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Excellencies,

I wish to commend the Government of Nepal for its successful stewardship of the Group of LDCs over the past three years.

I also warmly congratulate the Government of The Gambia as it assumes the Chairmanship of the Group.

I thank USG Rabab Fatima for her support to the Group.

Excellencies,

In 1971, amid decolonization and the launch of the Second United Nations Development Decade, the international community recognized a fundamental truth: equal sovereignty does not mean equal starting points. Twenty-five countries facing the deepest structural barriers were identified as the least developed among developing countries, and a solemn compact of international solidarity was born. Their number continued to rise, reaching 52 in 1991. Today it stands at 44, with 14 countries in the graduation pipeline. This arc, from expansion to graduation, carries a powerful message. It shows that multilateralism can deliver; that dedicated programmes of action matter; and that a focused UN support architecture can change development trajectories.

The establishment of OHRLLS in 2001 gave that architecture a vital centre: to mobilize and coordinate the UN system, monitor commitments, advocate and leverage system-wide assets and resources. And the Office has proven its success and effectiveness in concrete terms.

The graduation pipeline is not a reason for complacency. But it proves that national leadership, matched by sustained global partnership and coordinated support architecture, can make structural transformation possible.

Yet these gains now face a gathering storm. Conflict and geopolitical fragmentation are driving energy, food and fertilizer shocks. Debt service is consuming resources needed for schools, hospitals and resilience; 16 LDCs are at high risk of debt distress and five are already in distress. Climate catastrophe is no longer approaching; it is arriving. The recent glacier collapse and devastating floods affecting Nepal and Tibet showed, with terrible force, how Himalayan ice loss can become human tragedy in minutes.

And another transformation is upon us: artificial intelligence. AI can expand knowledge, improve agriculture, strengthen early warning systems, transform health care and modernize public administration. But without deliberate action, it may turn the digital divide into a development chasm.

Only 33.7 per cent of people in LDCs used the Internet in 2025, compared with 73.6 per cent globally, while their research and development investment stood at just 0.28 per cent of GDP. Countries unable to build AI ecosystems may capture little of its bounty, yet stand first in line for job displacement, algorithmic exclusion, misinformation and new dependencies.

We must therefore move from digital inclusion to AI sovereignty with solidarity. LDCs need to focus on four foundations: affordable connectivity and shared computing capacity; skills, research networks and local-language data; open and fairly licensed technologies for public-interest uses; and safeguards for rights, workers and cultures. Development partners and technology companies should provide predictable financing, access to compute and models, technology transfer and LDC participation in global AI governance, not as rule-takers, but as co-authors. LDCs deserve a fair share of the AI dividend.

The UN Technology Bank must be the operational anchor. Having led the team that prepared its original feasibility blueprint, I know its promise: strengthening scientific capacity, connecting researchers and helping LDCs access and use technologies suited to their priorities. It now needs predictable core funding and a stronger role in AI-readiness assessments, shared infrastructure, talent networks and country-led innovation.

The 2027 Midterm Review of the Doha Programme of Action comes at a defining moment. I will shortly appoint two co-facilitators to guide an inclusive process. The Review must not only assess delivery under the DPoA and the 2030 Agenda, but also shape the development and partnership architecture LDCs need now, inform the 2027 SDG Summit and plant the seeds of the framework beyond 2030.

I commend the Government of Qatar for its steadfast support to LDCs and for hosting the Review in Doha from 25 to 27 March 2027. I look forward to participating.

LDCs will remain a priority of my Presidency, as pledged in my vision and opening address. For the first time, I have established within my Office a dedicated team for countries in special needs. Soon, we will launch a Presidency-led Leadership Platform for Countries in Special Needs, a flexible coalition of Governments, the UN system, international financial institutions, business, academia and civil society, to hold focused high-level dialogues and turn priorities into actionable recommendations.

Excellencies,

The LDC agenda is not an act of charity. It is a test of justice, foresight and the credibility of multilateralism. Let us ensure that no country remains trapped by the circumstances of history, and that every country can become an author of our common future.

Thank you.