Nepal to host LDCs’ ministerial conference in December

KATHMANDU: Immediately after 18th SAARC Summit in November, Kathmandu is likely to host a meeting of the Least Developed Countries of Asia.

The government has started preparations to host a ministerial meeting of 12 LDCs of Asia within second or third week of December, according to Deepak Dhital, head of the UN division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The date for the conference of LDCs of Asia will be announced after consultation with the Office of the United Nations High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. Nepal’s Gyan Chandra Acharya is UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

A ministerial level delegation from nine LDC members in Asia — Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, the Maldives and Yemen — will be invited for the meeting to be held in December. Foreign ministers, development minister or other designated ministers of the LDCs will take part in the meeting.

The NPC is taking lead in organising the meeting in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and MoFA.

NPC Vice-chair Govinda Pokharel said, “The meeting will provide an opportunity to learn each others’ experiences and formulate new strategies to achieve the goal of graduating from LDCs status.”