Ambitious in nature, the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) adopted by the Fourth United Nations Conference on the LDCs (UN LDC IV) in 2011, sets out a development path for LDCs for the coming decade. Successful implementation of the IPoA requires identification of delivery tools for specific targets, provision of necessary financial and non-financial resources, and a strengthened monitoring mechanism. LDC IV Monitor, an independent partnership of eight interested organisations, aims to add value by enhancing transparency, accountability and efficiency of the official monitoring and review mechanism of the IPoA. LDC IV Monitor’s first set of two reports, produced outside of the official intergovernmental process, provide credible, evidence-based and policy-oriented assessment of the delivery status of the promises contained in the IPoA. The Synthesis Report, derived from the critical analyses of the state of play concerning the IPoA, presents the broad messages and key recommendations. The volume on Analytical Perspectives addresses a wide spectrum of issues including articulation of a composite IPoA index, building of productive capacity, trade in goods and services, delivery of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), flows of different forms of development finance, and consequences of climate change. The publications seek to contribute towards crafting national and international policies to support graduation of the LDCs through structural transformation of their economies.

Achieving the Istanbul Programme of Action by 2020: Tracking Progress, Accelerating Transformations is the second contribution from the LDC IV Monitor – an independent partnership set up to assess the outcome of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (UN LDC IV) with a view to accelerating the delivery of the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA). The volume highlights recent critical achievements and missed opportunities for the LDCs in the context of an unfavourable global economic environment and inadequate delivery of global commitments. Along with this, it focuses on four specific themes: structural transformation and export diversification in the LDCs; prospects of graduation of countries from the LDC group; implications of the 2030 Agenda in view of LDC concerns; and new challenges facing LDCs in their pursuit for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Monitor’s earlier contributions included a set of two reports tracking the state of implementation of the IPoA – a volume on Analytical Perspectives and a Synthesis Report which captured the broad messages and key recommendations.

Emerging and developing countries have grown faster than advanced countries since the 2000s. This shifting weight of global economic activity from 'the West' to 'East and South' is referred to as “shifting wealth”. But in recent years, a number of factors, such as lower commodity prices, seem ...

Since the group of least developed countries (LDCs) was identified in 1971, only five countries have graduated from the group, all of which are characterised by small size or population. The projections are that the next decade will see a rapid increase in the pace of graduation, with Bangladesh in particular poised to be one of the largest countries, in terms of its economy and population, yet to leave the group. While previously many LDCs viewed the prospect of graduation with some apprehension, fearing significant erosion of international support, increasingly, the move is being seen as a more positive landmark. This book aims to articulate appropriate strategies and initiatives to help Bangladesh to maintain its developmental momentum and to prepare for a sustainable graduation in 2024. In doing so, the book explores themes such as key analytical issues of the LDC graduation paradigm, smooth transition and structural transformation, and post-graduation challenges and opportunities. Further, against the backdrop of Gross National Income per capita, the Human Assets Index and Economic Vulnerability Index goals required for graduation, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the 2030 Agenda will also be in the process of implementation. Whilst some feel that the two agendas might be in conflict, the book teases out some of the important synergies which can be drawn when LDCs are undertaking the journey of graduation in the era of the SDGs. The book also takes into cognisance the uncertain external environment and the emerging global scenario within which Bangladesh's graduation is to take place. Conceptual discourse around LDC graduation and the particular narrative around Bangladesh's journey towards LDC graduation will be of interest not only to scholars of Bangladesh, but also to researchers and policymakers with an interest in LDC graduation for other countries facing similar challenges.

This book examines how intellectual property rights (IPR) affect the daily lives of individuals worldwide and how that may in turn impact the health and wealth of nations. While the protection of the intellectual endeavours of authors and inventors is vital for a fair and just society it is important that the IPR regime remains flexible enough to encourage creativity, innovation and the free flow of information and technology that are critical to the well being of billions of people, especially in the developing world. This work examines the implications of the IPR regime for basic human security. It examines the relationship between IPR regime and fundamental human rights, such as the right to education, health and food, and the broader right to development. This book will be of interest to IP scholars, international relations specialists and international security analysts, in particular those interested in non-traditional security issues. It may also serve as resource book for the international business community on developmental and human rights aspects of IP.

