Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - Press Release

Cabo Verde hosts UN Meeting on Localising SAMOA Pathway in Small Island Developing States

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 03:05:00 +0000

Press Release

PRAIA, 25 July 2019 – Government representatives from small islands and the 51�Թ� are meeting in Cabo Verde over the next two days to strengthen coordination of efforts to localize the SAMOA Pathway* and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in small island developing States (SIDS).

The government representatives are members of the SIDS National Focal Points network, an initiative by the 51�Թ� Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) to improve coordination between the 51�Թ� and island governments in the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, the dedicated programme of action for SIDS as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, H.E. Paulo Veiga, State Secretary for Maritime Economy of Cabo Verde said “The Focal Points meeting has the advantage of bringing in close contact and collaboration the experts and institutions responsible for the implementation of SAMOA Pathway, enabling, on the one hand, to increase coherence in the handling of SIDS issues in 51�Թ� processes, and on the other, providing an important link between global and national levels, while facilitating coordination, information sharing, lessons learned and planning activities related to the implementation of SAMOA Pathway and the SDGs.”

“This meeting is highly significant as it helps to chart the future direction of the national focal points initiative in order to better support island governments in implementing internationally agreed goals and programmes of action,” said Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. She added, “I am certain that the outcomes will add great value to our collective efforts in supporting the sustainable development aspirations of Small Island Developing States especially as we set our sights on the upcoming high-level Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway in September.”

The meeting will formally adopt Terms of Reference on the functions and activities of the focal points network. Given critical statistical capacity constraints in SIDS, the meeting will also discuss the preparations of a toolkit to harmonize monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway and 2030 Agenda on the ground.

Participants are also expected to discuss achievements, challenges and gaps in the first five years of implementing the SAMOA Pathway as well as addressing linkages between the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway and the wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals.
“The SAMOA Pathway lacks a formal mechanism for monitoring and review, said Ms. Lois Young, Permanent Representative of Belize to the 51�Թ� and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). She added “this gap has contributed to the lack of data to identify progress and gaps in implementation. And during our preparations for the Mid-Term Review this emerged as a common issue across all action areas of the SAMOA Pathway. We hope to explore practical ways in which we can utilize the overlaps between the SAMOA Pathway and the 2030 Agenda to enhance and streamline monitoring across both, without creating additional reporting burdens.”

The Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway will take place on 27 September, 2019 to review all major commitments of the last five years through a SIDS lens – from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the New Urban Agenda, and the outcomes of the 2017 Ocean Conference – and how living up to these commitments will help accelerate the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway.

Media Contact:
Damien Sass, UN-OHRLLS – sass@un.org

Front Page Article:

Is this a front page article?

Urgent Action Needed to Scale-up Energy Access in World’s Poorest Countries

Anonymous — Fri, 31 May 2019 16:21:00 +0000

Press Release

BEIJING, 31 May 2019 – Without urgent and enhanced action, the world’s forty-seven least developed countries will not achieve global sustainable energy targets by 2030. This was the backdrop to discussions which took place over the last two days at a 51�Թ� conference on scaling-up energy access and finance in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Beijing.

While considerable progress has been made by this group of countries to increase the average rate of access to electricity from 33.4 per cent in 2010 to 51 per cent in 2017, this is in stark contrast to the global electrification rate of 88.8 per cent in 2017.

Furthermore, the LDCs face major disparities in energy access between urban and rural populations. In 2017, on average, 79 per cent of urban populations had electricity access, compared with only 37.8 per cent of rural populations. Regional disparities are also evident, where the Asia-Pacific LDCs are faring better with an electrification rate of 86.2 per cent compared to 33.2 per cent in African LDCs.

Alarmingly, 14 African LDCs still have electrification rates lower than 30 per cent and the 20 least-electrified countries in the world are all LDCs.

While overall assessments of progress in energy access illustrate major challenges, conference participants reflected on major progress being made. Countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Cambodia have all electrified at a rate of about 5 per cent per year since 2010. Many LDCs have already successfully tapped into using hydropower, and the use of solar and wind power is also increasing.

Speaking at the conference, the 51�Թ� High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu said “My key message is that Sustainable Development Goal 7 in the Least Developed Countries is within reach. We must step up and we need urgent action. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is about our collective vision to leave no one behind. So, our responsibility is to work together and forge even stronger partnerships, ensuring that the global energy transition to sustainable and modern energy also reaches the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the world.”

