Will the least developed countries be left behind?

    OECD_CPD-Beyond-Shifting-WealthIn a recent analysis, Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya and Research Associate Ms Sarah Sabin Khan of CPD, have presented the importance of least developed countries (LDCs) as a key ‘battleground’ for  the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The analysis titled as Will the Least Developed Countries be Left Behind?: The Risks of A Universal Development Agenda was published as  Section 1 in the Chapter 5 on “New forms of development co-operation” in the book titled Beyond Shifting Wealth: Perspective on Development Risks and Opportunities from the Global South.

    This section presents the fact that few LDCs have graduated from the group since the introduction of the LDC category in 1971 – only four countries have graduated since 1994. They face a number of key challenges over the coming 15 years including- slowing economic convergence with the advanced countries, inequality and jobless growth, lack of economic diversification, dependency on natural resources, high preponderance of conflict situations, and vulnerability to economic and climactic shocks. To mitigate the risk of the LDCs being left behind in light of these challenges, the authors argue three key policy perspectives- increased financial resources, access to technology and support for capacity building from the international community, enhanced protection from various systematic risks, and enabling domestic reforms to complement international support measures.

    Read the Chapter here

     

    Publisher: OECD Publishing, Paris
    Publishing year: 2017

    DOI: 10.1787/9789264273153-8-en
    ISBN 978-92-64-27314-6 (print)
    ISBN 978-92-64-27315-3 (pdf)