Contribution of UNCTAD to the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020: Third progress report

The Trade and Development Board

1. Welcomes the extensive activities undertaken by UNCTAD in implementing the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020 through its research and policy analysis, technical cooperation and capacity-building and intergovernmental consensus-building activities, as contained in document TD/B/61/8;
    
2. Recognizes the Istanbul Programme of Action as a strategic framework for strong partnership between the least developed countries (LDCs) and their development partners to put an end to structural impediments facing LDCs in their efforts to reduce poverty and to meet their development objectives, including the goal of graduation by 2020;
    
3. Encourages the UNCTAD secretariat to enhance interdivisional coordination and cooperation in all areas of work pertaining to LDCs, particularly in the implementation of the relevant actions and commitments contained in the Istanbul Programme of Action and to continue to report to the regular session of the Board;
    
4. Notes with interest that several LDCs are making progress towards meeting some of the graduation criteria in the foreseeable future, although achieving the Istanbul Programme of Action target of “enabling half the number of least developed countries to meet the graduation criteria by 2020” remains a challenge, given the current growth performance of LDCs, which is by far lower than the agreed target of a 7 per cent annual growth rate;
    
5. Urges stakeholders, particularly LDCs and their development and trading partners as well as the United Nations system, to redouble efforts for the full and effective implementation of the actions and commitments contained in the Istanbul Programme of Action, taking into account the post-2015 development agenda of the United Nations and the forthcoming midterm review of the Istanbul Programme of Action;
    
6. Reiterates the importance of developing productive capacities and promoting structural economic transformation, including diversification of LDC economies to effectively address the root causes of underdevelopment in LDCs, promote sustained economic growth and development, expand productive employment and enable them to meet the graduation objective of the Istanbul Programme of Action;
    
7. Emphasizes that, while LDCs have primary responsibility to put in place a conducive overall macroeconomic environment for their own development, including enhancing the role of the private sector, the support of the international community is indispensable to achieve the goals of the Istanbul Programme of Action;
    
8. Urges the UNCTAD secretariat, with the support of member States and in collaboration with United Nations system agencies, to expedite its ongoing work on developing indicators and benchmarks for productive capacities aimed at assisting LDCs to mainstream such capacities into their domestic policies and strategies, pursuant to paragraph 65 (e) of the Doha Mandate;
    
9. Acknowledges the valuable contribution of UNCTAD to the implementation of the Enhanced Integrated Framework and calls on the organization, in collaboration with core Framework agencies, to continue to play a proactive and increasing role at the country level, especially in country follow-up and implementation of the Framework;
    
10. Further acknowledges that the challenges of successful implementation of the Enhanced Integrated Framework also lie in providing support to Enhanced Integrated Framework countries in building national implementation capacities and in mainstreaming trade into national development and poverty reduction strategies;
     
11. Recognizes the importance of UNCTAD’s continued and expanded engagement in support of LDCs and urges the secretariat to strengthen its work on LDCs, including through adequate allocation of resources to the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes, as per the agreed conclusions of the fifty-seventh session of the Working Party on the Strategic Framework and the Programme Budget;
     
12. Calls on the secretariat to continue and enhance its support to the LDCs in assisting them in the context of multilateral trade negotiations, including those of the World Trade Organization;
     
13. Reiterates paragraph 7 of the decision of the sixty-first session of the Trade and Development Board with regard to the mobilization of resources to the LDC Trust Fund;
     
14. Invites UNCTAD to analyse, on an ongoing basis, experience gained from successful assistance projects carried out in certain LDCs and to utilize its conclusions and insights as much as possible for the benefit of other LDCs within and outside the same region.