'LDCs should be integral part in int'l agenda'

Gyan Chandra Acharya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, on Tuesday said the Least Development Countries (LDCs) should be the natural and principal stakeholders and an integral part in all the international economic and development agenda.

He made the statement to this effect while making an opening statement in Nepal's capacity as Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) at the inaugural session of the High-level Policy Dialogue on the Brussels Programme of Action (BPOA) for the African Least Developed Countries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The March 08-9 meeting is aimed at making a regional review of the implementation of BPOA in thirty three African least developed countries.

Acharya said that the meeting provided particular inputs to the fourth UN conference on the Least Developed Countries to be held in Turkey next year.

He further underlined the need to take onboard both BPOA and MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals to reinforce the complementary nature and interconnectedness of LDCs and global development agenda.

He also underscored the strong necessity to have high priority to such critical issues as poverty alleviation and hunger, rural development, productive capacity and productivity enhancement, infrastructure development, sustainable management of natural resources, human resources and social development, trade, tourism, investment, transfer of technology, debt burden and ODA.

He also urged the international community to fulfill its commitment by providing additional development assistance, investment, market access, debt relief and technology to achieve the goal of sustainable development as agreed upon in various international forums.

The countries emerging from conflict and transiting to peace and stability needed the added attention in the larger interest of international peace and security, he added. nepalnews.com