Global Reviews

OHRLLS coordinates the interagency group on the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) and its contributions to LDC5.  

As per its mandate to serve as a focal point for the LDC5 Conference and to mobilize and coordinate the active involvement of the UN system (as requested in UN General Assembly 73/242), UN-OHRLLS prepared a report that builds on best practices undertaken by the UN system and other organizations to support the efforts made by the LDCs in implementing the IPoA and the SDGs. It also highlights challenges faced by the UN system on the ground, and action needed to strengthen its support in LDCs, benefiting also from perspectives shared by UN Resident Coordinators on how the UN system could best support the LDCs to advance the SDGs. Furthermore, the report provides recommendations on how to strengthen the effectiveness of the UN system in promoting sustainable development in the LDCs through examples that have had a positive and transformative impact on the ground. Full ReportPDF

UN Agencies, as well as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organisation and other relevant international and regional organisations, have been invited to collaborate on the global IPOA review process. This includes collaborating on thematic appraisals of IPoA implementation and in order to propose sector-by-sector strategies to further progress in LDC’s sustainable development.   

The first such event was the 8th LDC Ministerial Conference, co-organised by UNIDO and UN-OHRLLS on 2 November 2019 in Abu Dhabi. The conference adopted a ministerial declaration on accelerating industrialisation in LDCsPDFOpens a new window. 

As part of the UN Secretary-General’s preparations for LDC5, his recent Report in collaboration with the High Commissioner for Human RightsOpens a new window analyses the implementation of the right to development in LDCs in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges, with recommendations on how to overcome them. 

A series of pre-conference thematic events are being organized. These include:

• A high level event on 21 and 23 October 2020 entitled "Towards UN LDC5: Recovery from COVID-19 - Tackling Vulnerabilities and Leveraging Scarce Resources," jointly organized by OECD Development Center, Ferdi and UN-OHRLLS. For more information click hereOpens a new window.
   
• A special event on 19 November 2021 entitled "Leaving no one behind and building back better from COVID-19: The Future of Work in LDCs," jointly organized by UN-OHRLLS and ILO.
   
• The LDC Future ForumOpens a new window on the theme of “Achieving Sustainable Development in the Least Developed Countries – Towards LDC5" was held in Helsinki, Finland from 5-7 October 2021. It was jointly organised by UN-OHRLLS, UNU-WIDER, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Government of Finland. It provided new thinking on key thematic areas of the new LDC agenda. Papers were selected from almost a thousand proposals received from around the world.
   
• A joint thematic event was convened by the Presidents of General Assembly and the ECOSOC on 18 June 2021 under the theme “Diversifying the Financing Toolbox to Enhance Investment in Least Developed Countries”Opens a new window.

• Several UN Member States and UN System and other partners have joined hands and organized side events during the two sessions of the LDC5 PrepCom. For the side events organized during the 1^st session in late May 2021, see hereOpens a new window. For those organized during the 2^nd session  in late July 2021, see hereOpens a new window.

In addition, UN-OHRLLS is working to ensure the full involvement of UN Resident Coordinators and Country Teams across all 46 LDCs in the LDC5 planning and preparatory process.