ON ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF THE LEAST DEVELOPED AND LAND-LOCKED MEMBER STATES

The Twenty-fifth Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Session for a Better Future for the Peoples of the Islamic Ummah) held in Doha, State of Qatar, from 17 to 19 Dhul Quida 1418H (15-17 March 1998),

Recalling Resolution No. 3/8-E(IS) adopted by the Eighth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference;

Recalling also Resolution No. 3/24-E adopted by the Twenty-fourth Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers;

Expressing its profound concern over the serious economic problems faced by the Least-Developed Member States and noting with disappointmen the slow progress in the implementation of the new Programme of Action adopted in the Second UN Conference held in 1990 for Least Developed Countries, as well as in the increasing of the Official Development Assistance (ODA);

Expressing concern over the sharp decline in the prices of the raw materials produced and exported by the least developed countries;

Having taken note with satisfaction that, despite the sharp drop in oil revenues in recent years, the Islamic donor countries continued to provide significant external aid and that the amount of aid distributed to the least developed countries exceeded 0.15 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product;

Expressing satisfaction with the IDB's efforts for the extension of assistance to the Least Developed Countries and for the opening of a special account for them as approved by the IDB's Board of Governors at its Seventeenth Annual Session held in Tehran in November 1992;

Having taken note of the recommendations of the 21st Session of he Islamic Commission for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs;

Having taken note of the report of the Secretary General,

1. Welcomes the UN decision to convene the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries at a high level in the year 2001.

2. Calls upon all Governments, inter-governmental and multilateral institutions to take appropriate steps to ensure that adequate preparations are made for the Conference and to participate effectively in the above-mentioned preparatory meetings.

3. Requests all concerned organs, organizations and bodies of the UN System including regional commissions and other international and multilateral institutions, to make, within their respective competence, substantive contributions and proposals for further action as submissions to the preparatory process of the conference.

4. Appeals to the international community, and particularly to the developed countries to fully and efficiently implement the 1990 Plan of Action in this regard and the provisions of other UN resolutions, in particular those contained in UNCTAD IX and recommendations contained in the report of the High Level Inter-governmental Meeting on the Mid-term Global Review of the Implementation of Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s held in New York from September 25 to October 6, 1995.

5. Urges developed countries to increase their contributions and initiate new means within the framework of the International Development Strategy and to follow the example of countries who converted the debts contracted by the least developed countries into grants in order to facilitate the implementation of the structural adjustment measures undertaken by these countries.

6. Expresses concern at the declining trend in the quantity of ODA to the LDCs as well as the trend to attach conditions to the ODA and appeals to all member states for their continued strengthening support to increase the flow of ODA to the LDCs.

7. Stresses the importance of increasing Official Development Assistance (ODA) granted by the developed countries in favour of the developing countries in general and the Least Developed Countries in particular.

8. Notes with satisfaction the efforts of some Member States to extend assistance in the technical, financial, food and other forms to the least developed member countries and hope that such assistance will continue.

9. Appreciates the continuous efforts of the General Secretariat as well as those of the IDB, subsidiary organs and affiliated institutions in this direction.

10. Calls upon both the land-locked developing countries and their transit neigbours, in the spirit of South-South Cooperation, including bilateral cooperation, to implement measures to strengthen further their cooperative and collaborative efforts in dealing with their transit problems in accordance with UN framework for cooperation among land-locked and transit developing countries.

11. Recognizes the necessity to respond effectively to the needs of Land-locked and transit countries so as to allow them to develop their transport infrastructure and develop road network, so as to facilitate their trade.

12. Recalls with satisfaction that the negotiations embodied provisions conferring preferential and favourable terms to developing countries, including special attention to the particular situation of the least developed countries and calls on the international community to implement these provisions effectively and at the earliest.

13. Requests the Secretary General to submit a report thereon to the Twenty-sixth Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.

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