Ahead of a major UN conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) taking place in Istanbul next week (9-13 May), UNA-UK is urging the UK Government to demonstrate its commitment to helping the world's poorest states by sending high-level representation to this important event.
LDCs have a combined population of 885 million people, of whom 75% live on less than $2 a day. They are the most vulnerable to natural and climate-related disasters, and suffer disproportionately from diseases eradicated in other parts of the world.
Most of these countries are not on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals – the UN's flagship anti-poverty initiative – so their progress is essential to securing the success of this 15-year campaign.
But LDCs also have enormous growth and development potential. They sustained a rate of 6-7% annual growth for most of the last decade, managing to generate 4% during the 2009 economic downturn. Their lands account for a significant share of the world's strategic minerals and resources: oil, gas, coal, gold, silver, diamonds, bauxite, cobalt, uranium and coltan.
LDCs also hold vast tracts of arable land; rainforests that stave off global warming and host great biodiversity; abundant sources of renewable energy; enormous fresh water reserves; and precious marine and coastal resources.
Most LDC governments are enacting investor-friendly reforms, and they have young and creative workforces. Trade and incoming investment are on the upswing.
Developing programmes and partnerships with LDCs will not only help to lift their populations out of poverty, but also contribute significantly to the prosperity and security of the world as a whole.
It is therefore vital that the UK government, as a key development donor; UK businesses, as potential investors; and UK civil society, as important NGO partners, engage with next week's conference and the resulting plan of action.
UNA-UK welcomes the UK Government's support for LDCs to date, as demonstrated by its commitment – even in times of austerity – to giving 0.7% of its GNI in development aid by 2013, and its decision to give a greater proportion of aid to LDCs.
We now urge the UK Government to further demonstrate its commitment to the world's poorest states by sending high-level representation to next week's conference, and by working with UK businesses and NGOs on implementing the follow-up plan of action.
