The Istanbul programme of action for the least developed countries: What does it add?

Oumar Diallo, Cheick S. Diarra and Kavazeua U. Katjomuise

Development Policy Review, 2020, vol. 38, issue 4, 521-537

Abstract: Motivation Every ten years, the member states of the United Nations agree on a decennial Programme of Action (PoA) intended to advance the development agenda of the least developed countries (LDCs). As this PoA is expected to expand on its predecessor, the question is whether this additionality holds for Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA), which covers the period 2011–2020. Purpose The purpose of the article is to review the Istanbul Programme of Action and to contrast it with its predecessor: the Brussels Programme of Action. Approach and methods In comparing these two PoAs, we use qualitative and quantitative approaches and draw on recent literature pertaining to international development co‐operation. Findings Using these methodologies, we identify several novelties in the IPoA, including the focus on previously neglected issues that are important for LDCs' long‐term. We show, however, that the IPoA retains some of the shortcomings of its predecessors, while its structure and options of setting goals and targets create a wedge between development aspirations and the means of implementation. Policy implications Advancing the development agenda of LDCs requires re‐committing to achieving some of the new features in the IPoA and addressing its shortcomings in the 2021–2030 Programme of Action, which will be adopted at the 2021 Fifth United Nations Conference on LDCs.

Date: 2020
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