The global community should extend all possible support towards smooth graduation of the LDCs from its status by delivering on all the commitments of the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA).
LDCs’ graduation should be deemed an accomplishment rather than an eventuality that ought to be avoided.
The remarks came from Guest of Honour H E Mevlüt Çavuşoǧlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Turkey at the launch of an LDC IV Monitor report titled “Istanbul Programme of Action for the LDCs (2011-2020): Monitoring Deliverables, Tracking Progress,” on 15 October 2014 in New York.
The report, published by Commonwealth Secretariat, looks at the state of implementation of IPoA adopted at the Fourth UN Conference on LDCs in 2011. Read more about the report on the CS website.
LDC IV Monitor is an initiative of eight international institutions of which Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) is the Secretariat. The initiative was set up in the wake of the UN LDC IV aiming to work on LDC issues and provide independent assessment of the state of implementation of the IPoA.
At the launch, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Chair of LDC IV Monitor and Distinguished Fellow of CPD, introduced the publication to an audience which included Ambassadors, UN officials, representatives of international development community and members of the LDC IV Monitor. LDC IV Monitor will continue its work by contributing to the upcoming mid-term official review of the IPoA to take place in 2015, noted Dr Bhattacharya.
The launching ceremony was also addressed by H E Mr Jean-Francis Régis Zinsou, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Benin to the United Nations and Coordinator of the LDC Group in the UN System, New York, Ms Hiedi Schroderus-Fox, Director, Office of the High Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS (UN-OHRLLS), Ms Susan Myers, Vice President, UN Relations, UN Foundation and Ms Min-Thu Pham, Senior Director of Policy, UN Foundation.
The speakers appreciated the contribution of the initiative in keeping the concerns and interests of LDCs alive in global and national platforms.
The event was jointly organised by United Nations Foundation, Permanent Missions of Turkey and Benin, which is the LDC Coordinator in the United Nations, and LDC IV Monitor partners.