The least developed countries report 2008 : growth, poverty and the terms of development partnership / prepared by the UNCTAD Secretariat

Least developed countries are achieving record rates of economic expansion, but growth is failing to trickle down into significantly improved well-being for the majority of their population. The Least Developed Countries Report 2008 argues that this results from the type of economic growth and development strategy that these countries are following. In order to decisively reduce material deprivation and embark on economic and social development, LDCs need to adopt new types of development strategies that are nationally formulated and owned. One of the elements of this change is to adopt management policies for the official development aid they receive. Economic expansion in the LDCs since 2000 has been stronger than in the 1990s. In 2005 and 2006, there was a further growth acceleration and the LDCs together achieved the strongest growth performance for thirty years. Rapid economic growth has been associated with a slow rate of poverty reduction and progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The LDCs as a group are unlikely to reach the goal of reducing the incidence of poverty by half between 1990 and 2015. Most of these countries are also off track to achieve most of the other MDGs. There is no evidence of a significant change in trends in social development since 2000, after the adoption of the Millennium Declaration and more socially-oriented policy reforms.
How sustainable is LDCs' growth? -- Trends in poverty and progress towards the MDGs -- Changes in the terms of development partnership -- Statistical annex: Data on the least developed countries.

xiv, x, 171 p.

At head of title: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Geneva.
Includes bibliographical references.

9789211127515 English print
9789212123578 French print
9789213123492 Spanish print
0257-7550 English print
2225-1723 English electronic
1010-8157 Arabic print
2959-5258 Arabic electronic
0257-8107 French print
2414-7249 French electronic
0257-8115 Spanish print
2412-4893 Spanish electronic