners in the UN Ocean Decade. And although Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) do not have direct access to the sea, they can also derive benefits from use of the ocean space and resources under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.

Ocean Conference

The 2022 UN Ocean Conference, co-hosted by Kenya and Portugal, comes as the world is strengthening its efforts to mobilize, create and drive solutions to realise the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The Conference will propel science-based, innovative solutions to start a new chapter of global ocean action.

Objective

This side event will explore challenges, opportunities and best practices in ocean science (and) the role of partnerships to build resilience in the ocean economy in SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs in line with the SIDS Partnerships Agenda, the SAMOA Pathway, the Doha Programme of Action for the LDCs, and the Vienna Programme of Action for the LLDCs.

Programme

Moderator: H.E. Ms. Ana Paula Zacarias, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN

Keynote Address: Hon. Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Kingdom of Tonga

Fire-side chat

H.E. Mr. Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Pa'olelei Luteru, Permanent Representative of Samoa to the UN   
H.E. Walton A Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN and Chair of AOSIS
H.E. Mr Kennedy Gastorn, Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to the UN
H.E. Mr. Garen Nazaryan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Portuguese Republic
Mr. Michael W. Lodge, Secretary General, International Seabed Authority (ISA)  
Mr. Ignasi Ferrer, President, CEO of Seastainability Ventures and Senior Executive at World Ocean Council

Interactive Segment

Closing: Mr. Sandagdorj Erdenebileg, Chief, Policy Coordination, Development, Monitoring and Reporting Service, UN Office for Most Vulnerable States (OHRLLS)

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Events

A Human-Centred Recovery and the Future of Work in LDCs

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Friday, 29 April 2022 - 10:00am

The social and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt deeply, especially in Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

This is in large part due to their structural vulnerabilities, inadequate social protection systems, and limited fiscal capacity to foster a human-centred recovery. The uneven recovery from COVID-19 risks to further entrench these global inequalities.

At the same time, digitalisation is rapidly changing the nature of work around the world, including in LDCs. The adoption and adaptation of digital technologies can be a powerful component of productive transformation that can benefit almost all sectors of the economy and generate widespread productivity and employment growth.

The LDC population is young and access to education and skills development is on the rise, which means the potential for harnessing digital technologies remains high. Digital technologies can potentially deliver large benefits to LDCs provided that significant investments are made in capital and in people to ensure technologies help drive productive and inclusive growth and support decent work outcomes.

The Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031 addresses many of these challenges and emphasizes the importance of promoting productive transformation and decent work opportunities in LDCs to achieve sustainable development.

This meeting, co-organised by OHRLLS, will launch a new ILO Report entitled, “Present and Future of Work in the LDCs” and discuss the ambition and implementation of the Doha Programme of Action for LDCs in order to promote a human-centred recovery.

The aim is to highlight good practices and opportunities to help countries prioritize policies in national development plans.

Specific topics will include:

the use of comprehensive employment and enterprise development policies
the role of just transition for a sustainable and inclusive economic transformation, fostering productivity growth and productive capacities
the expansion of social protection systems
the application of labour standards.

The discussion will also look at opportunities for international and regional cooperation including the engagement of the private sector to support job-rich growth and inclusive development in LDCs.

Read the report HERE.

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United Nations Support to the Least Developed Countries

HSASS — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 17:14:00 +0000

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Expansion of the infrastructure in Zambia

Marcel Crozet / ILO

This report was prepared by UN-OHRLLS per its mandate to serve as a focal point for the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) and to mobilize and coordinate the active involvement of the UN system (as requested in UN General Assembly 73/242).

The report discusses how UN system entities and other related organizations support the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and provides an overview of how they have supported the LDCs in the context of the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA). The report builds on best practices undertaken by the UN system to support the efforts made by the LDCs in implementing the IPoA and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It also highlights challenges faced by the UN system on the ground, and action needed to strengthen its support in LDCs, benefiting also from
perspectives shared by UN Resident Coordinators on how the UN system could best support the LDCs to advance the SDGs.

