|
By its resolution 66/213 of 22 December 2011, the General Assembly established an ad hoc open-ended working group to further study and strengthen the smooth transition process for the countries graduating from the least developed country category and to submit a report to the General Assembly during its sixty-seventh session with specific recommendations, consistent with the Istanbul Programme of Action for LDCs for the Decade 2011-2020. The General Assembly also adopted the Terms of Reference of this working group in decision A/66/L.30.
The President of the General Assembly appointed Ambassador Jan Grauls, Permanent Representative of Belgium, and Ambassador Brian Bowler, Permanent Representative of Malawi, to serve as its Co-Chairs. He also designated UN-OHRLLS as secretariat of the Working Group.
LETTERS
Meetings of the Ad Hoc Working Group
organizational meeting
An organizational meeting took place on Monday, 16 January 2012, at 10 a.m. in Conference Room 1 (NLB). The meeting adopted the provisional agenda as contained in document A/AC.279/2012/L.1. The meeting also endorsed the programme of work presented by the Co-Chairs.
first substantive meeting
The first substantive meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group took place on Thursday, 16 February 2012, at 10 a.m. in Conference Room 6 (NLB). The meeting took stock of the current situation regarding LDC-specific international support measures as well as existing smooth transition measures. The meeting identified gaps and considered LDCs’ concerns related to the phase-out of those measures. Two graduated coutnries shared their national experience with smooth transition from LDC statu. An open exchange of views followed on what possible approaches could be developed to address those gaps and concerns.
PROGRAMME OF THE FIRST SUBSTANTIVE MEETING
******
Introductory presentations
H.E. Mr. Charles T. Ntwaagae, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Botswana to the United Nations
Ms. Edna Filomena Alves Barreto, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cape Verde to the United Nations
Interactive exchange: delegations of Nepal, Maldives, Solomon Islands, Australia, European Union, Malawi, Samoa and Zambia.
Thematic presentations and interactive discussions
Special measures for LDCs and implications of graduation in the area of trade
Ms. Annet Blank, Head LDC Unit, Development Division, WTO
Interactive exchange: delegations of Solomon Islands and China
Special measures for LDCs and implications of graduation in the areas of financial support and technical assistance
Mr. Rob Vos, Director, Development Policy and Analysis Division, DESA
Interactive exchange: delegation of Costa Rica
Existing smooth transition measures
Mr. Taffere Tesfachew, Director, Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes, UNCTAD
Interactive exchange: delegations of Tuvalu, Australia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Zambia and Morocco.
******
second substantive meeting
The second substantive meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group will take place on Friday, 16 March 2012, at 10 a.m. in Conference Room 2 (NLB). The meeting will hear a briefing on strengthening smooth transition by two members of the Committee for Development Policy.
THIrd substantive meeting
The third substantive meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group will take place on Monday, 26 March 2012, at 10 a.m. in Conference Room 2 (NLB).
Background Documentation
Selected GA resolutions and decisions
|
|
Ad hoc working group on the smooth transition strategy for countries graduating from the list of least developed countries
|
|
|
Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries
|
|
|
Implementing the smooth transition strategy for countries graduating from the list of least developed countries
|
|
|
Extension of the transition period preceding the graduation of Samoa from least developed country status
|
|
|
Graduation of Samoa
|
|
|
Deferral of the smooth transition period for the graduation of Maldives from the list of least developed countries
|
|
|
Smooth transition strategy for countries graduating from the list of least developed countries
|
|
|
Report of the Committee for Development Planning: criteria for identifying the least developed countries.
|
RELEVANT REPORTS OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
- Report of the Secretary General on the “Ten-year appraisal and review of the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010” (A/66/66–E/2011/78)
- Report of the Secretary General on “Formulating a smooth transition strategy for countries graduating from least developed country status” (E/2004/94 of 15 July 2004)
REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR DEVELOPMENT POLICY TO ECOSOC
desa/cdp secretariat
- "Strengthening smooth transition from the least developed country category", CDP Background Paper No. 14, February 2012
- “Handbook on the Least Developed Country Category: Inclusion, Graduation and Special Support Measures", 2008 and updates
- Presentation on “Graduation, special support measures and smooth transition for LDCs”, by Ms. Ana Luiza Cortez, Secretary of the CDP, at the event co-sponsored by the Government of the Maldives and OHRLLS on Graduation and Smooth Transition for LDCs, New York, 10 March 2011
- Ex-Ante Impact Assessments - Equatorial Guinea, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
- Survey on the International Support Measures related to WTO Provisions and Preferential Market Access for LDCs, April 2011
- Survey on LDC-specific International Support Measures related to Bi-lateral Official Development Assistance, April 2011
- Survey on the International Support Measures related to Multilateral Development Assistance for LDC, April 2011
- "Beyond market access: Trade-related measures for the least developed countries. What strategy?", by Ana Luiza Cortez, DESA Working Paper No. 109, December 2011
UNOHRLLS
UNCTAD
- Vulnerability Profiles of countries eligible for graduation - Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Kiribati, Maldives, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
WTO
OTHER
|
