Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020

E/RES/2018/26View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Economic and Social Council, under agenda item 11b Review and coordination of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020, published in 2018.

What other versions does this mandate have?

14 versions · 2003–2022

This is an older version — the most recent is E/RES/2022/19

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2022	E/RES/2022/19	Programme of action for the least developed countries for the decade 2022-2031	2,050	37%Compare
2021	E/RES/2021/19	Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020	1,025	40%Compare
2020	E/RES/2020/16	Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020	2,185	55%Compare
2019	E/RES/2019/3	Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020	2,052	66%Compare
2018	E/RES/2018/26	Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020	1,696	49%Compare

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

14 reports · 2003–2023

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2023	A/78/112 E/2023/94	Follow-up to the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries report of the Secretary-General	E/RES/2022/19
2022	A/77/73 E/2022/53	Follow-up to the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries report of the Secretary-General	E/RES/2021/19
2021	A/76/71 E/2021/13	Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 report of the Secretary-General	E/RES/2020/16
2020	A/75/72 E/2020/14	Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 report of the Secretary-General	E/RES/2019/3
2019	A/74/69	Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 report of the Secretary-General	E/RES/2018/26

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 subjects

Development Trends Economic Development Graduation Least Developed Countries Programme Implementation

What’s in this document?

16 operative paragraphs

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020;⁸

⁸A/73/80-E/2018/58.

Calls upon the least developed countries, their development partners, the United Nations system and all other actors to further intensify their efforts to fully and effectively implement, in a coordinated, coherent and expeditious manner, the commitments that have been made in the Istanbul Programme of Action2 in its eight priority areas, namely, (a) productive capacity, (b) agriculture, food security and rural development, (c) trade, (d) commodities, (e) human and social development, (f) multiple crises and other emerging challenges, (g) mobilizing financial resources for development and capacity-building and (h) good governance at all levels;

Invites the private sector, civil society and foundations to contribute to the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action in their respective areas of competence in line with the national priorities of the least developed countries;

Welcomes the operationalization of the Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries and the inauguration of its headquarters in Gebze, Turkey, which signify the achievement of the first Sustainable Development Goal target, target 17.8, takes note with appreciation of the contributions that Turkey, Norway, the Sudan, Bangladesh and the Philippines have made, and invites Member States, as well as international organizations, foundations and the private sector, to provide voluntary financial contributions and technical assistance to the Technology Bank to ensure its effective operation;

Reaffirms that the least developed countries, as the most vulnerable group of countries, need enhanced global support to overcome the structural challenges they face in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,3 and in this regard calls upon the international community to prioritize and strengthen support from all sources to facilitate the coordinated implementation and coherent follow-up to and monitoring of the Istanbul Programme of Action, the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development4 in the least developed countries;

Recognizes that significant additional domestic public resources, including at the subnational level, supplemented by international assistance as appropriate, will be critical to realizing sustainable development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda acknowledge the centrality of domestic resource mobilization underscored by the principle of national ownership, also recognizes that, while the least developed countries have made considerable efforts to mobilize domestic resources and attract private investment, further progress is needed, and underlines the importance of strengthening domestic enabling environments, including the rule of law and combating corruption at all levels and in all its forms;

Also recognizes that private business activity, investment and innovation are major drivers of productivity, inclusive economic growth and job creation, and that private international capital flows, in particular foreign direct investment, along with a stable international financial system, are vital complements to national development efforts;

Expresses its concern that bilateral official development assistance (ODA) to the least developed countries remains far from the target set out in the Istanbul Programme of Action and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, noting the reversal of the decline of ODA to the least developed countries in 2017 and expressing its appreciation to those few countries that have met or surpassed their commitments to 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) for ODA to developing targets and the target of 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of GNI for ODA to the least developed countries, calls upon ODA providers to fulfil their respective ODA commitments to the least developed countries, and encourages ODA providers to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.2 per cent of GNI for ODA to the least developed countries, while reiterating that an important use of international public finance, including official development assistance, is to catalyse additional resource mobilization from other sources, public and private;

Reaffirms that the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls, in accordance with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action⁹ and the outcomes of relevant United Nations conferences and resolutions of the General Assembly, including through investing in the development of women and girls and promoting their economic and political participation and equal access to economic and productive resources and education, is of fundamental importance and has a multiplier effect for achieving sustained and inclusive economic growth, poverty eradication and sustainable development;

⁹Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.

Recalls General Assembly resolution 67/221, and reiterates the request of the Assembly to the Committee for Development Policy to monitor the development progress of graduated countries, in consultation with the Governments of those countries, on a yearly basis for a period of three years after graduation becomes effective, and triennially thereafter, as a complement to two triennial reviews of the list of least developed countries, and to include its findings in its annual report to the Economic and Social Council;

Also recalls the recognition in the Political Declaration of the Comprehensive High-level Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020¹⁰ of the importance of the reviews by the Committee for Development Policy of the graduation criteria for the least developed countries, and the recommendation in the Political Declaration that the reviews be comprehensive, taking into account all aspects of the evolving international development context, including relevant agendas, and in this regard takes note of the decision of the Committee to implement a multi-year work programme for a comprehensive review of the least developed country criteria¹¹ and looks forward to its outcome;

¹⁰General Assembly resolution 70/294, annex.

¹¹Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2017, Supplement No. 13 (E/2017/33), chap. I, sect. A, para.12.

Reiterates that wider recognition of least developed country status could stimulate and facilitate better integration of the Istanbul Programme of Action into development policies, and in this regard takes note of the survey conducted by the Committee for Development Policy to collect information on the recognition and application of the least developed country category by entities of the United Nations development system and the recommendations of the Committee;¹²

¹²Ibid., para. 5.

Recalls the decision contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that effective linkages will be made with the follow-up and review arrangements of all relevant United Nations conferences and processes, including on the least developed countries, underlines the importance of strong synergy in the implementation of the recently adopted agendas and the Istanbul Programme of Action at the national and subnational levels, and encourages coordination and coherence in the follow-up of their implementation;

Expresses its serious concern at the fact that the share of expenditure for operational activities for development of the United Nations system in the least developed countries is declining and reached 46 per cent of total expenditures at the country level in 2016, compared with more than 50 per cent until 2014,8 urges the United Nations development system to continue to prioritize allocations to the least developed countries by developing operational guidelines, while reaffirming that the least developed countries, as the most vulnerable group of countries, need enhanced support to overcome structural challenges that they face in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and requests the United Nations development system to provide assistance to graduating countries in the formulation and implementation of their national transition strategies and to consider country-specific support for graduated countries for a fixed period of time and in a predictable manner;

Invites, in this regard, the United Nations development system to prioritize allocations to the least developed countries by developing operational guidelines with clear budget targets, as appropriate;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Council at its 2019 session, under the sub-item entitled “Review and coordination of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020” of the item entitled “Implementation of and follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits”, a progress report on the implementation of the Programme of Action.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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