Press Release

Today, a meeting of the group of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) held in New York at the Ambassadorial level discussed the matters related to the preparation for the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries and the issues of interest of the LDCs to in the run up to the World Summit on Food Security to be held in Rome from 16-18 November. Permanent Representative of Nepal, Mr. Madhu Raman Acharya, chaired the meeting in Nepal’s capacity as the chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of the LDCs. The meeting also decided to take up the requested deferral of proposed graduation of Samoa from the LDCs until the Pacific island country recovered from the devastating effects of a recent tsunami that hit the country’s economy badly.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Acharya informed the formation of a high-level national committee in Nepal headed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to coordinate the issues of interest of the LDCs. He informed that Nepal as a chair had been actively participating in the debates in the General Assembly making statements and interventions on issues of the interests of the least developed countries and negotiating on behalf of the group on important resolutions thereof. He said that on behalf of the group of the least developed countries Nepal had made statements on various issues such as poverty eradication, financing for development, sustainable development, macroeconomic policies issues, ICT for development etc. in the current session of the Second Committee. He briefed the LDC members on the ongoing negotiation with development partners on the draft resolution regarding the preparations of the Fourth LDC Conference to be held in Turkey in 2011. He requested the member states to complete their comprehensive national reports on the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for 2001-2010 as this would be an important guide in preparation for the Fourth Conference. He also briefed the meeting on the latest status of the negotiation on climate change in the run-up to the Copenhagen Conference on climate change.

High Representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing countries Mr. Cheick Sidi Diarra made a presentation on ongoing and future activities related to the least developed countries, especially on the preparation of the Fourth UN Conference on the LDCs. Dr. Arjun Karki, President of the LDC Watch, a civil society network of the NGOs in the least developed countries, also made a brief presentation on challenges and the upcoming issues of interest for the least developed countries.

Ambassadors of the LDC member states exchanged views on the preparations of the Fourth Conference of the LDCs, the upcoming World Summit on food security and the ongoing negotiations on climate change in the run up to the Copenhagen Conference. Making farewell remarks to Ambassador Acharya, who will be leaving New York soon on completion of his tour of duty of Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN, the LDC ambassadors also appreciated his role as chair of the LDCs at the ambassadorial level. 
Permanent Mission of Nepal

to the United Nations

New York

11 November 2009.

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