The 5th United Nations (UN) conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), also known as the LDC5, finished with the global adoption of the ‘Doha Political Declaration’. The declaration was a key result of the second portion of the LDC5 gathering, themed “From Potential to Prosperity”, held in Qatar. This article extrapolates the key points of this consequential conference and the critical elements of the Doha Declaration.
Understanding the Doha Political Declaration
The Doha Political Declaration focuses on implementing the Doha Program of Action (DPoA), a 10-year plan devised to assist the world’s 46 most vulnerable nations in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Discussed during the first segment of the LDC5 conference in New York, USA, in March 2022, the DPoA for the Decade (2022-2031) was agreed upon.
In-depth at the Doha Programme of Action
The DPoA covers six key areas:
1. Eradication of Poverty
2. Potential leveraging of science and technology to combat varied vulnerabilities and accomplish the SDGs
3. Addressing Climate Change
4. Environmental Degradation
5. Recovery from Covid-19 and building resilience against future shocks for risk-informed sustainable development
The Need for the Doha Political Declaration
The 46 LDCs included in the DPoA are suffering heavily from multiple crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate crisis, growing inequalities, burgeoning debt burdens and economic shocks. Despite contributing a minimal amount to carbon dioxide emissions, these countries bear an unfair share of climate change impacts. Thirty-three of these struggling nations are in Africa, faced with high debt costs and inadequate liquidity to provide necessary services. These LDCs are also trailing in progress towards achieving SDGs, according to the Sustainable Development Report 2022.
What Qualifies as a Least Developed Country?
LDCs are a group of nations recognized by the United Nations for exhibiting the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development. Major characteristics of such countries include heightened poverty levels, low human capital, and limited access to vital services such as healthcare and education. At present, there are 46 countries on the United Nations’ roster of LDCs. This includes 33 in Africa, nine in Asia, one in the Caribbean (Haiti), and three in the Pacific (Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu).
Procedure for Identifying LDCs
Every three years, the list of LDCs is reviewed by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP), an assembly of independent experts who report to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN. Upon reviewing the list triennially, the CDP may propose in its ECOSOC report, countries for addition to or removal from the LDC status.