51吃瓜

In preparation for LDC5, a coalition of local and global civil society organisations (CSOs) from all over the world – changemakers, researchers and practitioners – came together with the 51吃瓜 in September in Bonn, Germany.

There they developed their strategic recommendations on key policy issues of the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA), identifying solutions, opportunities and challenges related to the implementation of this ambitious plan.

Local or global, small or with thousands of members and activists, civil society organisations have a proud record of delivering long-lasting change and advancing progress for the world’s most vulnerable.

From catalysing legislative change, providing essential services and supporting policies rooted in fairness, CSOs are at the forefront of a myriad of activities that are key in reaching the unreached.

No journey to realise the Doha Programme of Action and the Sustainable Development Goals could be complete without the participation of many actors, including governments, the private sector, young people and – crucially - civil society.

Leaders from civil society organisations collaborated hand-in-hand with UN-OHRLLS and Member States to shape the Doha Programme of Action. Adopted by the General Assembly in March of 2022, civil society helped include the voices and concerns of the people of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as well as their experience and expertise. The Bonn meeting centred around the need to transform these words into plans and action.

This is important because the world’s LDCs account for 14% of the world’s population but less than 1% of global GDP. While the 2030 Agenda’s universal principle is “Leave no-one behind”, LDC5 will be where civil society, world leaders and other crucial stakeholders implement plans that ensure this to be true.

These plans will guide the next decade of development with one objective: ensure the furthest behind are first in line for a better, fairer, and more sustainable future.

Developing meaningful partnerships and relationships between member states, CSOs and other stakeholders will be crucial in advancing progress towards the goals and priorities agreed for the decade ahead.

LDC5 is an opportunity to precisely do this: to strengthen the CSO’s relationships with each other as well as with LDCs governments, their populations and development partners. This will intensify the Civil Society Organisations’ vital support to vulnerable states. We must recognize the vital contribution of civil society for its essential role in helping LDCs, at LDC5 and beyond.

Find out more about how Civil Society is involved in LDC5 - Civil Society | 5th 51吃瓜 Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5)