LDCs: beyond lip service

The fourth UN conference of less developed countries (LDC) concluded with adoption of the İstanbul Action Plan, outlining ambitious expectations from developed and developing countries. The plan calls upon the world to, “achieve sustained, equitable and inclusive economic growth in LDCs, to at least at the level of 7 per cent per annum, by strengthening their productive capacity in all sectors through structural transformation and overcoming their marginalization through their effective integration into the global economy, including through regional integration.”

Guidelines for UN partner nations identify that LDCs’ total share to global trade might have doubled in a decade yet the contribution merely crosses 1 per cent of world merchandise trade and with little diversity in products.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimates global military expenditure touched $1.63 trillion in 2010, which rose by 1.3 per cent compared to the previous year. Similarly, the LDCs got $31.9 billion in 2007 in debt.

Nearly 13 per cent of global population (900 million people) live on below $2 per day income in 48 LDCs today. In 1971, the LDCs number at 25 with just three of them managing to join the developing countries bloc.

Inaugurating the opening ceremony of Istanbul conference, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon noted that eight of 15 UN peace operations were carried out in LDCs while 60 per cent of the global immigration happens from there.

The criteria for determining LDC status includes having a per capita national income of less than $905 per year, high child mortality, poor access to education, and vulnerability to food and economic insecurity. The Istanbul conference was also urged to include Palestine amongst the LDCs, which has been engaged in decades’ long struggle against Israeli occupation.

To ensure path to development, the United Nations Secretary General would have to exhibit some charisma by asserting equal status for the rich and the poor nations on the basis of humanity. The world’s collective growth does not only lie in conferences and action plans but more proactive follow-ups and tangible milestones whereby poverty and under-development should be seen as security threats to the entire world. The state of affairs in Afghanistan after the Soviet exit led to international security failure. Disregard for human beings and quest of valuable minerals in Africa has led to civil wars, terrorism and desperate attempt for migration adversely impacting the rich and developing nations across America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Besides radical reforms in the UN Security Council, reorganization of the international financial institutions and rationalization of trade regimes in the world are pre-requisites for an improved human development map of our battered world.

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