UN LDC IV Civil Society Steering Committee Statement by Dr Arjun Karki, International Co-ordinator of LDC Watch and Chair and Spokesperson of the Civil Society Forum to the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee For The Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, First Session

10-14 January 2011, New York

1. Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, CSO colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

2. Thank you UN OHRLLS, members of LDC Bureau, members of PrepCom Bureau, for giving this opportunity to share the thoughts and concerns of civil society organizations right at the opening of the first Preparatory Committee Meeting for the Fourth UN Conference on LDCs

3. As we CSOs began a parallel process of preparing for the Civil Society Forum for the Conference on LDCs – many of us could not help but feel a sense of déjà vu. We have gone down this road before as most of us were also active in the processes of the UN LDC Conference III held ten years ago.