By Saidi Winnes
The Government of Malawi is set to host the Africa Regional Review Meeting(ARRM) which will gather 33 Least Developed Countries(LDCs) of Africa and Haiti so to assess the state of their development goals and agree how best to get back on track.
The ARRM which the United Nations will also join Malawi Government in convening it, is Is slated 22-26 February,2021.
Speaking during a virtual press briefing on the country’s state of preparedness towards hosting the ARRM, Vice President Dr.Saulos Chilima disclosed that the motive behind is to review progress made and challenges encountered towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals in the past decade, in preparation for the 5th United Nations Conference on LDCs to be held in Doha, Qatar from 23 to 27 January, 2022.
In his remarks Under-Secretary General, and High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked countries, and Small Island Developing States, Fekitamoeloa Kitao Utoikamanu,who co-presided over the briefing said that the ARRM will also assess how COVID-19 pandemic has affected LDCs, and how the International Community will support LDCs in the next decade.
The meeting is also a critical moment to review lessons learned in the implementation of the previous Programme of Action on Least Developed Countries, agreed in Istanbul in 2011.As the world prepares for the 5th United Nations Conference on LDCs in Doha in 2022, this is the moment at which Africa LDCs will lay out their priorities for that agenda.
The five-day meeting will consist of thematic discussions featuring the participation of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development from African Least Developed Countries and Haiti.
