LDCs

Least developed countries continue to face significant obstacles in the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To help Member States meet the pledge to leave no one behind, the United Nations system is working to amplify its support to vulnerable countries and peoples.

In its resolution 76/258 on the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries (DPoA), the General Assembly invited CEB and the High-level Committee on Programmes to support the coordination and follow-up of the implementation of the DPoA on a system-wide basis.

The High-level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) receives annual progress reports prepared by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). The most recent highlighted, inter alia:

  • progress on actions set out in the roadmap for the accelerated implementation of the DPoA, drawing on commitments made at the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), including progress towards the five key deliverables of the DPoA,
  • brief updates on LDC graduation and on preparations for the high-level midterm review of the implementation of the DPoA (25-27 March 2027, Doha, Qatar), and
  • recommendations encouraging the UN system to scale up assistance to LDCs and provide its full support to the implementation of the DPoA, including by contributing to the midterm review.

The progress report also proposed that HLCP hold a discussion on the subject in 2026, further to which HLCP decided to include a dedicated agenda item on the implementation of the DPoA at its 52nd session (October 2026). There, members are expected to deliberate on the challenges facing LDCs in today’s development context and how UN system entities – individually and collectively – can help accelerate the implementation of the DPoA and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Report on United Nations Support to LDCS (2021)

In 2021, UN-OHRLLS produced a report entitled United Nations support to the Least Developed Countries to facilitate a better understanding of the work of the UN system across the LDCs in the lead up to LDC5. The report informed preparatory discussions as well as the high-level event convened at the Conference by the Secretary-General. In analyzing best practices across the IPoA priority areas, the report also informed HLCP’s efforts to support coordination and follow-up of the IPoA implementation on a system-wide basis, as requested by the General Assembly.

  • Chief Executives Board (CEB)
  • High-level Committee on Programmes (HLCP)

Documents

  • HLCP-50 LDCs Progress Report

    PDF | 283.4 KB

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