UNCTAD 54th Session
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Plenary meeting,
Item 4: Review of progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010.



The first step done was to elect Eduard Bizumuremyi as Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur of the Sessional Committee I.

Then Mr; Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, made comments on his report: The Least Developed Countries Report 2007: Knowledge, Technological Learning and Innovation for Development.

According to Mr. Supachai the 2004 Report reminded that in terms of capacity, LDCs’ reform hadn’t been resolved from the previous report. And the 2006 Report was concentrated on one key issue: how to concentrate both on national and international level. Productive capacity building was a major strategy for 2006. Resources alone are not enough, one needs innovation to improve a country. We should enhance productivity in other to have increasing development specially in agriculture.

All this lead to the 2007 report. 60% to 70% of differences between countries have been explained by the differences of innovation et technological knowledge.

What can be done on the national and international level to help the LDCs?
There is been no mention of improvement of technologies in the previous reports. In the LDCs the Innovation, Communication and Technology capital is only 1/5 whereas in developed countries it’s less than 50%.

There is a need for active intervention by the governments in trying to create the basic support, like electricity, implement the application of innovation and promotion of entrepreneurship. Less than 4% of international assistance went to the development. of ICTs.

Mr. Supachai concludes by saying that there is also the question of Intellectual Property. Many national professional are working in the UN or in other States rather than in their own countries. These should put in place ways to welcome back intellectuals.


This was followed by Mr. Cheikh Sidi Diarra, High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and small Island Developing States comments.
The social and economical conditions in LCDs continue to be precarious. The international support has increased but the high population growth has been faster. Plus, the climate change is now a new challenge to social and economical development in LDCs, especially in Africa and it’s leading to migrations. All this explains the dependency of LDCs on International aids.

Populations need access to credit, land, markets, elimination of trade barriers and reforms on the agricultural sector. The last point od Mr. Diarra was that there is also a need for mobilization and coordination of all the UN system and coherence between UNOHCR and UNCTAD.

Mr. Habib Ouane, Director of the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes, made an introductory statement on agenda item 4.

According to him, finance, technology and knowledge are the key issue for the development of new policies. These three factors are neglected by the national and international policies. The 2007 report recommends new policies and points out the default.

LDCs failed on poverty reduction, donors have neglected the need of LDCsin Science, Technology and Information, the IP of LDCs have been strengthened, the brain drain lead to the lost of human capital.

There are 4 main areas for political action:
- National politics, the governments should include STI policies: innovation in agricultural and non agricultural sectors.
- Migration: develop assistance program to maintain the intellectuals.
- Innovation and technical learning in LDCs: exclude Intellectual Property Right from agreement on the trade of LDCs.
- Promote the development of Technologies.

Mr. Ouane finished by reminding that the only countries that have yet bring financial support are Norway, Finland, France and Canada for the UNCTAD review of progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010.


We then proceeded to general statements.

G77 and China group states that the production capacity depends on improvement of technology capacity. Its essential for donors to change their help approach.

Afghanistan talking on behalf of the Asian group asks UNCTAD to help for the implementation of national policies.

Benin on behalf of LDCs states that their as been progress in the health domain, LDCs have done a better evolution in the last years and the inflation has been slightly maintained. Some countries have changed their categories due their progress: Maldives, Kiribati…The International Trade rules highly participate to the decreasing of LDC.

Chile (GRULAC) says that the 2007 report should be a reference text in helping the LDCs and should be included in the national policies.

Russian representative reminded that his country have cancelled the debts of some States like Afghanistan. And China have extended the delay of payment for 44 LDCs with which they have diplomatic relation.

According to USA, mobile phone technology should be improved.

The EU representative thinks that the quota should be eliminated and it is joined by Chad on behalf of the African group who reminds that 34 countries out of the 51 LDCs are Africans. LDCs should adopt national policies for the debts.

Ismaila Pedro FAYE