The world community gathered in Doha for the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

The agenda of the conference was to build a new program of action to help the least-developed countries in achieving stable socio-economic goals.

The six key areas that were discussed were investing in people, eradicating poverty, and building capacity. Similarly, the use of science, technology, and innovation, including structural transformation was on agenda.

In addition, opportunities for international trade, mitigating the climate crisis, and international partnership for sustainable growth also came under discussion.

There were discussion sessions held in the fields of the private sector and South-South cooperation.

It was attended by more than 6,000 participants, including heads of state and government, regional and international organizations, government officials, and experts from different countries of the world.

Private Sector Forum

The conference aimed to help improve the economic and financial state of the least-developed countries.

In a Private Sector Forum, special focus was made on improving access to finance, creation of jobs, transfer of technology, and promotion of long-term sustainability in LDCs.

Moreover, the Forum also discussed options for the improvement of digital connectivity for driving progress in the LDCs, also improving agricultural and rural development.

Rabab Fatima, Secretary-General of the LDCs, said that this forum calls for leaving no one behind in the provision of improving socio-economic indicators. The mobilization of the private sector is essential for sustainable growth in the least developed countries.

She also highlighted the importance of collaboration and partnership as engaging resources, expertise, and enterprising spirit effectively would lead towards developmental changes and progress.

That would help in building progressive and prosperous societies. The panel of the forum also discussed & interacted with the partnership strategies in the private sector for sustainable energy, agriculture, digital connectivity, climate change, & tourism.

The collaborations and networking opportunities would provide a platform for practicing new ideas, and identification of solutions to promote private sector engagement in LDCs.

The forum held under the theme of ‘From Potential to Posterity’, is an opportunity for the acceleration of sustainable development in order to tap the full potential of the 46 least developed countries.

Space for Innovation and Technology for Acceleration of Growth

The conference also pondered the use of innovation and technology to increase growth rates in the least developed countries. These countries truly lack substantial problem-solving techniques with the use of innovation and technology.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiated Labs approach innovations from the bottom up through learning from women and men that are closest to development challenges.

Also, those people including women and children are most affected by the climate crisis. The UNDP Accelerator Lab Network created in 2019, surfaced over 3,000 grassroots solutions covering all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Almost two-thirds of solutions come from the least developed countries, these solutions call for adaptability and to increase problem-solving techniques such as, generating energy and creating value from waste.

There are highlights of innovative individuals in the least developed countries, such as in Sierra Leone, 24-year-old, self-taught engineer, Emmanuel Alie Mansaray built the imagination car that is powered by waste.

Women and men are intriguing the boundaries of innovations even in the least developed countries. Many least-developed countries are contributing towards innovations such as Nepal, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Togo.

These countries use waste such as plastic bottles, rice bran, or plastic bags to make furniture, roads, and even to create new buildings.

Digital Cleavages

According to the new special report from the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the digital divide between the developed world and LDCs is widening.

Only 36 percent of the population in LDCs use internet sources since 2011. In 2022, about 407 million people in LDCs use the internet, and 720 million people are still offline.

That represents 27 percent of the global offline population, although the LDC population accounts for only 14 percent of the world population.

Sustainable Digital Transformation

Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) provides a blueprint for renewed engagements with the least developed countries. This includes the partnership with the private sector, civil society, and governments at all levels.

It also highlighted the importance of the provision of substantial support to LDCs, stated by the, UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin at one of the key roundtable discussions.

This would ensure affordable and reliable access to all internet-based facilities. The digital development of the LDCs with science, technology, and innovation would open up new horizons of opportunities.

The developed world is responsible for the creation of meaningful connectivity with sustainable digital transformation.

Through a public-private partnership under the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, the mobilization of more than 600 pledges worth nearly $30 billion has been made.

Inclusivity in Digitalization

Justin Spelhaug, the Vice-President & Global Head/Tech for Social Impact of Microsoft Philanthropies, discussed that in the least developed countries over 50 percent of the population is young, under the age of 19.

This workforce in the digital community could revolutionize the socio-economic indicators of respective LDCs if used effectively.

Moreover, he stated that mutual collaborations and partnership among the UN agencies, Microsoft, and the LDCs is inevitable to make a difference.

He further stressed the need for World Bank’s Digital Development Partnership Programme, which aims to increase sustainable access to technology.

It also aims to boost digital public goods, broadband, & digital capacity-building services in the world’s least-developed countries. This program with the LDCs would create positive impacts on the LDCs.

Background

United Nations (UN), started to pay special attention to the economic and social concerns of the least developed countries in the 1960s.

UN recognized these states as the most vulnerable. In the 1970s, the UN has taken special measures to support the least developed countries.

The category of the least developed countries (LDCs) was started in 1971, by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in order to attract special international support for the weaker states in terms of socio-economic issues.

The first conference on the socio-economic conditions of the least developed countries happened in 1981 in Paris. It was called the United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries. It adopted a special Substantiation New Programme of Action.

Second United Nations Conference was held in 1990 that adopted the Paris Declaration and the Programme of Action for the LDCs.

The Third UN Conference on the LDCs held in 2002 in Brussels and adopted the Brussels Declaration and the Brussels Programme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2001-2010.

In 2008, the fourth UN Conference was held in Turkey and adopted the Brussels Programme of Action.

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