Spotlighting LDCs
AS Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said in his address
to the 13th summit meet on Non-Alinged Movement in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, the world body
had to seize the opportunity afforded by the summit to reposition itself firmly in the
changing global political and economic environment. In an address that presented the view
of Nepal in a cogent manner on NAM, the world affairs, and the country's specific issues,
Mr. Chand spoke perhaps for most of the world leaders in Kuala Lumpur when he emphasised
that NAM had an urgent duty to seriously address the problems of developing countries and
defend their common interests, with meaningful and synergistic partnership among
themselves and with developed countries. No less significant was his assertion that NAM
must join hands for the implementation of the pledges made by the international community,
and that efforts should be made to ensure effective fulfillment of collective commitments
on the eradication of poverty, creation of a fair world trading regime and adequate
financing for development in a sustainable manner, with a special focus on the needs for
the least developed countries. It is irrefutable that NAM has to rejuvenate itself in the
changing world environment where however poverty and low economic growth remains the
common denominator of its members who are developing countries. Particularly, the least
developed countries like Nepal face monumental challenges in eradicating poverty and
accelerating their economic growth. The developing countries in general and the LDCs in
particular lack capacity and fair mechanisms to cash in on the virtues of globalisation.
Globalisation may be a fait accompli already, but it means
little to most of the poor countries as they lack of wherewithal to secure gains from it.
Indeed, there are legitimate fears that the pell-mell hurtling of the global economy down
the globalisation path will leave many developing countries fallen by the wayside. Hence,
it is imperative that a world movement like NAM has to be extra alert in reaching the
voices of the global poor in various world fora and seek implementation of measures that
enable them to at least reap some of the benefits of the globalisation. Mr. Chand brought
to the fore the long-felt needs of many countries when he pointed out that providing debt
relief and opening the developed countries' markets for developing countries in general
and LDCs in particular, are measures that could set things right to some degree. For
countries like Nepal, NAM's relevance as a movement would be largely validated only if
LDCs' priorities, needs and difficulties are kept under the spotlight.
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