Securing the Outcome of the UN LDC IV : The Need for an Independent Monitoring Mechanism

The much awaited Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (UN LDC IV) concluded on 13 May 2011 after an eventful five-day summit in Istanbul, Turkey. The mass conclave of government, international agencies and civil society representatives has once again epitomised the significance of and concern for international cooperation in addressing the vulnerability of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Once again promises have been made and modalities have been proposed to address the development challenges of the LDCs. A persistent question, however, continued to loom large over the participants long after the “successful” completion of the conference: how effective will the decisions of the UN LDC IV be as catalysts for accelerated, inclusive and sustained development in the most disadvantaged countries in the coming decade?