UN-OHRLLS facilitates group consultations for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS as well as partnering to convene focused events around thematic development issues. Each group of countries — Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC) and Small Island Developing States (SIDs) — has its own Programme of Action which guides the development work of countries, states, their partners, UN-OHRLLS and our stakeholders. Every 10 years each Programme is reviewed to reflect current development trends and the goals of each group for the next decade. Each of these strategic documents incorporates South-South and Triangular Cooperation and underlines the need to fully harness the opportunities offered by it as a complement to, but not a substitute for, North-South cooperation. They seek to achieve specific development results as articulated in their national development plans and priorities, based on solidarity and partnership within the context of South-South cooperation. These include: 1) Istanbul Programme of Action (LDCs), 2) Vienna Programme of Action (LLDC), 3) The SAMOA Pathway (SIDS).

1. Istanbul Programme of Action (LDCs):

The IPoA for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 was adopted by the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries, in Istanbul, Turkey. The overarching goal of the ten-year Programme was to overcome the structural challenges faced by LDCs in order to eradicate poverty and achieve internationally agreed development goals and enable graduation from the least developed country category. This also includes other internationally agreed development goals, including the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement. While setting out goals and targets for the LDCs, the IPoA also laid out eight priority areas of action for LDCs where their development partners are expected to provide support and assistance. The IPoA also called for the realization of the potential of South-South cooperation in LDCs in areas such as human and productive capacity-building, technical assistance and exchange of best practices.

2) Vienna Programme of Action (LLDC)

The Vienna Programme of Action is centred upon addressing the challenges faced by LLDCs and aims to contribute to the eradication of poverty stemming from their landlockedness through the implementation of specific actions related to the priority areas of 1) Fundamental transit policy issues, 2) Infrastructure development and maintenance, 3) International trade and trade facilitation, 4) Regional integration and cooperation, 5) Structural economic transformation, 6) Means of implementation. The document recognizes the role of SSTC in increasing the growth and development of landlocked developing countries, as well as transit developing countries, through their contribution, as appropriate, to the sharing of best practices, human and productive capacity building, financial and technical assistance and technology transfer on mutually agreed terms. Given the increasing growth in South-South trade, the document highlights that the other developing countries could be important export destinations for the products of landlocked developing countries and sources of critical foreign direct investment. Sharing best practices in customs, border and corridor management and in the implementation of trade facilitation policies should be encouraged at the global, regional, subregional and South-South levels, including in the private sector;

3) The SAMOA Pathway (SIDS)

The SAMOA Pathway expanded the mandate of UN-OHRLLS to include small island developing states (SIDS). Sea-level rise and other adverse impacts of climate change continue to pose a significant risk to SIDS and their efforts to achieve sustainable development. For many, climate change also represents the gravest threat to their survival and viability.  The document calls for enhanced international cooperation, including North-South, SouthSouth and triangular cooperation, and especially cooperation among small island developing States. It reaffirms the complementary role of South-South cooperation and not a substitute for  North-South cooperation. It further highlights partnerships as effective instruments for mobilizing human and financial resources, expertise, technology and knowledge and can be powerful drivers for change, innovation and welfare, including strengthening technical assistance programmes in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and regional institutions in small island developing States.

5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5)

As the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries (IPoA) draws to a close in 2020, the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) will take place in Doha, Qatar, from 23 to 27 January 2022, at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government.  The expected outcome of LDC5, a new 10-year programme of action for the LDCs, will be adopted at a critical time, falling within the last 10 years of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals across the LDCs.