9 to 13 May, Istanbul, Turkey: Bob McMullan, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Australia, is joining representatives of national governments, multilateral organisations, civil society and the private sector at United Nations Fourth Conference on the Least Developed Nations to agree on a new programme of action for the next decade.
The Least Developed Countries are the countries most vulnerable to natural and climate change disasters, where 75 per cent of people live on less than $2 a day and suffer from diseases long eradicated in other parts of the world. Many countries have made strong progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, yet much remains to be done if the world's poorest countries are to lift themselves out of poverty and realise their potential in a global economy.
Australia is increasing efforts to fight poverty, hunger, inequality and disease for the 880 million people living in the world's 48 least developed countries. This will include initiatives in education, health, food security and infrastructure, as well as climate change adaption for small island developing states.
Australia will also continue to press to open trade markets to enable investment and to respond to special requests from Least Developed Countries to help them tackle their unique development challenges.
Through coordinated global action, the world can work together to remove the remaining obstacles to economic and human development of the world's poorest populations.