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H.E Mr. Lok Thapa Bahadur, President of United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),
H.E. Mr. Fahad Al-Sulaiti, Director General, Qatar Fund for Development,
Hon’ble Ministers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Colleagues,

It’s an honour and privilege to address the closing of this remarkably successful meeting on sustainable graduation, here in this beautiful and dynamic city of Doha.

Allow me to begin by expressing, once again, my deep appreciation to the Government and people of Qatar for their exceptional leadership and warm hospitality. 

I would like to especially thank H.E. Sheikh Thani Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Chairman of QFFD, and H.E. Mariam Al-Misnad, Minister of State for International Cooperation for their kind presence at the opening and their continued support and solidarity for the LDCs. I would also like to acknowledge here the unwavering support and leadership of Amb. Sheikha Alya Al-Thani in advancing the implementation of the Doha POA.  Shukran Jazilan!

Convening this global meeting amid extraordinary economic uncertainty and financial situation is a powerful demonstration of Qatar’s steadfast commitment to multilateralism and to the world’s most vulnerable countries. 

At a time when development cooperation is under strain, Qatar’s convening power has been truly indispensable. It has brought us together when unity, partnership, and practical solutions are most urgently needed.

I would also like to convey my sincere thanks to Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa, the President of ECOSOC for joining us today and applaud him for his steadfast commitment to keep the LDC issues high on the UN agenda during his presidency.

This gathering is also historic. For the first time, we have convened graduating and graduated countries in a single global forum dedicated specifically to the future of graduation. 

At LDC5, the former Chair of the LDC Group, the President of Malawi, reminded us that this is the only group where every member aspires to exit. Today, that aspiration has never felt more real. Fourteen countries - equally divided between Africa and Asia - are currently on the path to graduation. If this momentum is maintained, the LDC group could shrink considerably by the end of the decade - an achievement that speaks to decades of collective effort, resilience, and partnership.

We must not lose this moment. Instead, we must safeguard and accelerate it. The remainder of this decade must be our opportunity to build role models of successful and irreversible graduation - countries whose experiences will inspire others and demonstrate what is possible when ambition, policy, and partnership come together.

And this is why we have emphasized the importance of incentivizing graduation. Unless countries experience clear and tangible benefits - enhanced financing opportunities, smoother trade pathways, stronger partnerships, and continued targeted support - the transformational promise of graduation will not be fully realized. Without meaningful incentives, even the most determined countries will face barriers to unlocking their full development potential.

Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,

Before reflecting on the substantive takeaways, let me warmly welcome the adoption of the Doha Statement on Global Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Graduation. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the LDC Chair, Ambassador Amrit Bahadur Rai, for his skillful leadership and to all delegations for their constructive engagement. 

This Statement will serve as a critical input for the work of the ad-hoc open-ended working group on smooth transition and for the comprehensive midterm review of the DPOA here in Doha in 2027. It captures the collective commitment, concerns, and aspirations voiced over these three days and charts a clear direction for advancing a more coherent, predictable, and incentives-based global support architecture for graduating and graduated LDCs.

Excellencies,

Over the past three days, we have engaged in rich, frank, and forward-looking conversations. 

Allow me to reflect on the key messages that emerged.

One of the strongest themes we heard was to uphold the long-standing principle that LDC-specific international support measures must not be withdrawn abruptly. 

Delegates underlined the risks of a “cliff edge” when trade preferences, concessional financing, climate funds, or technical cooperation are phased out too quickly.

 The message was clear: transition periods must be predictable, sequenced, and evidence-based, in full alignment with General Assembly resolutions and DPOA. Smooth transition is not only about protecting past gains - it is about enabling future progress.

We also heard a growing call for more tailored, timely, and enhanced support through the iGRAD Facility. Countries expressed the need for readiness  assessments, country-specific diagnostics, risk-informed planning, and support for effective implementation of Smooth Transition Strategies. 

We are grateful to Qatar for its support to iGRAD, which enables the Facility to expand its line of support to graduating countries.  

Secondly, there was strong emphasis on Smooth Transition Strategies that are integrated, inclusive, and nationally owned. Many countries noted that fragmented planning and limited institutional coordination have hindered effective STS implementation, and they underscored the importance of aligning STS with national development plans, SDG frameworks, macroeconomic stability and budget processes, while ensuring full multistakeholder engagement. 