Furthermore, the report provides recommendations on how to strengthen the effectiveness of the UN system in promoting sustainable development in the LDCs through examples that have had a positive and transformative impact on the ground.

Full Report

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The Future of Work in Least Developed Countries

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

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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.

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2019 Meeting of the National Focal Points of the Least Developed Countries on the Implementation of the IPoA

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 16:17:00 +0000

Wednesday, 13 November 2019 - 9:15am to Thursday, 14 November 2019 - 5:30pm

BACKGROUND

The Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 (IPoA) is coming to an end. The UN General Assembly has decided to convene Fifth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha, Qatar in January 2022. The Conference will undertake a comprehensive appraisal of the implementation of the IPoA by the LDCs and their development partners, share best practices and lessons learned and identify obstacles and constraints encountered as well as actions and initiatives needed to overcome them. The Conference will also mobilize global support and enhance partnerships in support of LDCs. A new 10-year programme of action for the LDCs will be adopted at the Conference which coincides with the remaining 10 years of implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The 2019 annual meeting of the LDC National Focal Points was a crucial component of the preparatory process for the LDC5 Conference. The meeting focused on comprehensive country-level reviews of the implementation of the IPoA. National Focal Points presented the main findings of their country reports, focussing on key aspects of the IPoA and sharing best practices and lessons learned. The meeting participants put forward recommendations on new priority areas of action and initiatives to accelerate implementation of the SDGs in LDCs over the next 10 years and address emerging challenges. The meeting provided substantive input to the outcome document of the LDC5 which will shape a new development agenda for the LDCs for the next decade.

DOCUMENTS

Background Materials

Summary Report
Final Programme
Draft Programme (English) (French)
Background Note
List of Participants
Launch of Out of the Trap: Supporting the Least Developed Countries organized by the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI)

Presentations

Opening:

Ms. Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu
H.E. Mr. Perks Ligoya
H.E. Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani
H.E. Mr. Martin Bille Hermann

Introduction on Preparations for the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries:

Ms. Susanna Wolf

Eradicating Poverty, Enhancing Agriculture, Food Security and Rural Development:

The Gambia
- Presentation
- Executive Summary
Lao PDR
Togo (FR)

Enhancing Productive Capacity and Achieving Sustained Economic Growth:

Promoting Sustainable Energy:

Trade, Commodities and Investment:

Reducing Vulnerabilities and Strengthening Resilience: Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability:

Human and Social development: Improving Health and Education, Access to Water and Sanitation, Shelter, Youth Development and Enhancing Gender Equality:

Mobilising Financial Resources for Development and Capacity Building:

Good Governance at All Levels:

Addressing Emerging Challenges"

Mr. Hamid Rashid

Closing

Ms. Fekitamoeloa Utoikaman

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Events

Urgent Action Needed to Scale-up Energy Access in World’s Poorest Countries

Anonymous — Fri, 31 May 2019 14:43:00 +0000

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The opening session of the Global Conference on Scaling-Up Energy Access and Finance

UNOHRLLS

BEIJING, 31 May 2019 – Without urgent and enhanced action, the world’s forty-seven least developed countries will not achieve global sustainable energy targets by 2030. This was the backdrop to discussions which took place over the last two days at a United Nations conference on scaling-up energy access and finance in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Beijing.

While considerable progress has been made by this group of countries to increase the average rate of access to electricity from 33.4 per cent in 2010 to 51 per cent in 2017, this is in stark contrast to the global electrification rate of 88.8 per cent in 2017.

Furthermore, the LDCs face major disparities in energy access between urban and rural populations. In 2017, on average, 79 per cent of urban populations had electricity access, compared with only 37.8 per cent of rural populations. Regional disparities are also evident, where the Asia-Pacific LDCs are faring better with an electrification rate of 86.2 per cent compared to 33.2 per cent in African LDCs.

