A United Nations (UN) report has lauded India’s act in the extending development aid to least developed countries (LDCs) ahead of the major conference on these countries next month in Turkey.

“Over the last decade (2000-2009), emerging market economies such as Brazil, China and India have increased their role in development aid and are engaging with LDCs in much more substantive ways,” said the report. In February, India hosted a meeting of LDCs countries in New Delhi to strengthen development partnership with them, while ensuring solidarity and commitment to their socio-economic advancement.

Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar are five of India’s neighbours categorised as the LDCs.

The UN report has been drafted by a blue ribbon panel which included a group of eminent persons appointed by the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and co-chaired by former Mali president Alpha Oumar Konare and former World Bank president James D. Wolfensohn. The report mentioned that the emerging countries are well placed to offer appropriate technologies, technical support and foreign direct investment to LDCs in a relationship that can be development transmitting and development replicating.

However, the report painted a grim picture of the 48 poorest countries that are part of this group. It said that there is increasing marginalisation of least developed countries and they have hardly done anything to eradicate poverty. “Three (Botswana, Cape Verde and Maldives) of 51 poor nations advancing enough to leave the group of LDCs,” said the report.

The 48 LDCs are home to over 800 million people, many of whom live in acute poverty conditions. The report also noted that the gap between LDCs and the rest of the world has widened. The study also talked about improving governance in the LDCs. 

“With the slogan ‘No MDGs without LDCs’, the report also emphasises the importance of this group of countries in the global economy and their relevance to the development agenda of the international community,” the report held.

Thirty-three of the 48 poorest countries are in Africa, 14 are in Asia, and Haiti is lone representative in Caribbean. “This is the time for global solidarity to achieve progress even in the poorest countries of the world, which will go a long way in advancing global prosperity and security,” the report said.

The panel has suggested that for the next ten-year LDC plan of action half of the current members can be graduated to a different grouping by 2020. The upcoming fourth UN Conference on the LDCs takes place 9-13 May in Istanbul, hosted by Turkey.