Doha, March 07 (QNA) – Participants in the High-level Thematic Round Table 4 of the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, stressed the ambitious goals of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031.
They said that the Doha Programme of Action helps promote the participation of the least developed countries in international trade and regional integration, by increasing its exports and facilitating its access to global markets by setting simple and transparent rules of origin.
They noted that the Doha Work Program has established a set of ambitious goals and actions related to duty-free market access, preferential rules of origin, technical assistance and capacity building, e-commerce and regional integration and many other areas that will help LDCs to fully benefit from available international support measures. It’s to harness the economic gains from export-led growth.
HE Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikha Hasina said that trade is a major driver for the least developed countries, which requires access to global markets, as well as supporting the least developed countries, especially in the field of technology transfer and cross-border interdependence, to reduce high costs, increase efficiency, promote regional and international trade, improve competitiveness, and involve the private sector in national development in these countries.
She pointed out that the group of least developed countries submitted a package of proposals that require consideration by the international community, in order to be able to exit from this list and make tangible progress in this context, stressing the importance of coordinating efforts at all national, regional and global levels. She pointed out that this conference will increase the volume of international support for the least developed countries, calling for work to increase productive capacities and achieve the goals of the Doha Work Program.
For his part, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization Xiangchen Zhang said that Doha is witnessing a historic moment for Least-Developed Countries that brings hope to more than a billion people who live in them.
He added that the World Trade Organization had taken several steps to respond to the priorities of the least developed countries by providing duty-free market access, as well as establishing simple rules of origin so that they could adhere to them, improving trade and services, and providing the necessary support and time for adopting WTO rules, supporting agricultural exports and reducing the cost of Trade and customs procedures.
He pointed out that the least developed countries receive the second largest support in trade, and their interests represent a spearhead in the World Trade Organization and occupy the main center in its activities, stressing the importance of paying attention to food security and electronic connectivity.
He noted that the share of the least developed countries in international trade constitutes less than 1 percent, as they export a group of exports to some markets, and so far their service exports have not fully recovered from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling for the importance of enhancing trade integration with them and not Isolate them, and increase the digital transformation of their economies.
He stressed that the World Trade Organization provides equal opportunities for all countries, and that the least developed countries can contribute to shaping the parameters of international trade, play their role, enhance their trade capabilities, hold more dialogues with the private sector, and define their defense and offensive priorities, which helps them to be more active during the next decade. (QNA)
Source: Qatar News Agency