The conference also saw substantive discussions on scaling-up investment in LDCs where current financing levels are significantly below what is required to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7). According to current estimates, in order to achieve SDG7, between 2018 and 2030, annual average investment globally will need to reach approximately $55 billion to expand energy access, about $700 billion to increase renewable energy, and $600 billion to improve energy efficiency. Currently, investments are not spread equally and many LDCs lack the capacity to access existing funding mechanisms.

A draft outcome circulated at the conference laid out concrete deliverables including the call for the launch of a large-scale initiative to bring forward the countries that are furthest behind first as well as establishing a network of energy focal points in LDCs. The draft outcome also illustrated the need for sustainable energy to be one of the central thematic topics to be featured in the new 10-year programme of action for the LDCs to be adopted at the Fifth UN Conference on the LDCs in 2021. Furthermore, the outcome of the conference is expected to feature in discussions at the Climate Action Summit in September 2019.

The Conference was jointly organised by the 51�Թ� Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) and the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO). It brought together 200 participants representing governments, 51�Թ� agencies, international and regional organizations, civil society, private sector, business community and think-tanks.

More information about the Global Conference on Scaling-Up Energy Access and Finance can be found at: http://unohrlls.org/global-conference-scaling-up-energy-access-finance-in-least-developed-countries/

Media Contact:
Damien Sass, UN-OHRLLS – sass@un.org

Front Page Article:

Is this a front page article?

African Landlocked Developing Countries and Partners Call for Action to Overcome Challenges to Sustainable Development

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 16:56:00 +0000

Joint Press Release with UNECA

MARRAKECH, 19 March 2019 – Senior government officials and experts from landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), transit developing countries and development partners meeting in Morocco have called for stronger regional cooperation on transit policies and greater support in areas including connectivity in transport, energy and information and communication technologies infrastructure, export diversification, value addition and trade facilitation.

The two-day Africa regional meeting on the Midterm Review of the Vienna Programme of Action (VPoA), jointly organized by the office of the High-Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Islands developing States (UNOHRLLS) and the 51�Թ� Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), identified progress and challenges in the implementation of the VPoA in the region, shared best practices and innovative approaches.

An outcome document highlighting recommendations to overcome the challenges faced by the 16 African LLDCs will provide substantive input to the high‐level comprehensive midterm review of the Vienna Programme of Action for the Landlocked Countries planned to be held in December 2019 in New York. “Today’s outcome highlights that efficient transit is vital to integrate landlocked developing countries into regional and global trade and reduce trade costs but the implementation of the relevant regional and international conventions on this has been relatively low”, said Ms. Fekita ‘Utoikamanu the High-Representative and Under-SecretaryGeneral for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Islands developing States (UNOHRLLS).

“The importance of initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area and Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa is clear, these can bring positive prospects for African LLDCs’ further integration into regional and global networks”, she added.

The outcome document highlights the importance of strengthening regional and sub-regional cooperation on fundamental transit policies and accession to key international legal instruments. It calls for upgrading and maintaining existing road, rail, and information and communications technology (ICT) networks with the support of development partners, multilateral financial and development institutions, regional banks and organizations such as UNECA, UN-OHRLLS and ITU.

“A distinctive feature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is its emphasis on reaching the poorest and most vulnerable and leaving “no one behind” and its recognition that the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) deserve special attention,” said Adam Elhiraika, Director Macroeconomic Policy and Governance Division, at the 51�Թ� Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Therefore, “vigorously pursuing the objectives of the African Continental free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aimed at achieving a comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade agreement among member states of the African Union (AU) will integrate LLDCs into the regional and global value chains,” he added.

The implementation of the VPoA constitutes an integral part of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the commitment of the international community engrained in this Agenda is to leave no one behind, including LLDCs.

The meeting, which is the second out of the three regional meetings scheduled to take place in the lead up to the upcoming Midterm Review in December, brought together senior government officials, the African LLDCs, as well as representatives of transit countries from the region and development partners.

*List of African LLDCs: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, South Sudan, Eswatini, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Further information: Concept Note; African Regional Midterm Review Website; Mid-Term Review Website

Media contacts:

Ms. May Yaacoub, Communication Officer, UN-OHRLLS; Tel: 212-963-9798; Email: yaacoubm@un.org
Ms. Houda Filali-Ansary, Communication Officer, ECA; Tel: +212 (0) 537 548 749; Mob: +212 (0) 673 734 462; Email: filaliansary@un.org
OHRLLS Official Website: www.unohrlls.org; OHRLLS Official Twitter & Facebook accounts: @UNOHRLLS
ECA Website: www.uneca.org; Official ECA Twitter accounts: @CEA_ANcoms; and ECA_Official; Facebook: Cea Afrique du Nord

Front Page Article:

Is this a front page article?

