KATHMANDU: For the next three years, Nepal will preside over the Global Coordination Bureau of the Least Developed Countries (LDC).
According to a press release from the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York, Nepal took over the chairmanship on April 5 during a ceremony held at the UN Headquarters in New York. The handover ceremony was presided over by Amrit Bahadur Rai, the ambassador and permanent representative of Nepal to the UN.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Rai praised Malawi for successfully leading the group amidst the whirlwind of various crises brought on by the pandemic, climate change, and geopolitical tensions, which had a severe impact on the LDCs in terms of food, energy, and financial problems.
In order to protect and advance the common interests of the LDCs, he reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to cooperating in a spirit of solidarity with other LDCs, the UN system, and development partners.
The LDC Chair, Ambassador Rai, declared that the Doha Programme of Action’s successful implementation would always come first. The Doha Programme of Action must be integrated into all pertinent UN processes and outcomes, he added.
Rai also reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to working for poverty reduction and sustainable development, securing improved international support measures for graduating countries, boosting trade and investment opportunities, addressing gender and social inequalities, and building resilience to climate change and disasters.
Similarly, Ambassador Rai stressed the importance of the LDC group’s cohesion and solidarity in order to win strong international backing, including through official development assistance, debt relief, and technology transfer. He also emphasized the need for a democratic global governance system that would give LDCs a voice and representation in processes for making decisions on a global scale.
Rabab Fatima, USG and High Representative, spoke at the event and congratulated Nepal on taking on such a significant role. She also pledged the full support and assistance of her office to the LDC group and its coordination bureau.
In addition to the Ambassadors and delegates from the LDCs, the press release stated that the outgoing Chair Agnes Chimbiri Molande, Permanent Representative of Malawi, Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and UN High Representative for the LDC, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, attended the ceremony.