Doha – Angolan Vice President, Esperança da Costa, said Sunday in Qatar that her country’s government is committed to the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries.
Delivering her speech at the 5th Conference of the World’s Least Developed Countries, the Angolan stateswoman said her country’s government has implemented an ambitious Programme for the strengthening of social protection measures called "Kwenda", with cash transfers to roughly 600,000 families, expecting to reach 1,600,000 families by 2024.
Ms Costa informed that in the economic field several measures have been implemented that have enabled a resumption of the economic growth trend, as well as the launching of the Programme for Reconversion of the Informal Economy to give work dignity to over 8 million Angolans in the informal sector with the potential for broadening tax and contribution base.
The official went on to say that measures have been implemented to combat corruption and impunity, with the aim to strengthen the rule of law and democracy.
The Vice-President said that despite the reforms implemented over the last five years, which enabled the country to create indispensable conditions for sustainable development, Angola has also recorded consecutive periods of economic recession along with negative effects of the current health crises and geopolitical tensions, which resulted in the deterioration of socio-economic indicators.
Esperança da Costa said the government was forced to review its development strategies for the next National Development Plan (2023-2027), prioritizing three fundamental areas, namely Development of Human Capital, aimed at increasing productivity, Expansion and Modernisation of Infrastructures to improve mobility, and the Diversification of the Economy, with a focus on food security.
According to Esperança da Costa, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the institutionalization of the LDC category, it must be recognised that important socio-economic challenges are still present in the agendas of the concerned countries.
"Additionally, some gains already acquired have been eroded by the challenges of the international environment, namely geopolitical tensions, climate change phenomena and health crises, which have impacted on the LDCs in achieving the SDGs, so resilience to external shocks has to be at the centre of our attention," the Angolan official stressed.
According to the Vice President, this is the sort of resilience that is mirrored in the Doha Programme of Action approved by the United Nations General Assembly for the 2022-2031 period.
Esperança da Costa added that this represents a generation of renewed and strengthened commitments by the LDCs and their development partners based on the global objectives to achieve a rapid, sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, eradicate extreme poverty, and strengthen labour markets and to promote the transition from informal to formal employment.
"We call on LDCs to be disruptive in their approaches towards ensuring macroeconomic stability, enhancing their productive capacities and better income sharing towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also for a smooth transition in the graduation process with the UN system", Ms Costa said.
Several individualities were in the plenary room of the Qatar National Convention Centre as well as different Heads of State and Government, representatives of international bodies and guests.