New Study Launched to Identify Sustainable Energy Investment Opportunities in Malawi

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 18:51:00 +0000

Press Release

LILONGWE, 7 February 2019 – Investment is vital for sustainable energy to flourish in Malawi and to enable the life changing benefits that electricity brings to areas including education, health care, industry and the economy. A study launched today in Lilongwe, Malawi, will map a way forward for investment in the country’s sustainable energy sector, bringing together vital partners and identifying areas for action.

The study will provide an overview of concrete opportunities to increase investment in sustainable energy in Malawi. A report will be produced in approximately 6 months time which will address how to generate the required public and private investment to reach universal access. Today’s kickoff meeting brought together different stakeholders in the renewable energy sector, to align common goals and discuss lessons learnt and ways forward.

The initiative has been jointly commissioned by the Government of Malawi’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining and the 51�Թ� Office of the High-Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). The Rocky Mountain Institute is carrying out the study and UN Malawi is providing vital support.

“Every Malawian deserves full access to energy, to an adequate and reliable level of power that allows a home to affordably operate, for children to study, food to be kept from perishing, enough for a dignified and healthy life,” said Ms. Fekita ‘Utoikamanu, Under-Secretary-General and High-Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

“Malawi has an abundance of resources with which a sustainable energy sector could thrive. This study is intended to highlight the areas for investment in order to ultimately achieve energy access for all and leave no one behind as we strive to meet Sustainable Energy Goal 7.”

Currently, only 11% of Malawi’s population has access to electricity, 46% in urban areas and in rural areas this figure is at 2%. At present just 7% of the total energy consumed in Malawi is renewable energy.

"The Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, is very pleased to partner with the 51�Թ� on this timely study. Access to modern energy is an important issue for all Malawians and investment in the modern energy sector is key for the country's future development," said Mrs Chimwemwe Gloria Banda, Chief Director for Energy.

As the youngest and fastest-growing continent, Africa’s population will double in the coming decades to some two billion people, and demand for energy will increase accordingly.

To ensure the attainment of the 51�Թ�’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 in Africa by 2030, investments of approximately US$ 34.2 billion per year are needed across the continent.

UN-OHRLLS represents vulnerable countries within the UN system. There are 47 least developed countries, 32 of which are in Africa, including Malawi. Least Developed Countries are at the bottom of the development ladder, with low human development, low income and economic growth and high degree of vulnerability. As such they remain at the centre of global development challenges. Reliable access to sustainable energy stands to strengthen multiple elements outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals in areas including climate action, health, education, water and food security and women’s empowerment.

Media Contact:
Louise Stoddard, UN-OHRLLS – Stoddard@un.org

Front Page Article:

Is this a front page article?

Ahead of 2020 Deadline World’s Poorest Countries Struggle to Meet Goals of Istanbul Programme of Action

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 20:41:00 +0000

Press Release

NEW YORK, 23 January 2019 – Progress on achieving the goals of the dedicated programme of action for the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs) is falling short of what is needed by 2020. Alarmingly, poverty and malnutrition remain high with a third of the 1 billion people in LDCs living in extreme poverty. This is according to the latest edition of the State of the Least Developed Countries report by the 51�Թ� Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).

With two years left to achieve the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA), growth in the LDCs is estimated to have increased to 4.9 percent in 2017 but falls short of the 7 per cent target of the IPoA. Food security is also presenting major challenges with the number of undernourished people having increased from 216 million in the period 2004–2007 to 237 million in 2015–2017.

LDCs are also lagging behind in other areas such as high rates of youth unemployment and low financial inclusion, with only 27 per cent of adults having bank accounts. The low levels of service provision in rural areas is particularly concerning where in 2015 only 33 per cent of rural populations had access to improved sanitation facilities and 61 per cent used an improved drinking water source. These challenges also pose major hurdles for the LDCs in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

“The latest findings on the state of the least developed countries clearly demonstrates that much more needs to be done to accelerate efforts to assist these countries in meeting their development objectives.” said Ms. Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. “While progress continues to be mixed, there are silver linings which indicate tremendous potential to close the gaps through concerted efforts by LDCs, development partners, UN system and the wider international community.”