A norm of special treatment for LDCs, created by the UN, has spread to various international organisations including the WTO. Within the WTO evidence of the institutionalization of the norm can be found both in the agreements and legal documents and the way in which the LDCs have been treated by other states. Helen Hawthorne investigates how norms impact on negotiations in international organisations. She shows that few studies of international organisations focus on the role of the weaker states in the organization, the majority focus either on the major states or the emerging economies. By ignoring the role of the poorer, weaker states in the GATT/WTO we are ignoring the history of these states in the organisation and do not get a true picture of the organization, how it operates in relation to them and their impact on the organisation.

The current focus on sustainable development opens up debates surrounding our relationship with the natural world, about what constitutes social progress and about the character of development, both in the Global North and the Global South. The promotion of sustainable futures is taking on a new urgency in the context of climate change and biodiversity loss. This concise and accessible text explores how the international community is responding to the challenge of sustainable development. It also investigates the prospect for, and barriers to, the promotion of sustainable development in high-consumption societies of the industrialised world, from the USA and the EU to the economies of transition in Eastern and Southern Asia. In Sustainable Development Baker considers the global impact of China’s industrial boom as well as how Chinese investments are shaping the prospects for sustainable development on the African continent. This global coverage is balanced by investigating how local action, ranging from the transition towns movement in the UK to the Green Belt movement in Kenya, can contribute to the pursuit of sustainable development. The second edition has been extensively revised and updated and benefits from the addition of three new chapters: sustainable development in China; the governance of sustainable development; and sustainable production and consumption. Climate change and biodiversity management have also been expanded into full chapters. Providing an up-to-date and comprehensive treatment of the issues surrounding the promotion of sustainable development, this unique, internationally-focused book combines a strong conceptual analysis with wide ranging empirical focus and a wealth of case material. Including summary points and suggestions for further reading, as well as web resources and an extensive bibliography, it is ideal for students, scholars and researchers in the fields of environmental sciences, politics, geography, sociology and development studies.

Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Cleantech envisions both global cleantech development and international cleantech transfer as crucial means to address climate change and secure sustainable development for planet earth. The book examines what it takes to attract foreign cleantech and encourage domestic cleantech innovation. The author proposes a pathway for developing countries that includes international aid, mutually beneficial international cleantech cooperation and domestic cleantech innovation.

Sustainable development is at the heart of the work of UNCTAD. UNCTAD provides high-quality and evidence-based analysis that feeds national, regional and international policies with the aim of generating inclusive sustainable development. Based on such analysis, UNCTAD technical assistance builds the capacities needed in developing countries and countries with economies in transition for equitable integration into the interconnected, global economy and to improve the well-being of their populations. It does so in a non-standardized, flexible and customizable way. UNCTAD technical cooperation is tailored to the needs of its beneficiaries; involves donors, partners and other stakeholders; and aims to achieve concrete, measurable results, to be disseminated and shared with stakeholders, in particular countries with similar needs. The technical cooperation products presented in the UNCTAD Toolbox also aim to multiply the intended effects by adopting integrated approaches and coordinating technical cooperation operations both internally and with other stakeholders. The UNCTAD Toolbox contains information on our technical cooperation products that can assist countries in putting in place the policies, regulations and institutional frameworks and in mobilizing the resources needed to fulfil the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This volume introduces the United Nations by considering its purposes, as stated in Article 1 of its Charter. It provides a concise history of this institution, and describes its structure, concentrating on its Funds and Programmes, Specialized Agencies, and Regional Commissions. It then splits the work into two different major sections, on the basis of topic and geographical region. The former includes the following: development, education, environment, food and agriculture, and peace and security, while the latter comprises Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. These are followed by reflective comments and concluding remarks.