LDCs Dialogue with the Deputy Secretary-General on COVID-19

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 20:52:00 +0000

Tuesday, 28 April 2020 - 10:15am to 11:45am

BACKGROUND

As of 12 April 2020, according to WHO, there were confirmed cases in 41 of the 47 Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The number of confirmed cases in the LDCs is so far relatively low. However, these low numbers may partly reflect limited testing capacities across these countries.

LDCs economies are already being heavily impacted by the global recession caused by COVID-19.

The LDCs are already facing severe and growing fiscal and current account deficits. Attending to these will be a major priority of any global response.

LDCs’ biggest trading partners, in terms of export destination and sources of raw materials, are the advanced economies of the North and the South. As a result of the slow-down of the economy of the trading partners of LDCs, LDCs exports will plunge and the breakdown of the supply chain will disrupt the export capacity of LDCs. Commodity exporting, especially oil exporting LDCs are at a great risk economic slowdown due to the price fall.

Market fluctuations together with the global economic contraction has already had massive impacts on prices of primary commodities. The impacts of price declines will be devastating for LDCs share of global trade and their foreign exchange revenues. Development partners should be ready to step in to assist with budgetary crises.

DIALOGUE WITH THE DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

On 28 April, 2020 the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General will meet (virtually) with ambassadors of the group of LDCs to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the LDCs and the support measures which have been put in place to support this group of countries in tackling the pandemic.

DOCUMENTS

Background Materials
Draft Agenda
Statements
The Least Developed Countries on COVID-19 (Short Version)
The Least Developed Countries on COVID-19 (Long Version)

Photo: Post-Cyclone Idai response in Sofala Province, Mozambique. WFP/Rafael Campos

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Least Developed Countries Appeal for “Global Stimulus Package” to Combat COVID-19 and its Economic Aftershocks

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 20:52:00 +0000

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A boy studies at home due to COVID-19, listening to his lessons on the radio every day in Rwanda

OCHA

NEW YORK 28 April 2020 – At a briefing today coordinated by UN-OHRLLS, ambassadors from the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) presented an urgent "global stimulus package for LDCs" to the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms Amina Mohammed.

The meeting heard that COVID-19 is unfolding in LDCs and that confirmed numbers are likely to be the tip of the iceberg as most of the LDCs have insufficient testing capacity.

What is already happening on the ground, according to ambassadors, is that the LDCs are suffering severe consequences of the pandemic beyond health. The price of commodities, exports, investment, remittances and tourism have all collapsed, and all will have long-term ripple effects.

The looming global recession will hit the LDCs hard with disproportionate consequences.

The United Nations does not consider COVID-19 just a health crisis, the DSG said. It is a human crisis that has exposed so many weaknesses across the world. It has exposed vulnerabilities, and reminded us that while our economies are on pause, issues that negatively affect LDCs most, like poverty and climate change, are not.

To respond to such a mammoth intersected crisis, ambassadors informed the DSG that already announced support and assistance are not sufficient for LDCs. They requested significantly scaled up international support, alongside stronger domestic measures.

The appropriate response to this, “a global stimulus package for LDCs” needs to be funded and implemented with immediate effect, they said.

The full details of the package can be found here and includes the following immediate-term requests:

Emergency public health package for LDCs: including personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits; ventilators; medical doctors and nurses to LDCs upon request to train and treat; and the lifting of all tariffs and non-tariff restrictions on the import of medical equipment by LDCs.
Support for social protection systems: an immediate allocation of $5.2 billion emergency assistance as direct budgetary support to Governments emergency assistance in the form of cash or food to at least 350 million poor people in LDCs for a period of 12 months.
Education support for students: the provision of digital equipment, including low-cost laptops or other devices, to support the millions of LDC students forced to stay away from education, including 111 million girls.
Provide 0.15 per cent of ODA to LDCs: at least 0.15 per cent of the GNI of Development Partner countries to be given to LDCs this year, which is the lower bound of their pledges.
Full debt cancellation: debt relief for all LDCs with immediate effect, to include rivate and commercial debt.
Lifting trade barriers and scaling up aid for trade: complete elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers by our partners on health-related products for LDCs.
Additional allocation including increased SDR allocation for LDCs: increased resources for LDCs from Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, the Rapid Financing Instrument and the Rapid Credit Facility as well as other multilateral windows.
Protect migrants of LDCs and promote their remittances for host countries of migrant workers to extend the same social protection and safety net measures as provided to their nationals, and to waive transaction fees of remittances of LDC nationals until the pandemic is completely over.

LDC ambassadors also called for medium-to-long-term measures, including adequate, affordable and rapid supply of vaccines/immunization and antiviral drugs related to COVID-19, when they are developed.

They also said that the quality, availability and affordability of internet and other online related facilities must be enhanced, especially in rural areas of LDCs.

To read the full stimulus document, see here.

Photo: A boy studies at home due to coronavirus-related school closures, listening to his lessons on the radio every day in Rwanda. OCHA

Front Page Article:

Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - Global Stimulus Package