STATEMENT BY DR. ARJUN KARKI, INTERNATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR AT THE SIDE-EVENT ON MONITORING OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IPoA AND OTHER IADGs TO STRENGTHEN MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY IN LDCs, DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION FORUM, 5 JULY 2012

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

I am very pleased to be taking part in this important panel discussion, on behalf of LDC Watch. This forum is very significant and timely for addressing the challenges of implementing the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) for the least developed countries (LDCs).

A year on, since the adoption of the IPoA, we fear that the implementation of the Programme has not made considerable progress. The persistent multiple crises continue to be an excuse for the international community to back-track on the achievement of sustainable development and poverty eradication despite repeated commitments. Recent UN development processes, even the most ambitious Rio+20, has failed us of ‘the future we want’ with no new, additional commitments and predictability of pledged resources for development. We have been reiterating that the trillions that are spent in destructive wars and militarisation could instead be used for constructive development cooperation, like meeting the IPoA and other internationally agreed development goals (IADGs) in LDCs.