Statement by Honorable Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of Nepali Delegation at the Least Developed Countries’ (LDC) Summit
4 March 2023, Doha, Qatar
Mr. Chairman,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Madam High Representative and Under Secretary-General,
Excellencies, Ladies, and Gentlemen,
I would like to begin by thanking His Excellency Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of Malawi and Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of the LDCs, for organizing this important Summit.
I also express my sincere gratitude to the government of State of Qatar for its generous hospitality and for hosting this event in Doha.
Mr. Chair,
It has been more than half a century since 1971 when the United Nations recognized the least developed countries as a group that needed focused support measures for their development.
Even after implementation of four dedicated programs of action since 1981, support measures have proven insufficient and the LDCs still constitute about one fourth of the UN membership as we arrive in 2023.
The big question before us is why and how we continue to suffer from perpetuity of poverty and underdevelopment.
Mr. Chair,
The answer lies, among others, in the lack of sufficient and impactful support measures and meaningful collaboration to implement the programs of action.
Clearly, as in the 1980s, the LDCs need to transform the structures of their economies, with stronger industrial capacity, better productivity, and an expanded export base. For decades, LDC’s GDP and share of export in world trade have stayed around one percent, whereas they represent 14% of the global population.
In the face of multiple crises, LDCs are in need of huge investments in green and resilient industries, education, health, science and technologies, and agriculture.
More than ever, LDCs need quality, sustainable, and resilient infrastructures for energy, transportation, and digital connectivity.
We need robust social security and resilient health systems for protecting and securing the well-being of the most vulnerable groups of our society, and for developing and utilizing human resource potentials.
LDCs need inclusive and effective institutions for better governance at home as well as at global level.
The fruit of development generated by globalization has eluded us for decades.
It is true that we have achieved some progress; yet continue to be on the margin of global economic development.
While we are grateful to the assistance we have received, we call on our development partners for scaling up support, as our economies are facing the onslaught of mega global crises, such as the pandemic, conflicts, and climate disasters.
Therefore, we urge the development partners to fully meet their ODA commitments. ODA resources must increase along with concrete debt relief measures to overcome the challenges of rising debt and inflation.
Doha Program of Action is a blueprint of renewed and strengthened global partnership based on the principle of leaving no one behind. We, therefore, call on our development partners for concrete and substantial support in a spirit of shared responsibility and mutual accountability for the effective implementation of DPOA.
The LDCs are the worst victims of the climate crisis. As a matter of justice and for the survival of our economies and societies, the climate finance commitments made for adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage must be fully operationalized, with simplified access to LDCs.
Similarly, technology transfer, including the digital ones, must be ensured as they can catalyze SDG implementation, help combat pandemics and other crises.
Beyond incremental steps, we must take bold steps to reform the global economic and financial system with a view to making it just and equitable that would ensure the voice and effective participation of the developing world.
Mr. Chair,
The Constitution of Nepal recognizes the basic needs and services like education, health, food, water, and sanitation as human rights.
Our development plans have internalized global policy frameworks like the Agenda 2030, Paris Agreement and UN programs for LDCs and LLDCs into our national plans and programs.
Nepal is committed to achieving net-zero emission by 2045.
We are implementing a transition strategy for smooth and irreversible LDC graduation. We are committed to exert all-out efforts for the effective implementation of DPOA and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development to ensure that the graduation process would be smooth and sustainable.
To conclude, Mr. Chair, this Summit is an opportunity to collectively persuade our partners for their greater support to our resolve to implement the DPoA and Agenda 2030.
I thank you.