9 June 2015: Ministers from Africa’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) discussed how to accelerate inclusive economic growth that contributes to sustainable development, including through addressing LDC graduation criteria, at a meeting in Milan, Italy. Participants also called for prioritizing LDCs at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) and in the post-2015 development agenda.

The UN Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) and the Government of Italy co-organized the meeting on the margins of Expo Milano 2015, the exhibit that Italy is hosting under the theme, ‘Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life.’

Transformation in LDCs will help eradicate poverty and hunger as well as help ensure these countries contribute to food security and global peace and prosperity, explained UN-OHRLLS High Representative Gyan Chandra Acharya. He called for prioritizing sustainable development in LDCs and ensuring “sufficient resources to facilitate needed infrastructure development to foster resilient communities and empower poor and marginalized rural households for inclusive and sustainable development in the LDCs.”

In a declaration, participants called for enhancing access to markets, technology and investment promotion as well as meeting commitments to official development assistance (ODA). They stressed the importance of strong leadership and national ownership in transforming their economies.

On graduation criteria, ministers highlighted the following key drivers of graduation from the LDC category: good governance; food security; access to modern energy; infrastructure development; and enhanced capacity to produce products and services. They recognized LDC graduation as a major milestone towards human development, broad-based growth and better resilience and discussed ensuring graduation in line with the 2011 Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA), which calls for at least half of LDCs to meet graduation criteria by 2020.

Government representatives from 29 countries, UN agencies, international organizations and the private sector attended the meeting. [UN-OHRLLS Press Release] [UN Press Release] [Expo Milano Website] [IPoA]