Chakwera arrives in New York, USA for Least Developed Countries’ Meet

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera Tuesday arrived in New York, United States of America USA where he is scheduled to attend the fifth UN Least Developed Countries (LDC) Conference to plead for support from the world’s rich nations.

The Malawi leader dressed in a two-buttoned black-suit, white shirt a red tie a white pocket square who arrived in the US through JFK International Airport the President was welcomed by Malawi’s permanent representative to the United Nations Agnes Chimbiri Molande,  Secretary to President and Cabinet Zangazanga Chikhosi, Malawi Ambassador to the United States of America Justice Esmie Chombo and Minister of Gender Patricia Kaliati among other senior government officials.

President Chakwera will on Thursday deliver a keynote address to the Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries in New York, USA, where he is expected to plead for more support for the world’s 46 poor countries from the rich and developed nations.

According to the program schedule today President Chakwera will hold bilateral consultations with among other high-ranking officials and leaders.

The high-ranking officials and leaders that President Chakwera will engage today  include among others; the UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres, Achim Steiner Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.

President Chakwera will also engage Sheikh Mohammed bin Adulrahman Al-Thani Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Abdulla Shahid President of the General Assembly, Acting high representative for the Least Developed Countries and small island developing states.

The Malawi leader President Dr Lazarus Chakwera will lobby to enrich both bilateral and multilateral relations in areas of trade and investment during the conference.

This will assist Malawi to attract Foreign direct investment and establish markets for products and services to expand the  export base at large.

Least Developed Countries conference is being held in two phases and will offer an opportunity for LDCs to gather and discuss the adoption of the need program of action.

The world LCDs are in a race to deliver crucial global development goals by 2030 hence the need to usher in a new global partnership to secure a future for the world’s vulnerable nations.

The conference expected outcomes is a new 10 year programme of Action that will be adopted at a critical time of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development goals across the Least Developed Countries.

President Lazarus Chakwera is also expected to meet SADC Ambassadors  in his  capacity as chairperson of the Southern African development community to discuss issues affecting the region.

Since 1971, the United Nations has recognized least developed countries (LDCs) as a category of States that are deemed highly disadvantaged in their development process, for structural, historical and also geographical reasons.

LDCs face more than other countries the risk of deeper poverty and remaining in a situation of underdevelopment. More than 75 per cent of the LDCs’ population still live in poverty.

These countries are also characterized by their vulnerability to external economic shocks, natural and man-made disasters and communicable diseases. As such, the LDCs are in need of the highest degree of attention from the international community.

Currently, the 46 LDCs comprise around 880 million people, 12 percent of the world population, which face severe structural impediments to growth. However, the LDCs account for less than 2 percent of world GDP and around 1 percent of world trade.

Four United Nations Conferences on the LDCs were held in: 1981, 1990, 2001 and 2011.

The Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries adopted the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 – the so-called Istanbul Programme of Action.

The list of LDCs is reviewed every three years by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, in the light of recommendations by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP).

By periodically identifying LDCs and highlighting their structural problems, the United Nations gives a strong signal to the international community to the need of special concessions in support of LDCs.

Since assuming power in 2020, President Chakwera and after attaining chairship of the world’s least developed countries, he has been fighting for support from the rich and developed countries in order to improved the livelihoods of the world’s poor.