Alarmingly, 14 African LDCs still have electrification rates lower than 30 per cent and the 20 least-electrified countries in the world are all LDCs.

While overall assessments of progress in energy access illustrate major challenges, conference participants reflected on major progress being made. Countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Cambodia have all electrified at a rate of about 5 per cent per year since 2010. Many LDCs have already successfully tapped into using hydropower, and the use of solar and wind power is also increasing.

Speaking at the conference, the United Nations High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu said “My key message is that Sustainable Development Goal 7 in the Least Developed Countries is within reach. We must step up and we need urgent action. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is about our collective vision to leave no one behind. So, our responsibility is to work together and forge even stronger partnerships, ensuring that the global energy transition to sustainable and modern energy also reaches the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the world.”

The conference also saw substantive discussions on scaling-up investment in LDCs where current financing levels are significantly below what is required to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7). According to current estimates, in order to achieve SDG7, between 2018 and 2030, annual average investment globally will need to reach approximately $55 billion to expand energy access, about $700 billion to increase renewable energy, and $600 billion to improve energy efficiency. Currently, investments are not spread equally and many LDCs lack the capacity to access existing funding mechanisms.

A draft outcome circulated at the conference laid out concrete deliverables including the call for the launch of a large-scale initiative to bring forward the countries that are furthest behind first as well as establishing a network of energy focal points in LDCs. The draft outcome also illustrated the need for sustainable energy to be one of the central thematic topics to be featured in the new 10-year programme of action for the LDCs to be adopted at the Fifth UN Conference on the LDCs in 2021. Furthermore, the outcome of the conference is expected to feature in discussions at the Climate Action Summit in September 2019.

The Conference was jointly organised by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) and the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO). It brought together 200 participants representing governments, United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations, civil society, private sector, business community and think-tanks.

More information about the Global Conference on Scaling-Up Energy Access and Finance can be found at: http://unohrlls.org/global-conference-scaling-up-energy-access-finance-in-least-developed-countries/

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Opening Statement at the Global Conference on Scaling-up Energy Access and Finance in LDCs

Anonymous — Thu, 30 May 2019 15:38:00 +0000

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

30 May 2019
Beijing, China

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Energy is the energy we need so that the many people now again at risk of being left behind are included in making Agenda 2030 happen for all. It is the energy we need to make our climate promises happen! I express appreciation to the Government of China for hosting the Global Conference on Scalingup Energy Access and Finance in Least Developed Countries. I thank GEIDCO for your partnership and collaboration in organizing this meeting, I see many senior officials from the least developed countries here - this is good, we all need to work together and sustainable energy is of key importance for decades to come. I welcome our development partners, the representatives of the private sector and civil society as well as representatives of international organisations and the development banks.

It takes indeed a village to keep the promises we made to people and your presence shows how to do that we need this broad team, this broad alliance of stakeholders to make the sustainable development aspirations of the most vulnerable countries reality. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, OHRLLS speaks up for the people in 91 vulnerable countries around the world - that is about 1.1 billion people. These 91 countries represent three main groups; least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states. They all face complex, often very unique development challenges due to demographic, geographic and structural impediments. 47 of these countries, that is the least developed countries, remain at the center of the global development challenges.

Yet, I for once say the glass is half full and challenges are there to be overcome! The progress and prosperity of LDCs is in the larger interest of the international community as a whole from a security and development perspective and that of climate change management. Access to sustainable, affordable and modern energy remains a core challenge for the least developed countries. Lack of this access hinders their socio-economic development. All global agreements on sustainable development have increasingly focused on energy. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with SDG 7 calls for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. Emphasis is placed on efficiency gains and renewables. Special reference is made to expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services, in particular in the least developed countries.

