Join conference call with UN OHRLLS & LDC Watch

We have received the following from UN-NGLS:

We invite you to participate in a conference call with UN OHRLLS* and LDC Watch, hosted by UN-NGLS, to discuss the upcoming Mid-Term Review on the Istanbul Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries (in Antalya, Turkey 27-29 May) and its synergies with Agenda 2030, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and the Paris Climate Agreement.

*OHRLLS: UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

The High-Level Mid-Term Review is the first major UN Conference after the adoption of the SDGs and provides a unique opportunity to address the special needs of the LDCs - the most vulnerable countries. Leaving no-one behind, as called by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, will require lifting more than 400 million people out of extreme poverty by 2030 in the LDCs.

Calls will be conducted on 5 and 9 May at 10:00am NY time.

Please RSVP to participate in one or both of the calls here: http://bit.ly/LDC-MTR-Calls-RSVP

Connection details will be provided the day before the call. 

Provision will be made for those who do not have internet access.

Agenda for each call

1) Presentations by:

Mr. Tomás González of OHRLLS

Mr. Gauri Pradhan, International Coordinator of LDC Watch

2) Questions from call participants / discussion 

Background

The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) comprise nearly a billion people (about 12 per cent of the world population), but account for less than 2 percent of the world Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and about 1 percent of global trade in goods.

Their level of socio-economic development is characterized by low and unequally distributed income, a large share of the population living in extreme poverty and scarcity of domestic financial resources, and insufficient human and institutional capacities. Their agrarian economies are affected by a vicious cycle of low productivity and low investment. They rely on the export of few primary commodities as major source of export and fiscal earnings, which makes them vulnerable to external terms-of-trade shocks. Only a handful has diversified into the manufacturing sector, though with a limited range of products in labor-intensive industries, i.e. textiles and clothing.

The UN General Assembly decided to hold the comprehensive high-level Mid-Term Review of the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action, which will take place from 27 to 29 May, 2016, in Antalya, Turkey (see resolution A/RES/69/231  on the “Follow-up to the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries”).

The High-Level Mid-Term review will undertake an assessment of the challenges, share best practices and lessons learned and identify obstacles, constraints and actions and initiatives needed to overcome them, as well as new challenges and emerging issues faced by the most vulnerable countries on earth.

Register for the Mid Term-Review on the Istanbul Programme of Action for LDCs in Antalya, Turkey (27-29 May 2016)

Non-governmental organizations that are in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and non-governmental organizations that were accredited to the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV) in 2011 wishing to attend the Mid-Term Review should register here by 15 May 2016: http://www.unngls.org/index.php/ldc-mid-term-review/registration

(Non-governmental organizations not in consultative status with ECOSOC and not accredited to LDC-IV were able to apply for special accreditation through 29 April 2016.)

See: Register for the High-level Mid-Term Review of the Istanbul Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries, Antalya, Turkey