19 Sep

The Annual Ministerial Meeting of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) during the session the United Nations General Assembly was held at 9 am local time of New York, the United States, on 17 September. Deputy Ministers of Planning, Finance and Industry U Sett Aung and Dr Min Ye Paing Hein joined the virtual meeting which was chaired by Malawi Foreign Minister Mr Eisenhower Mkaka M.P, followed by opening remarks of Qatar Foreign Minister, the President of the Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the President of Economic and Social Council of the UN, the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Vice-Chairman of International Finance Corporation and the Undersecretary General of UN-OHRILLS.

The representatives from LDCs countries and partner countries delivered their addresses.

Deputy Minister U Sett Aung discussed the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action in 2020; the last year for implementing this action is coincided with the outbreak of COVID-19 which have serious impacts on the health, social and economic sectors of global countries including LDCs.

He added that Myanmar is preparing for an implementation report for Istanbul Programme of Action and expressed thanks for assistance of international organizations and partner countries. He also talked about the COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan of Myanmar to lessen the impacts of pandemic. The meeting was attended by 140 participants from LDCs, the UN and international organizations and partner countries, as well as those from the Office of Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations.

They discussed poverty, inequality, environmental changes, impacts of pandemic on social economic sector, special development assistance, more assistance for LDC graduation, the 10-year work plan which will be approved at the 5th Least Developed Countries Conference (LDC-V) scheduled to be held in Doha of Qatar in 2020, and its supports for LDCs and the 2030 agenda. The Ministerial Meeting also adopted the Ministerial Declaration of LDCs.

MNA (Translated by Aung Khin)