This action call is further supported by the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Both do stress the importance of sustainable energy and map out necessary actions. The key driver in sustainable development that energy is also represents one of the eight priority areas for action in the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries. We sure do not lack declarations of intent - we now MUST ACT. The fact is that in least developed countries, half of the population still remain without access to electricity. The average rate of access to electricity across LDCs reached 51 per cent in 2017. This is a large increase from 33.4 per cent recorded in 2010. However, this is still far behind the global electrification rate of 88.8 per cent in 2017. We also must realize that this data hides disparities between countries and regions, within countries and especially urban and rural areas. In 2017, on average, 79 per cent of the urban population in LDCs had electricity access, compared with only 37.8 per cent of rural populations. The Asia-Pacific LDCs have an electrification rate of 86.2 per cent compared to 33.2 per cent in African LDCs. It is very alarming that the 20 least-electrified countries are all LDCs!

A key energy but also climate change issue relates to the basics of cooking and heating. The access to modern fuels for cooking and heating are yet further limited in these countries. In 2017, only 14.4 per cent of the population in LDCs had access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking. Business as usual will not do, 2030 is just around the corner! So, why is this so? Access to finance and capacity remain key challenges. It is with urgency that we need to find ways to increase access to finance in numbers, in easier access and in faster implementation rates! LDCs rarely can access larger financing schemes to the same extent that other, more prosperous developing countries do. Causes for this can be found in their often smaller project size, less well-developed financial markets, capacity constraints, and challenging policy and regulatory environments. So, if we are to turn the situation around, we must urgently work on all these fronts!

This will be critical for LDCs to access finance from all possible sources, private and public, domestic and international to meet the financing needs of their different types of projects ranging from large hydropower projects to smaller mini-grid projects. Increased energy planning capacity and availability of plans are also critical to accelerate action with the aim to increase the viability of energy investments, lowering associated risks and making initiatives more bankable. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The history of humankind and development has taught us many times over that there is one sector which can bring rapid, life changing transformation to people’s lives, and that is again now in sustainable, modern energy. There are many reasons why I look at the glass as being half full. The majority of LDCs are endowed with vast reserves of renewable energy resources.

Twinning these available resources with new technologies bringing about falling prices of renewable energy offers us many new solutions for ensuring energy access for all. The challenge to all of us here is: how can we ensure that the global momentum around sustainable energy reaches also those currently left behind and does so by 2030? We already witness many success stories and best practices which can help us find ways for action. It is encouraging to see the rapid progress made in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Cambodia. 5 They all are electrified at a rate of about 5 percentage points per year since 2010.

Many LDCs have already successfully tapped into using hydropower, and the use of solar and wind power is also increasing. Notable progress can also be seen in the use of off- grid energy solutions especially for rural areas in countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Rwanda. YES! SDG7 in LDCs is within reach. If some of the LDCs have been able to achieve rapid progress, there is no reason why others could not follow the same path. This not only means stepping up action but it means first and foremost that it is our responsibility to work together and forge stronger partnerships!

As I said earlier, we must tackle several aspects at once to accelerate access for all. We must accelerate efforts in creating enabling policy and regulatory frameworks. We must scale up existing initiatives. We must invest in capacity building, technology transfer and knowledge exchange. We must invest in new and in creative partnerships. We also must look into simplification and faster access to already existing sources of finance. It cannot be that it takes years and dare I say myriads of reams of submission to get projects financed. As I have said many times and on many other occasions ever since taking up my position, we can simplify without compromising on accountability and transparency. Improved regional collaboration also is needed to strengthen energy security, and it can be an important tool to reach needed economies of scales to attract private investments.

LDCs will need the continued, and a strong support from development partners. One dimension we need to look into with urgency is how to strengthen private sector engagement in the sustainable energy sector. The private sector is a key partner , but I would say also stakeholder, in the global efforts towards realizing sustainable development aspirations and mobilizing required funds. South-South collaboration should also accelerate as it is a proven and effective platform for accelerating energy transition through enabling LDCs to learn from each other and from countries who have faced similar type of challenges in the recent past. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I come back to what I said at the beginning: this take a village!

