The 59th Session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Trade and Development Board discussed ways to support the world's least developed countries (LDCs) to enable them to "graduate" from LDC status.
21 September: The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has convened the 59th session of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board, which discussed the situation of the world’s least devloped countries (LDCs).
The discussion focused on UNCTAD’s Programme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2011-2020, which includes a 2020 target of having half the world’s LDCs, many of which are small island developing States (SIDS), on track to “graduate” from the LDC category. So far only Botswana, Cape Verde, and Maldives have successfully graduated. Samoa is expected to graduate in 2014.
Experts discussed ways to enable LDCs to integrate into the global economy, including measures to improve their productive capacities and diversify their economies, and technical cooperation.
The 59th Session of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board is being held from 17-27 September 2012, in Geneva, Switzerland. [UNCTAD Press Release]