President of NGO Federation of Nepal Dr. Arjun Karki.
(File Photo)

A civil society leader and coordinator of the LDC watch, Dr. Arjun Karki, has said the doubling of LDCs (Least Developed Countries) over the last three-and-half decades– indicates the failure of aid and development policies to reverse the deterioration of socio-economic conditions in vulnerable countries and to stop other countries from becoming poorer.

Addressing the ministerial conference of the LDCs on the mid-term comprehensive global review of the implementation of the programme of action for the LDCs for the decade 2001-2010 at Cotonou, Benin early this week, Dr. Karki—who is the coordinator of the LDC Watch—said the Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA) agreed in May 2001 aimed to ensure that the LDCs achieve sustainable development by 2001. “Five years later, reviewing the first half of the targeted decade, the scenario looks just as bleak warranting all the more attention and commitment from all the key stakeholders,” he said.

While defining the category of LDCs in 1971, the United Nations identified 24 countries of the world as LDCs. Today, there are 50 LDCs – including Nepal– where 81% of the population lives on less than US $2 a day.

Dr. Karki—who is also the president of the NGO Federation of Nepal—said the ever growing wave of globalization and its devastating impact still marginalizes the LDCs, which in turn has led to the perpetuation of poverty and underdevelopment in these countries. Moreover, much needed international support to tackle pre- and post- conflict challenges and its inherent vulnerabilities and constraints, has also remained inadequate, he said.

LDC Watch is convinced that if the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are not achieved in LDCs, they cannot be achieved overall. It is also certain that targets for poverty eradication cannot be met without a clear focus on the special problems, concerns and potentials of LDCs, Dr. Karki said.

During the four-day conference (June 5-8), the LDC Watch called on all respective Governments and development partners to support LDCs in Good Governance, Debt Cancellation, Trade Justice and in promoting Human, Institutional and Productive Capacity, among others.

The LDC Watch called for adequate representation and participation of women in policy and decision making and is imperative and also for democratization of the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and reform of the UN to give more voice to the LDCs.

“We want strong governments in LDCs that are responsive and accountable to their own people,” said Dr. Karki.

The LDC Watch called for unconditional debt cancellation because simply put, the LDCs don’t owe. In fact, we’ve already paid back multifold and it is us who are entitled to recompense in return,” said Karki.

LDC Watch also called for fair trading rules that discriminate positively and realistically towards the interests of LDCs, and which recognize the central role played by women in production and trade, as the current system is lopsided and favours rich countries.

“Trade liberalization, aid for trade, export dumping and bilateral trade agreements only make poor countries poorer. None of today’s industrialized countries built their economies under such conditions. On the contrary their very foundation was achieved behind protective screens and exploited materials,” said Karki.

LDC Watch also called for greater prioritization of LDCs as the beneficiaries of capacity building programmes. Demand driven and responsive initiatives need to be encouraged, based on principles of gender justice and equality, so that we can gain from our investments and even generate our own wealth. We also believe in providing greater importance to, and investment in, the health and education sectors as they are fundamental components that pave the way for development, Dr. Karki added.

LDC Watch is an alliance of regional and national civil society organisations based in the LDCs with support from development partner countries. It was established after the Third UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Brussels, five years ago.