Bangladesh has called for stronger international support for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and graduating LDCs through the fulfilment of Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitments and expanded concessional financing.
Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury made the call while speaking at the General Assembly-ECOSOC Joint Thematic Event on the Midterm Review of the Doha Program of Action (DPoA) held at the UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday, according to an official handout received on Thursday.
Addressing the event, the ambassador underscored the need to safeguard the hard-earned development gains of the LDCs amid growing challenges posed by climate shocks, debt distress and the ongoing global energy crisis.
Highlighting Bangladesh's own graduation journey, Ambassador Chowdhury explained the rationale behind the country's request for a three-year extension of its graduation period.
He also stressed the importance of stronger global political commitment to support LDCs during their graduation process and in the post-graduation period to ensure a smooth and sustainable transition.
The Bangladesh envoy expressed the hope that the Doha Midterm Review, scheduled to be held in Qatar in March 2027, would provide an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action commitments and deliver concrete outcomes for LDCs and graduating countries.