Your Excellencies,

Members of the Civil Society Steering Committee,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A warm welcome to all of you.

We gather this morning to launch the Civil Society Steering Committee for the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries. It is an occasion which holds particular significance given the strong emphasis the UN General Assembly has placed on civil society’s active engagement not only in the preparations in the lead-up to the Conference, but also in the global meeting itself, which will be held from May 30 until June 3, 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Since my Director, Ms. Lakshmi Puri, will make a presentation later this morning on the status of preparations, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of our ideas and thoughts on the role of civil society in general, and the Committee in particular, within the broader agenda of the Conference.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Fourth UN Conference is expected to provide the international community with an opportunity to undertake a comprehensive appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010. This thorough assessment is expected to shed light on key accomplishments and critical constraints in delivering the goals of the current programme, and suggest new strategies to address the gaps identified at national, regional and global levels.

The Conference however takes place against a very different backdrop compared to the 2001 Conference in Brussels. Today the LDCs have to contend with the triple threat of the energy, food and economic crisis, as well as the growing concern about climate change, all of which have not only had a severe effect on LDCs, but have also exposed the seriousness of their vulnerabilities.

Faced with these myriad of challenges some old others emerging, it is therefore important to ensure that the Conference and preparations for it involve a wide range of stakeholders, not least from the LDCs themselves.  In this regard, the important contribution of civil society actors has been recognized by the General Assembly in Resolution 63/277.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

LDCs and their development partners have committed themselves to placing people at the centre of the development process. This is reflected in the first commitment of the Brussels Programme which calls for “fostering a people-centered policy framework”. Undoubtedly, civil society plays a vital role in representing and giving voice to the needs and aspirations of ordinary people in the LDCs. With its community-level presence, civil society is able to bring the experiences, concerns and priorities of ordinary citizens to the policy making process. Similarly, it is well-placed to sensitize people about government policies and the opportunities they entail. It plays an important role in mobilizing and empowering the population to participate in the development process.

NGOs are not only important in advocating for the needs of the people with governments and their partners, but also holding LDC governments and their development partners accountable for the commitments they have made.

Thus it is expected that the participation of the civil society in the UN LDC IV process will strengthen the bottom-up character of the process. It will invariably bring the rich experiences and lessons from the ground to bear on the process, ensuring a more thorough assessment of the Brussels Programme, and a pro-poor and more inclusive new programme of action for LDCs.

Distinguished Guests

As we prepare for LDC IV, it is crucial that civil society has the opportunity and the necessary space to make their vital contribution.  Often members of civil society can provide a frank and honest account of the impact of policies as they affect the daily lives of ordinary households.  NGOs and CSOs tell us uncomfortable truths, but it important that we remain open to these insights.

It is for this reason that the Steering Committee for the LDC IV Conference has been constituted. The seven members of the Committee are through their experience and cross-border network expected to provide the overall substantive guidance and direction of civil society participation in the LDC-IV preparatory process.

Already Member States have identified a number of areas for greater action such as on debt relief, crisis mitigation and resilience, innovative sources of financing and fomenting agricultural revolution for food security. These ideas should be carried forward and supported by civil society in new and innovative ways.

It is envisaged that the civil society steering committee  will serve to enhance the ability of future strategies to effectively address the challenges faced by LDCs.  Their activities will ensure full engagement of civil society in their contribution to new strategies for promoting sustainable development in LDCs. Furthermore the Steering Committee is charged with the coordinating CSOs engagements globally both in LDCs and development partner countries to promote LDCs issues and concerns and their participation in UN LDC IV process and beyond 2011. This in my opinion will allow broader ownership of agreed strategies by relevant stakeholders and lead to stronger international partnership among the broad range of stakeholders in the implementation of future strategies.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, the unique capacity of civil society to forge grand coalitions that transcend borders, running from the grassroots to the international level needs to be put to the service of the development cause of LDCs. Indeed, the Office for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, and the UN system at large, is therefore eager to enhance the contribution of civil society as we move towards Istanbul and beyond the 2011 Conference.

It is my firm belief that only maximum contribution from all development partners – especially civil society, can give us a good chance of improving the living conditions of those who most need it in the Least Developed Countries.

I would like to take this opportunity to once again extend my deepest appreciation to all seven members of the Steering Committee, who despite the demands on their time, so kindly agreed to be part of this process.

Undoubtedly, we will all benefit from their immense wisdom and wealth of experience.

I thank you.