Now in its fifth edition, the report makes the case that LDCs continue to face challenges in mobilizing financial resources while capacity constraints further hamper development gains on the ground. Official Development Assistance (ODA) remains an important source of external financing and the report notes that the overall share of ODA to the LDCs in donor’s Gross National Income (GNI) increased slightly from 0.08 per cent in 2015 to 0.09 per cent in 2016 but remains far below the IPoA target of 0.15 to 0.2 per cent.

Despite mixed results progress has been recorded in areas such as infrastructure development and telecommunications. Access to mobile phones and internet, including broadband services, has continued to increase. Major progress has been made in access to electricity, which has nearly doubled from 21.6 per cent in 2000 to 44.8 per cent in 2016. Of major concern however is that access to electricity is still largely concentrated in urban areas.

In 2018, the Technology Bank for the LDCs, a new 51�Թ� institution focused on building the science, technology and innovation (STI) capacity of LDCs, started operations in Gebze, Turkey. The operationalization of this new UN entity marks the first Sustainable Development Goal target (target 17.8) to be achieved and is expected to provide much needed support in boosting STI capacity in this group of countries.

This edition’s special topic addresses reducing vulnerabilities and increasing resilience in LDCs. It highlights that extreme vulnerability to shocks, including climate change, disasters, economic and social disturbances severely affect the ability of LDCs to achieve sustainable development and inflicts major financial and other collateral damage. The report underlines that global responses to some of these shocks, in particular to climate change, have not matched the magnitude of the challenges LDCs are facing. Furthermore, LDCs have little or no access to risk transfer mechanisms due to their limited ability to pay insurance premiums and other capacity constraints.

Among the report’s recommendations, building resilience at individual, institutional, private sector and national levels is essential for LDCs to progress on achieving sustainable development. Furthermore, the resource-constrained LDCs need further support by development partners, including International Financial Institutions, to develop and access insurance schemes to shield against new and emerging shocks.

The State of the Least Developed Countries report can be found on the UN-OHRLLS website at: unohrlls.org/state-of-ldcs-2018

Media Contact:
Damien Sass, UN-OHRLLS – sass@un.org

Front Page Article:

Is this a front page article?

New Managing Director for Technology Bank Welcomed to 51�Թ�

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 18:54:00 +0000

Press Release

NEW YORK, 4 December 2018 - Mr. Joshua Phoho Setipa of Lesotho was welcomed to the 51�Թ� Headquarters in New York today as the new Managing Director of the Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries. The Technology Bank is the UN’s newest institution and is supporting science, technology and innovation in the world’s poorest countries.

With over 20 years working at a senior level in government and international organisations including The World Bank, USAID and The World Trade Organisation, Mr. Setipa brings a wealth of experience to this vital role.

“The Technology Bank and its partners have already begun to chart a path with real potential to transform technology in the world’s poorest countries. I am excited and proud to lead this institution as it turns these ambitions into a life changing reality for the least developed countries,” said Mr. Setipa.

Mr. Setipa was welcomed to the 51�Թ� by Ms. Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. Over a two-week period he will meet with key stakeholders including development partners and the UN system to explore future opportunities for collaboration and support of the activities of the Technology Bank.

The UN Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States has supported efforts to establish the Technology Bank since it was initially called for in 2011. Mr. Setipa succeeds Ms. Heidi Schroderus-Fox, Director of UNOHRLLS who served as the Acting Managing Director of the Technology Bank during its initial start-up phase.

“I warmly welcome Mr. Setipa to this exciting new position. It has been an honor for me to lead the UN team during the initial set-up and launch of the LDC technology bank. I am confident that under Mr. Setipa’s leadership the Technology Bank will reach its full potential in support of the least developed countries,” said Ms. Heidi Schroderus Fox.

The establishment and full operationalization of the Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries in 2018, is the first Sustainable Development Goal target, (17.8), to be achieved, speaking directly to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s principle of leaving no one behind. The new UN institution is seen as a significant achievement for the promotion of science, technology and innovation in the world’s poorest countries.

Work has already been initiated on the preparation of Science, Technology and Innovation reviews and Technology Needs Assessments in 5 least developed countries, in collaboration with relevant UN agencies. The Technology Bank also started activities aimed at improving access for scientists and researchers to data, publications, and knowledge in 12 least developed countries.

Further information:

Media contact:

Louise Stoddard, UN-OHRLLS – stoddard@un.org

Front Page Article:

Is this a front page article?