It is my hope that by bringing together all stakeholders, this conference will contribute to accelerating energy access and enhance financing for sustainable and modern energy in LDCs. By all being together, we have a unique opportunity to share experiences and best practices with delegates from countries facing similar development challenges. We have the invaluable opportunity to listen to each other and to hear from other stakeholders what it would take to launch new partnerships. The sessions in the next two days will discuss and hopefully come up with practical, workable solutions on scaling-up sustainable energy access and finance. During the next days, we would like to:

- showcase and discuss initiatives and financing models that can accelerate energy transition across LDCs;

- share experiences in preparing national energy investment studies and discuss best practices among LDCs, and;

- strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships in support of achieving SDG7 in LDCs.

It is my sincere hope that these no doubt two intensive days of listening and discussions will provide LDC delegates with new ideas on how to accelerate energy access, mobilize finance and bring light and transformation in the lives of people. I also hope that the development partners and private sector representatives will see, will find avenues to expand their support for and collaboration with the least developed countries. OHRLLS and the host country will bring back the key messages of this meeting to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum.

This is the forum which monitors the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its global Sustainable Development Goals. The messages will also be tabled at the Climate Action Summit organized by the UN Secretary-General in September. The voices and unique views on those furthest behind must be heard. They must be heard at the global level.

In closing, I once more express appreciation to the Government of China and especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for your continued support for the cause of the LDCs through the UN-China ��AV and Development Fund. The Conference demonstrates the lively partnership between China and the UN-OHRLLS in promoting progress towards the SDGs. I thank our collaborating partner, GEIDCO for all your support and express my appreciation to Chairman Liu for his personal attention to our Conference. I look forward to enriching, action oriented exchanges over the next two days. Thank you.

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New Study Launched to Identify Sustainable Energy Investment Opportunities in Malawi

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 18:51:00 +0000

Press Release

LILONGWE, 7 February 2019 – Investment is vital for sustainable energy to flourish in Malawi and to enable the life changing benefits that electricity brings to areas including education, health care, industry and the economy. A study launched today in Lilongwe, Malawi, will map a way forward for investment in the country’s sustainable energy sector, bringing together vital partners and identifying areas for action.

The study will provide an overview of concrete opportunities to increase investment in sustainable energy in Malawi. A report will be produced in approximately 6 months time which will address how to generate the required public and private investment to reach universal access. Today’s kickoff meeting brought together different stakeholders in the renewable energy sector, to align common goals and discuss lessons learnt and ways forward.

The initiative has been jointly commissioned by the Government of Malawi’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining and the United Nations Office of the High-Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). The Rocky Mountain Institute is carrying out the study and UN Malawi is providing vital support.

“Every Malawian deserves full access to energy, to an adequate and reliable level of power that allows a home to affordably operate, for children to study, food to be kept from perishing, enough for a dignified and healthy life,” said Ms. Fekita ‘Utoikamanu, Under-Secretary-General and High-Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

“Malawi has an abundance of resources with which a sustainable energy sector could thrive. This study is intended to highlight the areas for investment in order to ultimately achieve energy access for all and leave no one behind as we strive to meet Sustainable Energy Goal 7.”

Currently, only 11% of Malawi’s population has access to electricity, 46% in urban areas and in rural areas this figure is at 2%. At present just 7% of the total energy consumed in Malawi is renewable energy.

"The Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, is very pleased to partner with the United Nations on this timely study. Access to modern energy is an important issue for all Malawians and investment in the modern energy sector is key for the country's future development," said Mrs Chimwemwe Gloria Banda, Chief Director for Energy.

As the youngest and fastest-growing continent, Africa’s population will double in the coming decades to some two billion people, and demand for energy will increase accordingly.

To ensure the attainment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 in Africa by 2030, investments of approximately US$ 34.2 billion per year are needed across the continent.

