Contrary to a recent wire service story, UNCTAD has never published a report stating that Viet Nam had been removed from the United Nations list of least developed countries (LDCs). Viet Nam has never been on that list, nor does it meet the criteria required for inclusion in the category.
The United Nations uses three core criteria for determining which countries can be considered "least developed". These are: a low-income criterion, an economic vulnerability criterion and a human capital weakness criterion. In its April 2003 review of the list, the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP) observed that, while Viet Nam clearly meets the first criterion (gross national income per capita under $750) and marginally meets the second, it does not meet the third, which is a particular score on the "Human Assets Index" - a composite indicator of nutrition, health and education.
In addition, for countries to be eligible to be added to the list of LDCs, their population must not exceed 75 million; Viet Nam´s population is currently 80.2 million. The ceiling was included because large developing countries, though not generally spared by poverty, are regarded as being less structurally handicapped in their development efforts than small low-income countries, which are more vulnerable to external shocks and face a greater risk of remaining poor.
The triennial review of the list of least developed countries is conducted by the CDP, a group of independent experts appointed by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC). The Committee´s recommendations will be considered by ECOSOC at its next substantive session in July. There are currently 49 LDCs.
UNCTAD´s Special Programme on the Least Developed Countries, and Landlocked and Island Developing Countries aims at promoting the socioeconomic development of countries in these three categories through research, policy analysis and technical assistance, particularly for capacity-building. It is also one of the main sources of statistical information on the LDCs.
