Least Developed Countries

On Wednesday, the 2017 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) reviewed the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (good health and well being) and SDG 5 (gender equality). In the afternoon, thematic reviews took place on two topics related to this year’s overall theme of “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world”: “Taking forward the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway,” and “How it affects countries in special situations: least developed countries (LDCs) and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs).” The latter thematic review also discussed the special challenges of middle-income countries (MICs). IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports from HLPF 2017 and also produced a summary and analysis report, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Session 7 - Review of implementation: SDG 3 (good health and well being) View of the dais during the session Nabeel Munir, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, and Vice President, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Nata Menabde, Executive Director, World Health Organization (WHO) Office at the UN, New York Michael Myers, Managing Director, The Rockefeller Foundation Francesca Perucci, UN Statistics Division (UNSD) Laura Flores, Permanent Representative of Panama to the UN Rachel Cohen, Regional Executive Director, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) Marie Hauerslev, Vice President for External Affairs, International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) Jeroen Verheul, the Netherlands, speaking on behalf of 18 developed and developing countries Farzana Zahir, Maldives, speaking on behalf of Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Odo Tevi, Vanuatu Session 8 - Review of implementation: SDG 5 (gender equality) View of the dais during the session Salma Nims, Secretary General, Jordanian National Commission for Women Marie Chatardová, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN, and Vice President, ECOSOC Moderator Craig Mokhiber, Chief, Development and Economic and Social Issues Branch, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Jane Sanyu Mpagi, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Uganda Roberto Bissio, Executive Director, Third World Institute, and Coordinator of Social Watch, Uruguay Nalini Singh, Executive Director, Fiji Women's Rights Movement (FWRM), representative of Women's Major Group Akinremi Bolaji, Nigeria Kajsa Olofsgård, Sweden Lena Gerber, US Ana Cristina García, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Nguyen Thi Le Thuy, Viet Nam   Session 9 - Thematic review: Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world: Taking forward the SAMOA Pathway View of the dais during the session Shahine Robinson, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Jamaica Moderator Pennelope Beckles, Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the UN Cristián Barros Melet, Permanent Representative of Chile to the UN, and Vice President, ECOSOC Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Paula Vivili, Director, Public Health Division, Pacific Community (SPC) Tuitama Leao Talalelei Tuitama, Minister of Health, Samoa Rennier Gadabu, Nauru Mahe'uli'uli Sandhurst Tupouniua, Tonga José Luis Rocha, Cabo Verde Fauzia Mwita Haji, Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities Masina Tietie, Women's Major Group Session 10 - Thematic review: Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world: How it affects countries in special situations: Least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and special challenges of middle-income countries (MICs) View of the dais during the session Amira Gornass, Chairperson, Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Moderator Swarnim Waglé, National Planning Commission, Nepal Larysa Belskaya, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belarus Nikhil Seth, Executive Director, UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Farah Kabir, Country Director, ActionAid Bangladesh Lazarous Kapambwe, Permanent Representative of Zambia to the UN Masud Bin Momen, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Around the Venue Delegates from Indonesia Delegates between sessions Delegates use the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) to keep up to date with discussions at HLPF 2017 Delegates huddle for a discussion Sainivalati Navoti, SIDS Network, and William Bly, UN Webmaster and Photographer Delegates speak informally

On Friday morning, a partnership dialogue focused on enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Participants highlighted the key role of effective implementation of UNCLOS in achieving SDG 14; and challenges regarding universal participation, and uneven and ineffective implementation and enforcement. Plenary continued with the general debate; heard reports from the partnership dialogues; and adopted the conference report and the Call for Action as agreed during the intergovernmental consultations. The US: noted it did not support reference to technology transfer, reaffirming that strong protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights provides the incentives needed to foster innovation; disassociated itself from the call to accelerate work to complete World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on fisheries subsidies with special and differential treatment for developing countries and LDCs, explaining that WTO independence must be respected; and reiterated the recent announcement of his country's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change. France welcomed the support for the Paris Agreement indicated by its ratification by a majority of the world. The Russian Federation distanced itself from language on WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies, highlighting the complexity and sensitive nature of the topic and the need to address it under the WTO. Egypt registered its reservation on language implying that invasive alien species (IAS) are due solely to human activities, noting it is factually incorrect as there are other causes, including climate change. The EU emphasized the universal and unified character of UNCLOS as the legal framework for all ocean-related activities. General Assembly President Peter Thomson, Fiji, affirmed that the conference: generated broad momentum for implementing all the SDGs; showed that ocean and climate health are “two sides of the same coin”; spurred WTO negotiators to address harmful subsidies; and emphasized the role of small-scale fisheries in sustainable blue economy. Co-President Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, Fiji, noted that voluntary commitments doubled during the week counting: 44% of commitments from governments, 19% from NGOs, 9% from the UN and 9% from the private sector; with the highest number of commitments in the North Atlantic and South Pacific, relating to marine ecosystems, pollution and science. Co-President Isabella Lövin, Sweden, congratulated delegates, in particular Fiji, for placing the ocean at the center of the political agenda as a matter of human survival, in light of the combined pressures of marine litter, ocean acidification and overfishing. She welcomed Kenya and Portugal’s offers to host the next conference in 2020, and called for a “strong home for the ocean at the UN” and leadership by the UN Secretary-General to drive SDG 14 forward. She officially gaveled the conference to a close at 5:44 pm, following which, delegates participated in a cultural ceremony to close the conference. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports and daily web coverage, and has provided a summary and analysis report in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Plenary Session Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Union View of the dais during the plenary session Agostinho Mondlane, Minister of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, Mozambique President Tommy Esang Remengesau, Palau Necton Mhura, Permanent Representative to the UN, Malawi Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Sven Jürgenson, Permanent Representative to the UN, Estonia Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland Oumar Guèye, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Senegal Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Fiji Arthur Andambi, Rapporteur, Kenya Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden, gaveling the meeting to a close. Partnership dialogue 7: Enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Australia Florence Galletti, Director of Research, Law of the Sea and Environmental Law, French National Research Institute for Development (IRD) Biliana Cicin-Sain, President, Global Ocean Forum Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga, Tuvalu Anastasia Strati, Greece Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico Pennelope Althea Beckles, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Trinidad and Tobago Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Heraldo Muñoz, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chile Judy Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Regional Development Authorities, Kenya Hernâni Coelho, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Timor Leste Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland Maxine McClean, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Barbados Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Union Michael Lodge, Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority Nohora Galvis, Director, Observatorio Pro Arrecifes, Colombia Charlotte Salpin, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS), with Elisa Morgera, IISD Reporting Services Participants networking Around the Venue