Government officials and representatives from the private sector, academia, research institutes, and civil society from Bangladesh, Lao PDR, and Nepal, alongside the UN, have gathered in Bangkok, Thailand to attend a South-South Exchange on Preparing Smooth Transition Strategy (STS) for graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category.
The three-day event (August 23-25, 2022) is organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UNOHRLLS), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) together with the Offices of the UN Resident Coordinators (UNRCO) of Bangladesh, Lao PDR, and Nepal.
The event is funded by UNDESA through its Sustainable Graduation Support Facility – iGRAD. This initiative is part of the on-going support by the UN Development System for Bangladesh, Lao PDR, and Nepal as the only three countries recommended by the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP) for graduation during the ongoing global pandemic in February 2021.
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The Bangladesh delegation, led by Sharifa Khan, Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance, comprises LDC focal points from the Ministries of Commerce, Industries, Finance, Environment, along with PMO, BIDA, and NBR. Representatives from civil society and local think-tanks are also participating.
The delegation is accompanied by the representatives from the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator, led by Gwyn Lewis, the UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh.
Rabab Fatima, Under Secretary General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, lauded this collaboration between three graduating LDCs facilitated by UN agencies.
She said, “The compounded impact of multiple crises – such as COVID-19, growing food and commodity prices and the climate emergency – put development progress in the Least Developed Countries at risk. We are coming together to provide a better coordinated United Nations support. Our aim is to lessen the burden on each government’s capacity and catalyse sustainable progress”.
The head of Bangladesh delegation Sharifa Khan said: “The Government has taken a three-pronged approach to make graduation smooth and sustainable – ensuring the best utilization of the international support mechanisms(ISM) during the remaining preparatory period, adopting necessary policies, strategies, and measures to enhance productivity and remain competitive in the post-LDC regime, and advocating alongside other LDCs for extending the ISMs temporarily beyond graduation. ”
Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh emphasized the importance of LDC graduation as an opportunity for more inclusive policy regimes. She said, “STS is an opportunity for long-term thinking on issues of improved compliance with international standards in terms of labour rights, good governance, environment, and human rights.”
Source: United News of Bangladesh