On March 6, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith delivered remarks at the General Debate of the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha, Qatar.
“The implementation of the Istanbul Program of Action (IPOA 2011-2020) has allowed the LDCs to make some progress but still uneven. The LDCs have been severely affected by the multiple challenges particularly the unprecedented impacts of the COVID- 19 pandemic, financial difficulties, food and energy crises and armed conflicts, which further exacerbated their already existing structural vulnerabilities, limited productive capacity and extreme poverty,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
He noted that the adoption of the Doha Program of Action for LDCs (DPoA) marks an important milestone for the international community to help the LDCs to achieve rapid recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, build resilience against future shock, eradicate extreme poverty, achieve graduation and the Sustainable Development Goals.
He urged the international community to double efforts to ensure the effective and timely implementation of the Doha Program of Action by fulfilling commitments contained therein noting that the LDCs are in need of enhanced international support measures and strengthened partnerships more than ever so that they can move forward from their potential to prosperity, and importantly that no-one and no-country will be left behind.
He reaffirmed the Lao PDR commitments to graduate smoothly, qualitatively and sustainably from the least developed country status and called on the international community to continue to provide cooperation and support to the Lao PDR during graduation, transition and beyond graduation.
On the same day, Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay also met with UN Assistant Secretary General for Development Coordination Oscar Fernandez-Taranco to discuss the UN’s role in coordinating and promoting the performance of UN agencies to make sure their efforts are in line with development priorities of the Lao government, and UN’s support for Laos’ graduation from the least developed country status.
Source: Lao News Agency