Chakwera in Doha
* None of the countries would like to remain as least developed but looking for ways to become a middle-income country
* For a meaningful development in the LDCs, such countries must walk together to achieve progress and sustainable development
* The Doha Plan of Action is not a mere wishful thinking but an action based
By Leonard Masauli, MANA in Doha, Qatar
At the least developed countries (LDC5) summit currently underway in Doha, Qatar, President Lazarus Chakwera has called on participating LDCs to walk together in order to achieve a meaningful sustainable development and ably graduate to middle-income economies.
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Chakwera made the remarks today, March 4, saying none of countries would like to remain as least developed but looking for ways to become a middle-income country — hence, for a meaningful development in the LDCs, such countries must walk together to achieve progress and sustainable development.
“LDCs need to walk together to achieve graduation and sustainable Development and to bring economy back on track,” he said. “Therefore, the Doha Plan of Action is not a mere wishful thinking but an action based.
“I call upon developed countries to support the LDCs and those graduating with a graduation package, so that the Doha Plan of Action does not become mere rhetoric.”
Chakwera thanked the Qatar government for hosting the conference, saying the city of Doha is a testimony of a vision turned reality and what has been achieved by Qatar within a space of 25 years, should be a great inspiration to all LDCs.
United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres said economic development is impossible when countries are starved for economic resources, drowning in debt, and still struggling with the historic injustice of an unequal CoVID-19 response.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
He said human development is impossible when education, health care and social protection systems are struggling — or non-existent — and when women are denied their rightful place at the table across every aspect of civil, economic, and political life.
“A thriving business community and the creation of decent jobs cannot happen if economies are stuck in first gear — exporting raw materials without opportunities for structural transformation to rapidly move up the value chain.
“Combatting climate catastrophe that you did nothing to cause is impossible when the cost of capital is sky-high and the financial support you receive to mitigate and adapt to the destruction is a drop in the bucket.”
Guterres further said in the midst of these injustices, the United Nations is working with LDCs to develop smooth transition strategies, based on tailored support for the graduation process saying it cannot allow countries to fall back down the development ladder after working so hard to climb it.
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“That’s why the Doha Programme of Action includes an online university to provide your countries with access to science, expertise and technology to develop more innovative and diverse economies and workforces.
“ At this time of widespread food insecurity, the creation of a food stockholding system for Least-Developed Countries will be another tangible outcome of this Summit to combat hunger and skyrocketing food prices,” he said.
The Doha Programme of Action also includes the establishment of an international investment support centre to help least-developed and graduated countries attract foreign investment.
About 2,000 representatives are attending the conference which include government officials, UN delegates among other development partners.
The category of LDCs was officially established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly with a view to attracting special international support for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the UN family.
Chakwera’s entourage includes Minister of Information, Moses Kunkuyu; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo; Minister of Natural Resources & Climate Change, Michael Usi, among other civil society and private sectors.
Ahead of the summit Minister of Affairs, Nancy Tembo said the President mark the conclusion of Malawi’s chairmanship of the LDCs, saying it is a great opportunity for Malawi in the three year term to discuss progress made in all the eight priority areas as well as the six focus areas of the Doha Programme of Action.
She said the Istanbul Programme of Action was on high agenda, hence the need for member states to congregate and brainstorm on the outcomes and what transpired during the last conference in New York.
Deputy Director of Economic Planning, Adwell Zembere pointed out that there is need for clear policy direction to enhance the keys priority areas to enable Malawi to graduate.
He observed that during Malawi’s tenure of office, she has actively promoted the interests of LDCs by facilitating the implementation of the Istanbul programme of action and the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
Zembere added that the Doha programme of action is expected to guide LDCs activities for the period 2022 to 2031 and this regard the Doha Programme of Action has prioritized number of areas.
“Among others, objective of supporting the graduation of countries in his category such as investing in people; enhancing international trade, supporting the infrastructural transformation of LDCs and addressing climate change,” he said.
“Malawians have defined for themselves what they would want to see in the coming decades through the MW2063, which is clear on the resolution to be an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialised upper middle-income country hence the need to achieve the vision through collective effort.”
Zembere noted that there was need for mainstreaming the Doha Programme of Action into the national development agenda since implementation in order to use national frameworks, saying Malawi offered critical oversight in the development and adoption of the programme which was adopted in New York 2022.
National Planning Commission (NPC) Executive Director, Thomas Munthali said the conference comes at a time the MW2063 and its 10-year implementation plan require that Malawi graduate into a low middle-income economy by 2030 and meet most of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said that a number of private sector players in developed countries and around 16 LDCs are on the path to graduating soon hence the interfacing will assist in getting practical lessons and support for fast tracking deals towards Malawi’s graduation paths.
“We will be reaching out to bilateral and multilateral partners particularly the private sectors at the conference to market Malawi’s vision of inclusive wealth creation by promoting win-win potential investments in food security, mega farming, mining manufacturing, tourism and trade among others,” Munthali said.—Additional reporting by Lisa Kadango Malango, Mana also in Doha
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