OACPS participation in LDC5 Conference: main takeaways

The Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031 (DPoA) is the current PoA, having been adopted at the first part of LDC5 on March 17, 2022.

Thirty-eight (38) of OACPS members are LDCs out of 46 countries .  LDCs are assessed using three criteria: income per capita, human assets and economic vulnerability. Countries that meet two of the three LDC criteria become eligible for graduation from the category. They may also qualify if the GNI per capita of the country is at least twice the graduation threshold ($2,444) in two consecutive reviews. 

Headed by H.E. Mr Georges REBELO PINTO CHIKOTI, Secretary General, the OACPS delegation participated in LDC5 Conference held in Doha, Qatar, from 5 to 9 March 2023. The OACPS Exhibition booth was visited by several high-level representatives as well as delegates from various organizations and Least Developed Countries.

From top to bottom, left to right: OACPS team with Mr. Gerd Müller, DG UNIDO and his team; H.E. Mr. Chikoti, OACPS SG with H.E. Faisal Fadhil ALIBRAHIM, Minister of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia; Mrs. Rabab FATIMA, UN High Representative for LDCs; H.E. Mr. Chikoti (OACPS) with Mr. Gerd Müller (UNIDO)

In his opening remarks at the side-event organized by UNIDO on 5 March, H.E. Mr. CHIKOTI stressed the need for new support measures for LDCs after graduation, which serve as incentives, to ensure a smooth and sustainable transition, that enables LDCs adapt to climate change and sustain their trade. He declared that “No country graduating from the LDC category should have its development progress disrupted or reversed. It is therefore important that support measures be put in place after graduation to ensure a smooth and sustainable transition.” During the panel discussion, Mr. Escipión OLIVEIRA GOMEZ, Assistant Secretary General, Structural Economic Transformation and Trade Department, called for a paradigm shift of Development Policies targeting LDCs: “We must center our efforts in eradicating poverty via the promotion of our SMEs, fostering social, economic and cultural inclusion with the view of promoting more prosperous, peaceful and fair societies” he said.

The revised Georgetown Agreement, endorsed by the 9th Summit of the OACPS Heads of States and Governments, in December 2019, sets a core objective for the OACPS to “develop strategic relations and partnerships with external parties including within the global south, as well as with regional and international organisations for the purposes of building global consensus on south-south and triangular cooperation’’.

OACPS rep. with Ms. Dima Al-Katib, Director for UNOSSC; at the Ministerial meeting on South-South Cooperation; speaking at a Thematic Roundtable; with Zambian Minister of Technology and Science, H.E. Mr Felix Mutati.

At the ministerial meeting on South-South Cooperation, Ms. Banata TCHALE SOW, Assistant Secretary General , Macro-Economics, Development Finance, and Intra-ACP Programming Department of the OACPS stated: “There is need for a stronger partnerships and cooperation among LDCs, the global south at large and the North to ensure the realization of the development agenda, especially by supporting institutional capacity building of the LDCs to integrate south-south cooperation into their national development strategies.”

On 8 March, during the High-Level Thematic Round Table “Supporting Sustainable & Irreversible Graduation from the LDC Category”, the OACPS called upon Partners to ensure that an interim arrangement for smooth LDC transition is put in place in order to allow gradually phase out of the preferential market access schemes and enable LDCs adapt to climate change and sustain their trade.

The LDC5 Conference was the opportunity for the OACPS representatives to held several high-level bilateral meetings. The position of the OACPS have also been presented in an “OACPS LDCs Issues Paper” widely distributed during the LDC5 Conference.