The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) represent the poorest and weakest segment of the international community. Extreme poverty, the structural weaknesses of their economies and the lack of capacities related to growth, often compounded by structural handicaps, hamper efforts of these countries to improve the quality of life of their people. These countries are also characterized by their acute susceptibility to external economic shocks, natural and man-made disasters and communicable diseases. The current list of LDCs includes 49 countries; 33 in Africa, 15 in Asia and the Pacific and one in Latin America. Cape Verde graduated from the list at the end of 2007.

In the late 1960s, the United Nations began paying special attention to the LDCs, recognizing those countries as the most vulnerable of the international community. The International Development Strategy for the second United Nations Development Decade for the 1970s incorporated special measures in favour of the LDCs. In order to generate international attention and action to reverse the continuing deterioration of the socio-economic condition of these most vulnerable countries, the First United Nations Conference on the LDCs was held in Paris in 1981. It adopted a comprehensive Substantial New Programme of Action (SNPA) for the 1980s for the LDCs. The SNPA was subsequently endorsed by the UN General Assembly in its resolution 36/194 of 17 December 1981. To continue focus on the need for special measures for these countries, the Second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCII) was held in 1990, also in Paris, adopting the Paris Declaration and the Programme of Action for the LDCs for the 1990s. The Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCIII) was held in Brussels, hosted by the European Union from 14 to 20 May 2001.

The United Nations Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States was established by General Assembly Resolution 56/227 as a follow-up mechanism to the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries to ensure effective follow-up, implementation, monitoring and review of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2001 – 2010, adopted at that conference.