The UN General Assembly decided to postpone Samoa's graduation from Least Developed Country status until 1 January 2014, given the disruption caused to Samoa by the tsunami of September 2009.
7 September 2010: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a resolution extending the period before Samoa’s graduation from least developed country (LDC) status.
In resolution 64/295, issued on 13 October 2010, the UNGA decided to extend Samoa’s transition period by three years, until 1 January 2014, before its graduation from LDC status takes place.
The UNGA stressed the “exceptional nature” of the decision, taken in the context of the disruption caused by the Pacific Ocean tsunami of 29 September 2009, specifically the unprecedented human and material losses suffered in Samoa and the disruption to the country’s socio-economic progress.
The UNGA underscored its commitment to encouraging smooth transition measures for graduating countries. [The Resolution]