Background

There are 49 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the world. These LDCs are home to about 750 million people. By 2015, the year by which the international community has targeted to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), this population is projected to reach 942 million. LDCs account for 32 of the 35 countries in the lowest category of the Human Development Index (HDI) measured in terms of life expectancy, literacy, standard of living and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. 

In 1971, the United Nations (UN) identified 24 countries as LDCs, recognising them as the most vulnerable countries of the world and therefore, calling upon LDC-targeted special measures to be channeled into the global development strategies. Yet, after three decades of special development attention with three UN LDC conferences and three specific Programmes of Action for the LDCs; the number of LDCs has increased to 49, today. This clearly proves the failure of current development paradigms to effectively address the development challenges and constraints in these marginalised and vulnerable countries.The ever-increasing wave of neoliberal globalisation has further threatened the LDC economies characterised by increasing debt burden, economic shocks, hunger, human rights violations including gender injustice, war, conflict, weak governance and inherent environmental vulnerabilities. LDCs are hit hardest by the food, fuel, climate and political crisis.

LDC Watch is a global alliance of national, regional and international civil society organisations (CSOs), networks and movements based in the LDCs and supported by civil society from development partner countries. LDC Watch acts as a coordinating body for LDC civil society to advocate, lobby, campaign and network for the realisation of the Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA) as well as other Internationally Agreed Development Goals (IADGs). It goes beyond the BPoA in addressing poverty, hunger, social injustice and human rights in the LDCs. LDC Watch, therefore, has been raising its voice and articulating its perspectives in a multi-stakeholder framework, engaging with the UN, LDC governments and their development partners, both, as partner and as pressure group.

Vision

LDC Watch envisions a world - free of LDCs -  where people enjoy peace, justice and human dignity.

Mission

LDC Watch is committed to facilitating and supporting people’s initiatives and struggles against poverty, hunger, social, economic, political and ecological injustices through advocacy, campaigns and strategic partnership with the social movements, UN agencies, LDC governments and other members of the international community, for pro-poor policies together with their implementation in the LDCs.

Objectives

• To increase awareness on the BPoA including all other IADGs amongst the general public, CSOs and governments in LDCs; development partner governments and agencies and relevant multi-lateral institutions;
• To enhance the capacity of LDC CSOs to effectively advocate, lobby, campaign and network for the implementation of the BPoA as well as all other IADGs;
• To build CSO network, both as development partner and pressure group, to seek the political will of all stakeholders for the implementation of the global development commitments;
• To promote increased attention and delivery of the specific requirements of the LDCs in the global development processes, including the implementation of the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Monterrey Consensus on Financing for Development;
• To mobilise and prepare for an effective civil society engagement in the process towards the Fourth UN Conference on the LDCs after the Decade 2001-2010.

Programme Activities

• Advocacy, lobbying, campaigning and networking in the LDCs and development partner countries with active engagement during strategic international events such as the World Social Forum (WSF); Common Wealth People’s Forum (CPF); United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); UN Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC); G8 Summit and other international and regional processes;
• Critical engagement and meetings with representatives of the UN; LDC governments; development partner governments and agencies; relevant multi-lateral institutions; political parties including parliamentarians; media and the civil society on LDC related issues and concerns;
• Organisation of awareness-raising and capacity-building activities for CSOs, multi-stakeholder consultations in the LDCs aiming to assess the implementation of the BPoA including other IADGs in the national development context and processes;
• Organisation of regional and global multi-stakeholder consultations aiming to develop  enhanced LDC oriented global development processes, specifically the BPoA, by promoting a pro-poor development agenda in favour of the vulnerable and marginalised in the LDCs;
• Organisation of parliamentary hearings on the issues and concerns of the LDCs both in the national governments as well as development partner governments;
• Research on pro-poor agenda with regard to the key issues of debt; trade; food sovereignty; livelihoods; governance; aid and gender justice towards the realisation of poverty reduction, human rights and sustainable development in the LDCs;
• Production of alternative reports on the implementation of the BPoA providing a critical civil society perspective with an alternative view to the official processes that often overlook and undermine the constructive dynamics at the grassroots level.

Structure

LDC Watch is managed by a Steering Committee comprising members from LDC CSOs in Nepal, Cambodia, Senegal, Ethiopia and its development partner in Belgium. The alliance is coordinated by an International Secretariat with support from the European Co-ordination Office and three regional focal points.

The International Secretariat is hosted by Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) in Kathmandu (Nepal) while the European Co-ordination Office is housed in Eurostep in Brussels (Belgium) to liaise with the European civil society, governments and relevant international bodies. The three regional focal points are established in Senegal, Ethiopia and Cambodia to coordinate activities in the regions of Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Caribbean.

Criteria for LDCs

In its latest triennial review of the list of LDCs in 2006, the Committee for Development Policy used the following three criteria for the identification of the LDCs:

• A low-income criterion, based on a three-year average estimate of the gross national income (GNI) per capita (under  US$ 745 for inclusion, above US$ 900 for graduation);
• A human capital status criterion, involving a composite Human Assets Index (HAI) based on indicators of: (a) nutrition: percentage of population undernourished; (b) health: mortality rate for children aged five years or under; (c) education: the gross secondary school enrolment ratio; and (d) adult literacy rate; and
• An economic vulnerability criterion, involving a composite Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI) based on indicators of: (a) population size; (b) remoteness; (c) merchandise export concentration; (d) share of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in gross domestic product; (e) homelessness owing to natural disasters; (f) instability of agricultural production; and (g) instability of exports of goods and services.

At the end of 2007, Cape Verde became the only second country to graduate from the LDC group since its establishment in 1974. Botswana left the group in 1994.

Source: www.unohrlls.org

The Brussels Program of Action (BPoA)
In May 2001, the Third UN Conference on the LDCs (UN LDC III) that was held in Brussels declared the BPoA for the LDCs for the Decade 2001-2010. The BPoA aims to ensure that the LDCs achieve sustainable development during the decade 2001-2010. It contains 30 international development goals with indicators, including those contained in the UN Millennium Declaration. The goals are based in the seven mutual commitments of the LDCs and their development partners which are as follows:

i)  Fostering a people-centered policy framework;
ii)  Good governance at national and international levels;
iii)  Building human and institutional capacities;
iv)  Building productive capacities to make globalization work for LDCs;
v)  Enhancing the role of trade in development;
vi) Reducing vulnerability and protecting the environment and
vii) Mobilizing financial resources.