UN-OHRLLS represents vulnerable countries within the UN system. There are 47 least developed countries, 32 of which are in Africa, including Malawi. Least Developed Countries are at the bottom of the development ladder, with low human development, low income and economic growth and high degree of vulnerability. As such they remain at the centre of global development challenges. Reliable access to sustainable energy stands to strengthen multiple elements outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals in areas including climate action, health, education, water and food security and women’s empowerment.

Media Contact:
Louise Stoddard, UN-OHRLLS – Stoddard@un.org

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Ahead of 2020 Deadline World’s Poorest Countries Struggle to Meet Goals of Istanbul Programme of Action

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 20:41:00 +0000

Press Release

NEW YORK, 23 January 2019 – Progress on achieving the goals of the dedicated programme of action for the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs) is falling short of what is needed by 2020. Alarmingly, poverty and malnutrition remain high with a third of the 1 billion people in LDCs living in extreme poverty. This is according to the latest edition of the State of the Least Developed Countries report by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).

With two years left to achieve the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA), growth in the LDCs is estimated to have increased to 4.9 percent in 2017 but falls short of the 7 per cent target of the IPoA. Food security is also presenting major challenges with the number of undernourished people having increased from 216 million in the period 2004–2007 to 237 million in 2015–2017.

LDCs are also lagging behind in other areas such as high rates of youth unemployment and low financial inclusion, with only 27 per cent of adults having bank accounts. The low levels of service provision in rural areas is particularly concerning where in 2015 only 33 per cent of rural populations had access to improved sanitation facilities and 61 per cent used an improved drinking water source. These challenges also pose major hurdles for the LDCs in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

“The latest findings on the state of the least developed countries clearly demonstrates that much more needs to be done to accelerate efforts to assist these countries in meeting their development objectives.” said Ms. Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. “While progress continues to be mixed, there are silver linings which indicate tremendous potential to close the gaps through concerted efforts by LDCs, development partners, UN system and the wider international community.”

Now in its fifth edition, the report makes the case that LDCs continue to face challenges in mobilizing financial resources while capacity constraints further hamper development gains on the ground. Official Development Assistance (ODA) remains an important source of external financing and the report notes that the overall share of ODA to the LDCs in donor’s Gross National Income (GNI) increased slightly from 0.08 per cent in 2015 to 0.09 per cent in 2016 but remains far below the IPoA target of 0.15 to 0.2 per cent.

Despite mixed results progress has been recorded in areas such as infrastructure development and telecommunications. Access to mobile phones and internet, including broadband services, has continued to increase. Major progress has been made in access to electricity, which has nearly doubled from 21.6 per cent in 2000 to 44.8 per cent in 2016. Of major concern however is that access to electricity is still largely concentrated in urban areas.

In 2018, the Technology Bank for the LDCs, a new United Nations institution focused on building the science, technology and innovation (STI) capacity of LDCs, started operations in Gebze, Turkey. The operationalization of this new UN entity marks the first Sustainable Development Goal target (target 17.8) to be achieved and is expected to provide much needed support in boosting STI capacity in this group of countries.

This edition’s special topic addresses reducing vulnerabilities and increasing resilience in LDCs. It highlights that extreme vulnerability to shocks, including climate change, disasters, economic and social disturbances severely affect the ability of LDCs to achieve sustainable development and inflicts major financial and other collateral damage. The report underlines that global responses to some of these shocks, in particular to climate change, have not matched the magnitude of the challenges LDCs are facing. Furthermore, LDCs have little or no access to risk transfer mechanisms due to their limited ability to pay insurance premiums and other capacity constraints.

Among the report’s recommendations, building resilience at individual, institutional, private sector and national levels is essential for LDCs to progress on achieving sustainable development. Furthermore, the resource-constrained LDCs need further support by development partners, including International Financial Institutions, to develop and access insurance schemes to shield against new and emerging shocks.

The State of the Least Developed Countries report can be found on the UN-OHRLLS website at: unohrlls.org/state-of-ldcs-2018

Media Contact:
Damien Sass, UN-OHRLLS – sass@un.org

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