Welcome to LDC Group
The Least Developed Countries as classified by the United Nations are composed of 49 countries of which 32 are members of the WTO and 12 are in the process of acceding to the WTO. The LDCs:
• Constitute 12% of the world’s population but account for less than 1% of world trade;
• Account for less than half percent point of the world’s trade in commercial services (i.e. 0.44% in 2008);
• Have populations which, in the main, live below the poverty datum line and have limited, or no, access to basic services:
• Recognise that, disparate as their nations may be, working together brings greater strength and benefits than could be achieved as individuals. For this reason, the Group has pursued common positions in the negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda. The Group has also pursued parallel discussions to ensure that appropriate mechanisms are put in place to complement market access initiatives.
Among other achievements this has led to:
• The inclusion in the negotiating modalities specific flexibilities targeted at LDCs;
• Recognition for the enhancement of market access by granting duty free and quota free treatment to products originating from all LDCs as well as the simplification and transparency of preferential rules of origin;
• The adoption of modalities for the special treatment of LDCs with regard to Trade in Services;
• The adoption of accession modalities for LDCs;
• Recognition among WTO members to accord special priority to issues of interest/concern to LDCs;
• The enhancement of the Integrated Framework to better respond to the needs of LDCs in the area of trade mainstreaming, building supply capacities and integration into the multilateral trading system. The Enhanced Integrated Framework became effective in July 2009 and has so far benefited a number of LDCs in enhancing/establishment of National Implementation Units (NIU).
However, participation of the LDCs in multilateral trade negotiations has not gone without challenge:
Although commitments have been made to grant duty free and quota free market access to LDCs; to simplify and make transparent preferential rules of orign; to deal with Cotton expeditiously, ambitiously and specifically as well as according special priority to services sectors and service suppliers from LDCs, these commitments have not been fully made operational.
The delay in concluding the negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda has further exacerbated the situation of LDCs in the multilateral trading system. For this reason, the Group will continue to press for early harvest.
The LDC remain optimistic and committed to ensure that negotiations under the DDA are concluded soon. The Group will continue to pursue outcomes that will contribute to enhancing development and economic growth of LDCs.
Coordination:
The LDC Group coordinates its engagement in negotiations under the multilateral trading system through an inclusive consultative process.
The Group has undertaken to advance common positions while respecting the sovereign right of individual countries to pursue national interests. Through a rotational system, a coordinator is selected among LDCs to lead the Group’s engagement at all levels (Ministerial, Senior Officials/Ambassadorial, experts). In order to ensure ownership, inclusiveness, transparency and consistency in positions adopted, the Group also maintains a pool of focal points for each subject areas (drawn from among the group members) supported by alternates and a core group.
The Group has also undertaken to hold, as appropriate, a Ministerial session to renew the mandate for engagement in the negotiations. These sessions normally result in the adoption of a declaration outlining the Group’s positions on each subject under negogtiation.
Regular meetings are held of senior technical officials; Ambassadors (representing their countries in Geneva to the WTO)
Efforts are also made to ensure that officials based in Geneva, working directly with other LDC nations and with the WTO, are equally in touch with their capital based colleagues.
The restricted section of this site is for the information of LDC country officials who may apply for registration where indicated.