ldc Archive

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LDCs set to jump start to a green economy

– 6 June 2011Posted in: Development

With their low-carbon profile, rich natural assets and promising policy initiatives, the world’s 48 least developed countries are well-positioned to jump start the transition to a green economy, according to a new UN report released at the start of the Fourth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV). Carla September reviews the report, titled Why a Green Economy Matters for the Least Developed Countries. http://www.world-economy-and-development.org/wearchiv/042ae69ee20b05812.php
According to a new report released by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), most of the investments taken in LDCs have not yet resulted in significant economic growth and job creation. ”Such investment has not tended to ‘fertilize’ LDC economies by leading to greater links between foreign businesses and local firms that can spread know-how and technology and help spur broad-based, long-term economic growth,” the body emphasised. In order to effectively address those countries’ economic potential, the international community should strengthen the ability of LDCs to attract foreign investments by inter alia setting up a ”LDC infrastructure development fund”, the report reads. http://tinyurl.com/63op5zt

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Key development challenges facing the Least Developed Countries

– 22 February 2010Posted in: Development, Poverty, Trade

A new approach is necessary if the world’s most poverty-stricken countries are to escape their predicament, speakers said this afternoon in opening a two-day UNCTAD meeting of experts, which aims to spur ideas for 2011 conference on Least Developed Countries. UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi said experience has shown that outside efforts to help LDCs must focus more on enabling them to diversify their economies — to be less dependent on raw materials or agricultural commodities, ”on copper, on cocoa, on coffee.” Enhancing such economies’ ”productive capacities” offers hope that these nations can make steady progress and be less vulnerable to external shocks, such as the global recession and the natural disasters that recently struck Haiti and Samoa, Mr. Supachai said. ”Some countries had been successful in diversifying their economies, in creating jobs, in improving governance,” Mr. Supachai said. ”We should be able to learn from lessons past so that things will be better in the future.” He added: ”We should be looking at ways of making LDC status a temporary status.” http://tinyurl.com/ydkunn7

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