A rising number of countries will be leaving the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) group in the coming decades. There is a need for creating new regime of international support measures for these graduating countries. This was highlighted on 14 December 2018 at the UN headquarters in New York at the recent launch event of the book, “Bangladesh’s Graduation from the Least Developed Countries Group: Pitfalls and Promises”. The event was jointly organised by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) and the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).
The multi-authored book has been produced by the researchers at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka. It is based on extensive evidence-based analyses on possible opportunities and challenges of the new transition for Bangladesh and what it means for future policy uptakes. The book was published by London based publisher, Routledge in September 2018.
The launch event was chaired by Mr Rolland Mollerus, Chief, Secretariat of the Committee for Development Policy. The editor of the book, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Chair, Southern Voice and Distinguished Fellow, CPD delivered a curtain raising presentation, highlighting some of the main messages from the book. H.E. Mr Masud Bin Momen, Permanent Representative, Bangladesh Mission to the UN and H.E. Dr Perks M. Ligoya, Permanent Representative, Malawi Mission to the UN and Global Coordinator of the LDC Group provided comments on the presentation. Professor Sakiko Fukuda Parr from New School in New York also shared her remarks. Ambassador Ms Heidi Schroderus-Fox, Director of the office of UN-OHRLLS moderated the open debate that followed. Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Mr Towfiqul Islam Khan and Ms Sarah Sabin Khan, among the authors of the book, were also present at the launch event.
At the book launch event of “Bangladesh’s Graduation from the Least Developed Countries Group: Pitfalls and Promises” on 14 December 2018 at the UN Headquarters, New York. The event was organised by CDP and UN-OHRLLS. The book has been published by Routledge, London in September 2018.