UNGA High-level Meeting on Middle-income Countries

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Meeting (HLM) on Middle-income Countries (MICs) will convene under the theme, ‘Development Cooperation with Middle-income Countries’. The meeting will discuss structural barriers for MICs in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and explore new approaches that go beyond gross domestic product (GDP) to inform international development cooperation and policy and financial decisions.

According to the meeting concept note, the World Bank characterizes over 100 countries as MICs, with Gross National Income (GNI) per capita between USD 1,146 and USD 14,005. MICs account for 75% of the global population, 60% of the world’s poor, and 33% of global GDP. However, there are vast differences in MICs across economic, environmental, and social development indicators. MICs also face common challenges, such as limited job creation, heavy reliance on primary commodity exports, unsustainable external debt levels, exchange rate volatility and limited capital flows, and adverse effects of climate change and disasters. The concept note argues that GDP measurement by itself “does not provide a comprehensive picture of a country’s development realities” or different challenges that exist among MICs.

Within this context, in the Pact for the Future, the UNGA reaffirmed the need to develop a framework on measures of progress on sustainable development that complement or go beyond GDP. This meeting is one opportunity to advance this discussion.

The meeting will feature an opening segment, a plenary segment on beyond GDP, and an interactive panel discussion. The panel will focus on the theme, ‘International Development Cooperation with MICs, Including Policy and Financial Decisions,’ and discuss various types of international development cooperation, recognizing MICs’ diverse needs and the importance of coordinated and inclusive support. The panel will consider six guiding questions related to:

• Building on the Pact for the Future and transforming political commitments into concrete actions towards the development of measures that complement or go beyond GDP;
• Tailored solutions, policies, initiatives, and practices that are proven to be effective towards advancing the development of MICs, including towards a digital revolution;
• Reform of the international financial architecture to reflect the economic weight and fit the needs of MICs and prevent looming liquidity and debt crises;
• The role of the Development in Transition approach in enabling equitable, inclusive, and just transition pathways for sustainable development;
• Transformative partnerships within and with MICs and leveraging South-South and Triangular cooperation; and
• The role of the private sector and public-private partnerships (PPPs) in crafting policies and providing financing for MICs.

The UNGA President will compile and circulate a brief summary of the meeting, which will also contribute to informing the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of the UNGA resolution on development cooperation with MICs (A/RES/78/162).

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