Least Developed Countries

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World map of the least developed countries 2020 (former states in green)

Least developed countries ( WEL , english Least Developed Countries ( LDCs )) one of the is United Nations -defined socio-economic status, a group of 47 very poor countries has anywhere in the world. These least developed countries in the world are also known as the “ Fourth World ” .

Disambiguation

The least developed countries (WEL) are a subset of the developing countries that are considered to be particularly poor.

In English, the abbreviation LDC is ambiguous and leads to persistent confusion: both Least Developed Countries and Less Developed Countries (depending on the context: further developing countries or all developing countries) are abbreviated as LDC . The “abbreviation” LLDC was sometimes used in English for the WEL, but this causes further confusion, since it serves as a real abbreviation for Landlocked Developing Countries . In order to reduce the risk of confusion, the Less Developed Countries are sometimes referred to as Developing Countries , or DC for short. The terms are also confused by authorities such as the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and United Nations organizations .

In the meantime, the BMZ has decided to use the confusing English abbreviation “LDC” or the indefinite German term “developing country” for German usage. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) avoids the term “developing country” in favor of the term “partner country”.

Criteria for inclusion

Until 1990, the decisive criteria for the classification as WEL were the per capita income, the share of industry in the gross domestic product (GDP) and the literacy rate.

This catalog of criteria was replaced in 1991 by four new, comprehensive criteria in order to also address long-term development obstacles such as B. To be able to take into account structural weaknesses and low level of human resource development in the assessment.

When the WEL list was last revised in 2009, the Development Policy Committee used the following three criteria for classification:

  1. Three -year average gross national income per capita of less than US $ 992 as an entry criterion and more than US $ 1,190 as a criterion for advancement.
  2. Human wealth index (HAI) - provides information about social characteristics such as health and education . Historically, it replaces the earlier Augmented Physical Quality of Life Index (APQLI). It provides information on the intake of food energy per capita in% of the minimum requirement , the child mortality rate , the literacy rate among adults and the school enrollment rate in secondary schools .
  3. Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI) - describes the vulnerability of societies and replaces the old index of economic diversification (EDI). It is based on the exports , instability in export earnings, the agricultural production and the share of processed industry and services on GDP .

To be added to the list, all three criteria must be met. In addition, since the fundamental importance of the list is to identify structural disadvantages - including ethnic communities that are too small in number - the population must not exceed 75 million people.

A country can be removed from the WEL list if it exceeds the (upper) limit values ​​of at least two of the first three criteria in at least two successive reviews.

The differentiated underlying indicators enjoy a high level of acceptance worldwide. However, the population indicator, due to which this classification says little about the actual distribution of poverty in the world, the possible political instrumentalization of this classification and the fact that the classification is very complex is criticized .

Admission to the WEL may well be desirable for the affected state, since in the donor countries the quality of development policy is often measured by its focus on this group of countries. Therefore, these preferred nichtrückzuzahlende receive grants ( grants ) or loans on more favorable terms ( International Development Association , IDA).

The term “least developed countries” is based heavily on the Human Development Index (HDI) compiled by the United Nations Development Program , which measures a country's development in terms of economic and social criteria. In the ranking of this index, the group of countries at the bottom end is called the least developed countries . Since this index only takes selected social criteria into account, there is also criticism both of the index itself and of the name derived from it.

Together with the developing countries without access to the sea ( English landlocked developing countries , in short LLDCs ) and small island developing States ( English Small Iceland Developing States , in short: SIDS ), the WEL since 2001 from a small high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and Representing island developing countries . Based on a resolution of the UN General Assembly, this office was set up at the headquarters of the world organization in New York to help coordinate the various programs of action for these groups of countries. An international policy area where these groups of countries receive special attention is international climate policy . It was already agreed in the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that the signatory states should pay particular attention to the needs of the WEL with regard to climate finance and technology transfer. So there is in the UNFCCC process specific support for the WEL by providing information, by advising on the planning of adaptation to global warming and by a special financial mechanism, the Fund for the least developed countries ( English Least Developed Countries Fund , short: LDCF ).

Current WEL

Asia Africa
AfghanistanAfghanistan Afghanistan * AngolaAngola Angola MaliMali Mali *
BangladeshBangladesh Bangladesh EthiopiaEthiopia Ethiopia * MauritaniaMauritania Mauritania
BhutanBhutan Bhutan * BeninBenin Benin MozambiqueMozambique Mozambique
YemenYemen Yemen Burkina FasoBurkina Faso Burkina Faso * NigerNiger Niger *
CambodiaCambodia Cambodia BurundiBurundi Burundi * RwandaRwanda Rwanda *
LaosLaos Laos * Congo Democratic RepublicDemocratic Republic of Congo Democratic Republic of Congo ZambiaZambia Zambia *
MyanmarMyanmar Myanmar DjiboutiDjibouti Djibouti Sao Tome and PrincipeSao Tome and Principe Sao Tome and Principe **
NepalNepal Nepal * EritreaEritrea Eritrea SenegalSenegal Senegal
East TimorEast Timor East Timor ** GambiaGambia Gambia Sierra LeoneSierra Leone Sierra Leone
Oceania Guinea-aGuinea Guinea SomaliaSomalia Somalia
KiribatiKiribati Kiribati ** Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau ** SudanSudan Sudan
Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands Solomon Islands ** ComorosComoros Comoros ** South SudanSouth Sudan South Sudan *
TuvaluTuvalu Tuvalu ** LesothoLesotho Lesotho * TanzaniaTanzania Tanzania
VanuatuVanuatu Vanuatu ** LiberiaLiberia Liberia TogoTogo Togo
Caribbean MadagascarMadagascar Madagascar ChadChad Chad *
HaitiHaiti Haiti ** MalawiMalawi Malawi * UgandaUganda Uganda *
* also in the LLDC group ** also in the SIDS group Central African RepublicCentral African Republic Central African Republic *

Source:

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Communication from the Commission to the Council. Extraordinary Food Aid to Least Developed Countries (WEL). In: Commission of the European Communities. September 29, 1981. Retrieved February 10, 2019 .
  2. ^ Least Developed Countries: Criteria for Identification and Graduation of LDCs. United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), archived from the original on September 12, 2013 ; accessed on April 20, 2017 (English).
  3. ↑ UNFCCC website
  4. ↑ List of Least Developed Countries (as of May 2016) , United Nations Committee for Development Policy
  5. ^ LDC Country Information , UNFCCC