developed’ list

UN adds to ‘least developed’ list

Your Pacific Report article on page 9 of the May 1986 issue headed: “Two Seek Least De veloped Status.” (Kiribati/Tuva lu) contained the statement that: “The only other Pacific Island nation on the list is Western Samoa.”

That was true until December 17, 1985, when the UN Gen eral Assembly adopted resolu tion 40/233 and decided: “to include Vanuatu in the list of least developed countries.”

Samoa recently completed a successful UNDP-sponsored round-table Conference in Geneva, with its major donors in April 1986 and invited the newest Pacific LDC, Vanuatu, to send an observer delegation.

Both Samoa and Vanuatu as LDCs are eligible for UN Capi tal Development Fund assist ance, which is administered by UNDP in addition to our techni cal assistance under both coun try and inter-country programs.

However, your article is cor rect on the fact that (at its 22nd second session in March 1986) the UN Committee for Deve lopment Planning recom mended that both Kiribati and Tuvalu should be granted Least Developed Country status.

You may also be interested to know that, while UNDP Country Programs for Fiji and Tonga have already been approved by the UNDP Gov erning Council (in June 1985), country programs were pre

sented in June (for the 1987- 1991 period) for: the Cook Islands; Kiribati; Niue; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tokelau; Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Thanks for all the invaluable information we always find in your publication.

Leon S. Woskoff

Deputy Chief, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, UNDP.