CONFÉRENCE DES NATIONS UNIES SUR
LE COMMERCE ET LE DÉVELOPPEMENT
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE
ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
ALDC
(12/18gd)
NOTIFICATION
Expert Meeting of LDCs
Challenges and Opportunities for LDCs: Graduation and Structural Transformation
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 28 February to 1 March 2012
The UNCTAD secretariat has the honour to inform member States that it is organizing an
expert meeting of least developed countries (LDCs) – Challenges and Opportunities for LDCs:
Graduation and Structural Transformation – at the United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, from 28 February to 1 March 2012.
The meeting is being organized with the support of the Common Fund for Commodities
(CFC) and in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA) and the African
Union (AU).
The meeting builds on UNCTAD’s ongoing work and is aimed at setting the stage for the
implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA), with a focus on meeting the agreed
objective of enabling half of the LDCs to meet the graduation criteria by 2020.
It will deliberate on the key issues of strategic interest for LDCs and assess the challenges,
opportunities and prospects for graduation. National and international experts will share with
participants of the meeting the experience of selected LDCs in attaining international agreed
development goals (such as the Millennium Development Goals), progress towards graduation and
the most pressing trade and development challenges facing LDCs. In this regard, the meeting is
expected to identify the policies and strategies as well as the international support measures needed
to help LDCs diversify their economies and graduate from LDC status.
The final outcome of the meeting will also assist the participation of the LDCs in the thirteenth
session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII), due to take
place in Doha, Qatar, from 21 to 26 April 2012.
The provisional agenda of the meeting is attached herewith. An information note, the
programme of the meeting and related background documents will be available at the UNCTAD
web site.
Participation in the meeting is open to all member States of UNCTAD. Member States
wishing to attend the meeting are requested to provide the names of their representatives by
20 February 2012.
Other participants (i.e. specialized agencies, intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental
organizations accredited to UNCTAD) are requested to indicate the names of their representatives
by the same date. Communications concerning representation should be sent to Ms. Corazon Yance
Roberts; tel.: +41 (0) 22 917 5903; fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0046;
e-mail: corazon.yance.roberts@unctad.org.
CNUCED
UNCTAD
Page 2
UNCTAD will finance the participation of one capital-based expert from each LDC in
accordance with the United Nations financial rules and regulations. To that effect, official
invitations have been extended to all LDCs including through their Geneva-based missions to
designate their national experts to the meeting.
Enquiries on substantive issues related to the meeting should be addressed to
Mr. Taffere Tesfachew, Director, Division for Africa, LDCs and Special Programmes,
tel.: + 41 (0)22 917 5606; fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0046 or to Mr. Mussie Delelegn, Economic Affairs
Officer, tel.: +41 (0) 22 917 5038; fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0046; e-mail: mussie.delelegn@unctad.org.
(signed)
Supachai Panitchpakdi
Secretary-General of UNCTAD
3 February 2012