麻豆APP

H.E Ms. Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland
H.E. Lok Bahadur Thapa, Chair of LDC Group and President of ECOSOC
Hon’ble Ministers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Colleagues

It is a great honour and privilege to address you at the opening of the Fourth LDC Future Forum.

At the outset, I convey my deep regret and disappointment for not being able to join you in person due to an unforeseen indisposition. I had a fall last week and injured my arm; and my doctors advised against travel. 

[Excellencies] I wish to begin by expressing my deep appreciation to the Government of Finland for hosting this Forum for the 4th consecutive year. 

Finland's steadfast partnership has helped shape this Forum into an important platform for policy dialogue and practical solutions for the LDCs. 

Over the past four years, the Forum has brought together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and development partners to engage on some of the most pressing challenges facing LDCs.

The large presence of all stakeholders and partners this year is a powerful testament of the Forum’s growing relevance and impact. 

Excellencies,
Distinguished Colleagues,

The theme of this year’s Forum is both timely and vitally important. 

Around the world, conversations on youth empowerment, education, skills and innovation are gaining unprecedented momentum.

Technological transformation is reshaping economies, labour markets, and societies at extraordinary speed.

From the digital revolution to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, the future is increasingly being defined by knowledge, connectivity and innovation.

Yet many LDCs remain at risk of being left behind. 

The statistics are sobering.

Tertiary enrolment in LDCs stands at just 11%, compared to a global average of over 43%. 

 Internet use in LDCs remains at just 34%, against a global average of 74%. In rural and marginalized communities, the disparities are even wider.

At the same time, LDCs account for nearly one-fifth of the world’s youth population, yet only 4.6% of global STEM programmes are offered in these countries. 

This widening divide in education, digital access and innovation capacity risks creating not only an economic gap, but also a profound generational divide.

If left unaddressed, millions of young people could face growing exclusion and diminished opportunities, precisely at the moment when the global economy is undergoing historic transformation.

Excellencies,

Yet within this challenge lies immense promise. 

More than 60% of the population in LDCs is under the age of 25 – which is over 315 million young people – and they represent one of the greatest untapped sources of talent, creativity and resilience in the world today.

Across LDCs, young people are already innovating, building businesses, developing digital solutions, and leading change within their communities - often against considerable odds.  

Several African LDCs have even achieved "innovation overperformer" status in the Global Innovation Index, demonstrating that progress is possible when investment, policy support and leadership come together.

This demographic transformation can become one of the greatest development opportunities of our time. But demographic potential alone does not guarantee development outcomes.

It must be matched by investment, opportunity, and political commitment.

The Doha Programme of Action places youth and human capital at the very heart of its development vision. 

Priority Area 1 of DPOA - Investing in People in LDCs - calls for strengthening education, skills development, digital connectivity, innovation ecosystems and expanded opportunities for young people to participate meaningfully in economic life.

Our challenge now is to translate those commitments into action with urgency and ambition.

Excellencies,

Allow me to highlight four priorities for transformative action in this regard.

Our first priority must be to urgently bridge the skills gap.

Education and training systems in many LDCs are struggling to keep pace with rapidly evolving labour markets.

Curricula must better equip young people with digital, analytical and entrepreneurial skills relevant to the economies of the future.  Technical and vocational education and training systems must also be strengthened through closer partnerships with industry and employers.

We cannot build the economies of tomorrow on an education system designed for yesterday.

Second: we must accelerate the digital learning revolution.

In this regard, I wish to highlight one of the important DPOA deliverable: the proposed Online University for LDCs. 

The Secretary-General's feasibility report confirms that such a platform is not only feasible but urgently needed. 

The objective is not to establish another standalone institution, but to strengthen the existing LDC higher education institutions through shared STEM programmes, virtual learning resources, and pathways to globally recognized qualifications.

A hybrid model combining a network of LDC universities with regional and global partnerships has emerged as the most promising approach - scalable, contextually relevant, and nationally owned. 

Important groundwork has already begun to agree on institutional structures and implementation pathways.

The General Assembly at its 81st session is expected to endorse the operationalization of this key DPOA deliverable, with a view to its launching at the 2027 Midterm Review of the Doha Programme of Action. 

Third: we must strengthen youth innovation ecosystems.

Nearly 70% of LDC youth are engaged in self-employment and informal economic activities. Yet many continue to face limited access to finance, technology and markets. Research and development investment in LDCs remains far below the global average. 

LDCs need stronger innovation ecosystems - including incubators, technology hubs, research centers and university-linked innovation labs that support entrepreneurship and creativity. 

Governments must simplify regulatory environments and integrate young enterprises into national and regional value chains.

Development partners and the private sector should expand blended finance, impact investment and early-stage risk capital for youth-led enterprises.

And my final point is: [that] we must place inclusion at the center of development strategies.

Inclusive growth cannot be treated as an afterthought. 

Young women and girls continue to face disproportionate barriers in accessing quality education, digital technologies, finance and formal employment opportunities, particularly in STEM fields. 

Rural youth, people with disabilities, and young people living in fragile and conflict-affected settings also remain significantly excluded.

Addressing these inequalities requires targeted and inclusive policies - including gender-responsive education systems, scholarships for girls in STEM, strengthened school-to-work transition programmes, digital literacy initiatives, and greater access to finance and entrepreneurship support.

Excellencies,
Distinguished Colleagues,

As we approach the mid-point of the DPOA, preparations are now fully underway for the Comprehensive High-Level Midterm Review of the DPOA, to be held in Doha in March 2027. 

As the Secretary-General of that Review, I am committed to ensuring that it becomes a moment of renewed ambition, stronger partnerships and accelerated implementation.

The recommendations, evidence, and partnerships emerging from Helsinki - will be an important contribution to those preparations. 

I therefore urge all partners - governments, international organizations, the private sector, civil society and academia - to come to the Midterm Review with concrete commitments that can translate the vision of DPOA into tangible progress on the ground.

Excellencies, 

History will judge us not by the challenges we faced, but by the choices we made in response to them. 

Today, millions of young people across LDCs are demonstrating extraordinary resilience, creativity and determination in the face of immense constraints. They do not lack talent or ambition. Too often, they simply lack opportunities.

The message from Helsinki must therefore be clear: investing in young people is not an act of charity. It is one of the smartest and most strategic investments the international community can make for our shared future.

Once again, my deep regrets for not being there with you in person for an exciting, packed 3 days ahead. 

I send you my very best wishes for a truly productive and impactful Forum. 

I thank you.