The UN system, through a strengthened “One UN” approach, stands ready to support this process - but national leadership, ownership, and sustained political will remain indispensable.

A third theme that resonated strongly was the centrality of structural transformation to sustainable and irreversible graduation. 

The panelists and experts highlighted the urgency of strengthening productive capacities, expanding high-value sectors, promoting digital and green transitions, and supporting MSMEs.  The private sector has a critical role to play in this regard, and we cannot emphasize enough the importance of innovative models including through public-private partnerships.  

The LDCs must overcome the vicious cycle of remaining trapped in low-value production systems by investing strategically in their productive base and moving up global and regional value chains.

A central pathway to this transformation is investing in people - particularly in the youth who will drive the economies of the future. The DPOA rightly places strong emphasis on building human capital, including through investing in education, and calls for the establishment of the Online University for LDCs. This initiative aims to harness science, technology and innovation to expand access to high-quality education, equip young people with skills in STEM and emerging technologies, and prepare them for the fast-evolving global digital landscape.

The UN Technology Bank, as the STI focal point for LDCs, is another critical pillar in this effort. Its role in supporting technology access, research, and innovation ecosystems will be indispensable for enabling LDCs to harness the benefits of STI. 

Fourth, we also heard serious concerns regarding trade-related vulnerabilities - from preference erosion to TRIPS obligations, tariff shocks, and disrupted value chains. 

Panelists and participants underscored the importance of extended transition periods for key trade preferences, enhanced Aid for Trade, strengthened negotiation capacity, and targeted support for compliance with standards. 

Regional integration and emerging digital trade frameworks were highlighted as pathways for expanding market access and competitiveness.

Throughout our discussions, countries also emphasized the need to build resilience to multiple and compounding shocks - climate disasters, pandemics, food and energy price volatility, and debt distress. We heard that: resilience Means “Bouncing Forward, Not Back”: emerging stronger, more dynamic, and more competitive after each shock.

Delegates called for scaled-up climate finance, risk-informed planning, climate-smart agriculture, and access to innovative finance instruments such as resilience bonds, blended finance, and debt swaps. The effective operationalization of the DPOA deliverables Resilience-Building Mechanism and Food Stockholding Mechanism was also highlighted as a priority.

Finally, there was strong consensus on the need for a more structured incentive-based graduation framework. The panelists and experts stressed that incentives - predictable financing windows, investment guarantees, smoother trade pathways, and blended financing options - must embolden countries to graduate with confidence. Incentives build public confidence, support national reforms, and generate the momentum required for sustained development.

In this spirit, my Office will prepare a policy brief on incentives-based graduation, synthesizing the ideas, experiences, and recommendations shared during this meeting. It will capture commitments made in various global processes, assess country needs, highlight successful models, and outline options for a more coherent global framework. This brief will serve as a resource for Member States and partners in the upcoming ad hoc working group discussions and in the Midterm Review of the.

Excellencies,

This meeting has truly embodied the theme of global partnership for sustainable development - in letter and in spirit. We have been joined by UN entities and international partners. I thank the CDP, UNDESA, UNIDO, WTO, ECA, the LDC Technology Bank, whose contributions reflect the spirit of a One-UN working in solidarity with the LDCs. Their presence here shows that supporting LDCs is not the responsibility of one entity, but a shared commitment across the entire UN system.

Before I conclude, allow me to extend my sincere appreciation to all Chairs, moderators, keynote speakers, and panelists for their thoughtful leadership throughout the programme. I thank the delegations of Cambodia, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, and Tuvalu for skillfully steering the sessions. 

Above all, I thank all representatives of graduating and graduated countries, and development partner countries, whose honest reflections, aspirations, and lived experiences have shaped this dialogue. Your voices will continue to guide our work.

And last but not the least, my heartfelt thanks to Team Doha and Team OHRLLS, for their tireless work and commitment to delivering this successful meeting.  Team Doha and Team OHRLLS together is always a winning team! Thank you very much!

Excellencies, Colleagues,

Let us leave Doha inspired and united in our commitment to ensure that graduation becomes a gateway to resilience, opportunity, and sustainable prosperity. Let us build on the spirit of partnership we have forged here - strengthening incentives, expanding cooperation, and ensuring that every country advances with the full support of the global community. 

I thank you once again for joining us on this transformative journey, and I wish you all a safe and pleasant travel back home.

I thank you. Shukran Jazilan!