#LDC5: South Sudan Commits to Vision 2030
A few months ago, the Qatari city of Doha was buzzing. Thousands of people flocked to the city that became home to many around the world. Despite the political criticism from other countries, there was joy, and excitement with lots of entertainment as the country hosted its first ever world cup.
A country blessed with beautiful scenery and infrastructure with people going about their normal businesses becomes home to hundreds of people yet again. This time not for entertainment or sports, but a summit to discuss a plan of action for the least developed countries.
The 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha, Qatar ended Thursday, with member states committing to measures to deliver on the Doha Programme of Action, a ten-year plan to put the world’s 46 most vulnerable countries back on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Bold commitments at the conference marked a transformative turning point for the world’s poorest countries like South Sudan, whose development has been hindered by crises including COVID-19, climate change, and deepening inequalities.
Barnaba Marial Benjamin, South Sudan’s Minister of Presidential Affairs and head of the government delegation to the 5th UN conference on LDC5 said particular importance to South Sudan as a developing country recovering from war and seeking peace and stability to bring about development.
Benjamin revealed that South Sudan seeks to expand its bilateral relations with Qatar in the fields of agriculture, aviation, and infrastructure projects.
Under the theme ‘From Potential to Prosperity’ the conference aimed to drive transformational change to positively affect the 1.2 billion people who live in the LDCs.
“Achieving the Sustainable, Development Goals in the Least Developed Countries is a litmus test for achieving the 2030 Agenda writ large, including by ensuring that no one — and no LDC — is left behind” said UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. “That is why the Doha Programme of Action must be seen as a vehicle for SDG Acceleration.”
the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres asked wealthy countries to help more than 1.1 billion people lift themselves out of poverty.
“Countries with the least need support the most. And you need it now. You represent one in eight people on earth. But your countries are trapped in a vicious cycle that makes development difficult, if not impossible,” Guterres said ahead of the major conference on 5th March 2023.
The tough-talking UN boss urged the LDCs and the UN to work together to provide new avenues for support to their people and make the LDC category history.
Malawian President, Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, who’s also chairman of the LDCs, highlighted poverty, malnutrition and climate change, with increased flooding and drought affecting livelihoods, as some of the urgent problems least developed countries face.
“We are not gathered here to just talk; we have real work to do and deliverables to produce. Together we will deliver an online university; an investment promotion regime; a food stock holding mechanism; a graduation support package that ensures a smooth transition from the LDC category,” said President Chakwera.
With just seven years remaining to the set dateline to achieve the sustainable development goals, LDCs have and still are experiencing tremendous problems ranging from conflicts, floods, and droughts, to poverty. As a result, President Chakwera doubts if the vision for 2030 will be realized.
The focus now will be on all the LDCs and supporting partners to make the 2030 vision a reality. Something Rabab Fatima, Secretary General of the LDC5 conference, agrees with.
“The battle of winning or losing the SDG race will be decided in the LDCs and other vulnerable countries. If we are unable to fully prioritize the needs of the LDCs in this decade of action and recovery, the SDGs will remain only an ambition,” Fatima said.
This will be music to the ears of South Sudanese who have seen the country rocked with ethnic conflicts, floods, especially in areas that have no previous history of flooding, economic meltdown and lack of proper health facilities to look forward with optimism and hope that fellow LDCs and the UN will now focus on the LDCs to realize their vision of 2030 which will aid them in economic, health and conflict recovery.
The summit is aimed at providing a dedicated forum for the LDC leaders to hold free and frank discussions on; sharing knowledge, experiences, and good practices on the key challenges that they have been facing and how to overcome them to achieve the SDGs; specific measures and initiatives that LDCs need to pursue to ensure mainstreaming and implementation of the Doha plan of action; effectiveness of the existing international support architecture and how to further reinvigorate strategic partnerships with traditional donor countries and multilateral organizations; building cohesion, unity, and solidarity among the LDCs and ensuring effective voice and participation in all relevant forums to protect and promote the interest of the LDCs and how to fulfill the criteria for graduation and ensure sustainability and serving as a stepping stone for further development.
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