麻豆APP

Madam President of the General Assembly,
Mr. President of the ECOSOC,
Honorable Ministers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Colleagues,

Let me start by expressing my deepest appreciation to the President of the General Assembly and the President of ECOSOC for convening this important meeting & reiterating their strong support and commitment to the LDCs. 

I also thank Minister Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad and the Government of Qatar, for their steadfast commitment to supporting the LDCs and advancing the implementation of the DPOA.  

I  also thank Minister Jean Mathanga of Malawi for her kind presence and leadership.  

I also commend the Chair of the LDC group for his excellent stewardship.  

 I have the honour to address this meeting in my dual capacity as the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, and as Secretary-General of the Midterm Review of the Doha Programme of Action, which will take place in Doha, Qatar, in March 2027.

Excellencies,

We meet at a moment of profound global uncertainty.

The world today is markedly different than the one in which we adopted the Doha Programme of Action four years ago. 

Geopolitical tensions are deepening. Conflicts are multiplying. Climate-related disasters are becoming more frequent and severe. Economic fragmentation is weakening growth prospects.

For LDCs, these are not isolated shocks. They are overlapping and mutually reinforcing crises that continue to erode development gains and constrain progress towards the SDGs.

 Against this backdrop, the Midterm Review provides an important opportunity to take stock of progress, identify gaps, and renew our collective commitment to accelerating implementation during the second half of the decade.

Excellencies,

Four years into implementation, progress has been uneven.

While there are some encouraging signs, for instance:

A greater number of countries – 14 LDCs- are currently on the graduation pathway, and

Women's representation in national parliaments has reached 27.1%, matching the global average, yet the challenges remain formidable. 

More than 510 million people in LDCs continue to live in extreme poverty.

 Nearly 58% face moderate or severe food insecurity.

Manufacturing value added remains stagnant at just 14% of GDP, reflecting persistent structural vulnerabilities.

At the same time, development finance is under growing pressure, debt burdens are rising, and economic uncertainty continues to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable countries.

With less than five years remaining to achieve the 2030 Agenda, there is an urgent need to translate commitments into tangible results.

Excellencies,

Allow me to highlight five priorities that are critical to guiding our collective efforts as we embark on the MTR process.

First: we must accelerate the implementation of the DPOA with renewed urgency.

The DPOA remains the most comprehensive global framework for supporting the sustainable development and graduation of LDCs. 
The challenge before us is not one of vision, but of delivery.

I am pleased to report that implementation of DPOA’s flagship deliverables is advancing steadily.

The feasibility study for the Food Stockholding Mechanism has been completed and will be considered by the General Assembly later this year.

Through another DPOA deliverable, the Resilience Building Measures, targeted support is being provided for Early Warnings for All and National Adaptation Plans to LDCs.

The multi-stakeholder Task Force on the Online University, another flagship deliverable, is examining institutional options, with a soft launch envisaged at the Midterm Review. 

Through the Sustainable Graduation Support Facility, iGRAD, we are supporting countries in preparing and implementing Smooth Transition Strategies, and have recently completed graduation readiness assessments for Bangladesh and Nepal. 
 Progress is also being made towards operationalizing the International Investment Support Centre to help mobilize investment in productive sectors.

I wish to acknowledge the steadfast commitment and partnership of the State of Qatar, whose support has been instrumental in advancing these initiatives.

Second: we must place structural transformation and youth empowerment at the centre of our efforts.

Despite possessing significant natural resources, including critical minerals essential for the global green transition, nearly 70% of LDC exports remain concentrated in primary commodities and low-value-added products.

Achieving sustainable growth will require greater investment in productive capacities, technology, innovation and value addition.

Equally important is investment in people.

LDCs are home to over 315 million young people between the ages of 10 and 24. 
This demographic dividend can become a powerful engine of transformation if matched by quality education, skills development, entrepreneurship and decent jobs.

The Fourth LDC Future Forum, held in Helsinki, Finland last month, underscored the urgency of aligning education systems with the evolving needs of the current world. 

Its message was clear: empowering young people is not only a social imperative; it is an economic necessity.

I thank the Government of Finland for its partnership and solidarity with the LDCs.

Third: energy security must remain a top development priority.

Access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy remains beyond the reach of millions in LDCs.

While global electricity access stands at nearly 90%, it remains just above 60% in LDCs and falls below 50% in rural communities.

Energy insecurity constrains industrialization, weakens food systems, limits access to health and education services, and undermines climate resilience.

Accelerating investments in renewable energy, and strengthening energy infrastructure and access are therefore essential to achieving the objectives of the DPOA and the 2030 Agenda.

Fourth: we must reinvigorate global partnerships for development.

The financing landscape facing LDCs is becoming increasingly challenging.

ODA to LDCs has fallen by 25.8% last year - the largest single-year decline in history. 

Debt levels have tripled since 2010, reaching nearly USD 586 billion.

FDI remains limited, while growing trade restrictions threaten opportunities for integration into the global economy.

Reversing these trends will require stronger political commitment, renewed international solidarity, and enhanced cooperation to deliver on the financing, trade, investment and debt sustainability commitments of the DPOA and the 2030 Agenda.

In an increasingly fragmented world, partnerships matter more than ever.

And finally:  we must ensure that graduation becomes a milestone for sustainable development.

Since the adoption of the DPOA, two countries have graduated – Bhutan and Sao Tome & Principe; and a record 14 more are on the graduation pathway. 

These achievements deserve recognition. Yet graduation should be a reward for progress, not a source of new vulnerabilities.

This is why the ongoing work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Smooth Transition is so important. 

I commend the Co-Chairs, the Permanent Representatives of Angola and Finland, for their leadership, and encourage all Member States to support a strengthened and more predictable transition framework.

At the same time, we must not lose sight of those countries that remain furthest behind. 

Seventeen LDCs have yet to meet a single graduation criterion, many of them affected by conflict or post-conflict challenges. They require sustained, tailored and coordinated international support.

OHRLLS is developing dedicated support through iGRAD and preparing UN system-wide operational guidelines for countries in conflict and post-conflict situations, as mandated by the Doha Programme of Action.

Excellencies,

The Midterm Review in Doha next March offers a critical opportunity to renew global commitment to the world’s most vulnerable countries. 
Preparations are progressing well.

Nearly 30 LDCs have already submitted their national reports. 

The Asia-Pacific Regional Review has been successfully concluded, and preparations are underway for the Africa Regional Review.

These processes will help shape an ambitious and action-oriented outcome in Doha.

I therefore call upon all Member States and partners to engage actively in the preparatory process and to participate in the Midterm Review at the highest political level.

Let us seize this opportunity to strengthen partnerships, accelerate implementation and reaffirm our collective commitment to ensuring that the 1.2 billion people living in LDCs are not left behind.

Thank you.