Developing countries to review action plan in Turkey

ANTALYA, Turkey (AA) - A meeting reviewing the progress of a decade-long international plan to help strengthen developing nations is set to begin on Friday in Turkey’s Mediterranean resort province of Antalya.

The three-day Midterm Review Conference will tackle a comprehensive review of implementation of the 2011 Istanbul Program of Action for Least-Developed Countries (LDC) by LDCs and their development partners and likewise reaffirm the global commitment to address LDCs’ special needs.

The program, passed at the Fourth UN Conference on Least-Developed Countries in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2011, charts out the international community’s vision and strategy for the sustainable development of LDCs through 2021 with a strong focus on developing their productive capacities.

The conference is co-organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Office of the High Representative for Least-Developed Countries (UN-OHRLLS).

The conference aims at sustainable growth in a total of 48 countries which make up 12 percent of the world's population.

Some 3,000 people, including high-level politicians, academics, and NGO representatives, are expected to attend.

Topic set to be covered include production capacity, agriculture, food security and rural development, multiple crises, the development and construction of fiscal resources, trade and goods, economic diversification, and human and social development of the LDCs.

The conference especially aims at strengthening global cooperation to develop LDCs.

During the event, the conference zone will be designated UN territory, and tight security measures will be taken.