For three days, ministers, development partners and international agencies came together to explore how LDCs can successfully “graduate” – meaning they have achieved levels of income, education and resilience that move them out of the UN’s most vulnerable group – and, crucially, stay out.
The meeting focused on the Doha Agenda for Action (DPOA), which aims to help 15 additional countries achieve graduation by 2031.
Many LDCs remain highly exposed to climate shocks, conflict, debt pressures and trade disruptions. Without the right support, experts warn that progress can quickly unravel.
Speaking at the closing session, Rabab Fatima, UN High Representative for LDCs, said the gathering demonstrated “a strong collective desire to ensure that graduation becomes a gateway to resilience, opportunity and sustainable prosperity.”
“Let us leave Doha inspired and united,” she said, calling for deeper cooperation and “real incentives that help every country move forward with the full support of the global community.”
Learn from experience
Countries preparing to graduate – including Bangladesh, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Nepal – shared lessons learned from their own transition plans, while states that have already graduated discussed how to manage the abandonment of preferential trade benefits and other forms of targeted international assistance.
A recurring theme was the importance of Smooth Transition Strategies national plans that help governments adapt to the phasing out of specific support for LDCs.
Delegates stressed that these strategies must be realistic, nationally driven and fully integrated into long-term development planning.
The meeting also highlighted the need to strengthen productive capacities, notably through the digital and green transitions, and to expand business opportunities for economies facing volatile global conditions.
New momentum for the support system
A central element of the discussions was the iGRAD mechanism, a mechanism designed to help LDCs navigate the transition period. Qatar announced a pledge of $10 million to strengthen the facility, drawing praise from attendees.
Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, director general of the Qatar Development Fund, said his country was committed to transforming the DPOA “into measurable progress for least developed countries.”
The meeting, he added, showed “the power of collective action” and the importance of providing LDCs “with the tools, resources and partnerships they need to navigate the transition with confidence.”
Next steps
The conference concluded with the Doha Agreed Declaration on Global Partnerships for Sustainable Graduation, which sets out the principles for a stronger, incentive-based approach to supporting graduating countries.
A full summary of the recommendations will be published by OHRLLS and sent to the UN General Assembly ahead of key discussions in 2027, when the DPOA will undergo its mid-term review.
More information is available on the event website and on the Doha Agenda for Action page.
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