New York – Doha: Europe and the Arabs

As we gather in Doha for the high-level meeting on “Building Ambitious Global Partnerships for a Sustainable and Resilient Exit from Least Developed Countries,” the critical importance of this issue cannot be overstated. A record 14 countries – evenly split between Asia and Africa – are currently on the path to exiting this category.

Exiting the Least Developed Countries category is a significant national achievement – ​​a recognition of hard-won gains in income, human development, and resilience. However, for many of these countries, this moment comes with new vulnerabilities that threaten to undermine the very achievements that enabled their exit.

According to an article in the UN Daily News, written by Rabab Fatima, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States,

“Since the Least Developed Countries category was established in 1971, only eight countries have graduated. Today, 44 countries remain on the list, representing 14 percent of the global population, but contributing less than 1.3 percent to global GDP. The Doha Development Agenda sets an ambitious yet achievable goal: to enable at least 15 more countries to graduate by 2031. But, as the Agenda emphasizes, this graduation must be sustainable, resilient, and irreversible. It must be a turning point toward change—not a new vulnerability. Graduation typically coincides with a fundamental shift in the nature of international support. As trade concessions, concessional financing, and targeted technical assistance gradually diminish, countries may find themselves facing greater financial pressures, reduced competitiveness, and increased vulnerability to shocks.” Externally, if not accompanied by structured and forward-looking transition planning, these transitions could derail progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and place a heavy burden on national systems.

However, opportunities also lie at the heart of these challenges. With the right policies, partnerships, and incentives, graduation can catalyze deeper structural transformation, broaden access to new financing opportunities, strengthen institutions, and open pathways to diversified, resilient, and inclusive growth. Our task is to manage the risks while harnessing these opportunities—to ensure that no country graduates without momentum.

Smooth Transition Strategies: A National Imperative
The Doha Development Agenda calls on every country in the transition process to develop comprehensive, nationally owned, smooth transition strategies well in advance of graduation. These strategies must be fully integrated into national development plans and SDG frameworks, ensuring their coherence and resilience. They should prioritize diversification, investment in human capital, and adaptive governance, placing women, youth, and local actors at the heart of their design and oversight. Smooth transition strategies must be dynamic and adaptive documents. Participatory and supported by robust monitoring and financing.

Revitalizing global partnerships
No country can undertake this transition alone. The Doha Agenda calls for an incentive-based international support architecture that extends beyond LDC status. For least developed countries (LDCs) with high use of trade preferences, the withdrawal of preferential market access must be carefully phased to avoid abrupt disruptions. For small island developing states (SIDS) and landlocked developing countries (LDCs) vulnerable to climate change, enhanced access to climate finance, debt solutions, and resilience support are essential to their efforts to address the challenges of exiting the LDC list.

Deepening South-South and triangular cooperation, innovative financing instruments, blended finance, and enhanced private sector participation will be crucial for building productive capacity and unlocking opportunities in digital transformation, green and blue economies, and regional market integration.

The operationalization of the Sustainable Exit Support Facility (iGRAD) is a concrete step forward. By providing tailored advisory services, capacity building, and peer learning, it can This facility is a vital tool to help countries anticipate risks, manage transitions, and maintain development momentum. However, its success depends on strong political support and sufficient, predictable resources from development partners.

Graduation should not be the end, but rather the beginning of a new chapter of resilience and opportunity. Through integrated national strategies and renewed global partnerships, we can transform graduation into a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable development. Let us seize this opportunity in Doha to reaffirm our collective commitment: no country should graduate vulnerable. Together, we can ensure that graduation delivers on its promise—for societies, economies, and future generations.

What is a Least Developed Country?
The least developed countries, as defined by the United Nations, are those that demonstrate the lowest socioeconomic development indicators across a range of benchmarks. Their per capita gross national income is less than $1,018, compared to approximately $71,000 in the United States, according to World Bank data.

These countries score poorly on indicators related to nutrition, health, school enrollment, and literacy. Time scores high on economic and environmental vulnerability indices, which measure factors such as geographic remoteness, reliance on agriculture, and exposure to natural disasters.

The majority of least developed countries are located in Africa. Six Arab countries are among them. The list is reviewed every three years by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Eight countries were removed from the least developed country category between 1994 and 2020.