Minister Rana urges G77 and China to support LDCs to deal with global challenges

Kathmandu: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has urged the Group of 77 (G77) and China to support the least developed countries (LDCs) and landlocked nations to address economic and other problems that are affecting their efforts for achieving the ‘2030 Development Agenda’.

Addressing the annual meeting of the G77 and China on Friday in New York on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, she stressed the need for increased financial assistance for these countries to overcome such challenges as climate change, economic crisis, epidemics, and natural calamities.

As chair of the group of LDCs, Dr. Rana emphasized that in the current situation, it was difficult for LDCs and landlocked nations to fulfil the development agenda.

‘With only six years remaining LDCs and landlocked countries have managed to achieve only about 17 percent of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Special support is needed for speeding up progress,’ she added.

Dr. Rana urged the G77 and China to advance inclusive economic growth in LDCs, speed up the development agenda, and resolve the health and other problems and reduce the impacts of climate change and other crises facing the LDCs. Factors like declining investments and foreign aid, and a lack of innovative financing have made the matter worse for these countries, she pointed out.

Dr. Rana emphasized that Nepal, which is set to graduate from LDC status to a middle-income nation by 2026, will need increased economic and technical assistance from bilateral and multilateral partners and donors.

The minister called on the G77 accounting for about 60 percent of the population of the countries affiliated with the United Nations and China to support these countries by playing a leading role in promoting global development.

Also, Dr. Rana participated in the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

The meeting attended by the Foreign Ministers of the BIMSTEC countries discussed recent activities and progress, mutual interests and future cooperation among member states.

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