Poor nations can set agenda for sustainable development

The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) can play a critical role in ensuring that the new global sustainability goals—which the international community aims to have in place by 2015—are both fair and effective.

But, for this to happen, the LDCs will need to redefine themselves according to their strengths, act to improve governance, and promote greater solidarity both with each other and with more developed nations.

These are among the conclusions that an independent group of thinkers from the LDCs have shared on in a new briefing paper and a series of meetings this week in New York City. The Independent Expert Group members work in research institutes, media, civil society organisations and government agencies in 11 of the LDCs.

The group, supported by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), aims to influence the United Nations’ (UN) efforts to define global sustainable development goals to take effect from 2015, when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expire.

“The Least Developed Countries are in many ways the weakest but they also have strengths such as, their local knowledge and institutions, their culture and values and their resilience to uncertainty,” says Dr Tom Bigg of IIED, who coordinates the group’s activities.

“The LDCs can be leaders in the post-2015 process by promoting new forms of international cooperation that enables greater solidarity and sharing of knowledge and responsibilities,” he says.—IIED