21 October 2024 

Mr. Chair,

Today’s discussion provides an appropriate opportunity to highlight the complex and persistent difficulties encountered by countries in special situations. These countries are exposed to mounting challenges, exacerbated by inherent vulnerabilities, which threaten their ability to pursue sustainable development and ensure a prosperous future for their populations. The international community, as a family of nations, holds the responsibility to listen and respond to the needs of countries in special situations and to ensure that its efforts reach those most in need.

Least Developed Countries

The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) face unique structural challenges that make them particularly vulnerable to external shocks and global economic fluctuations. They struggle with extreme poverty, climate change, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to essential services such as education and healthcare. These issues, compounded by a lack of equitable opportunities for economic growth, leave LDCs in a deepening gulf of inequality.  

It is imperative to respond to these challenges with solidarity, in “a manner that improves the wellbeing of all, excluding nobody, through concrete programmes, international cooperation, mutual respect and agreements beneficial to all parties,”[1] thus ensuring that LDCs have the means to build resilient economies. In this regard, the Holy See reiterates its call for an approach that prioritizes the eradication of poverty and promotes the integral development of each person.

Landlocked Developing Countries

The unique geographical challenges faced by Landlocked Developing Countries continue to have a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people. Their lack of direct access to the sea limits the participation of LLDCs in global trade and restricts their connectivity to markets, exacerbating poverty and inequality. This stands at odds with the ethical requirement to pursue “the common good and the universal destination of goods; equity in trade relationships; and attention to the rights and needs of the poor in policies concerning trade and international cooperation.”[2]

It is therefore imperative for the international community to take tangible action to fully integrate LLDCs into the global economy. In this regard, my Delegation looks forward to the LLDC3 Conference in Botswana as an important opportunity to pledge support to LLDCs, by facilitating access to international markets and enhancing their participation in global trade.

Small Island Developing States

The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) highlighted the scale of the threats to the survival and prosperity of island communities. Disproportionately affected by climate change, natural disasters and rising sea levels, SIDS face challenges in all three dimensions of their sustainable development. Climate change directly undermines tourism-dependent economies, erodes the natural resources vital to livelihoods, and disrupts social cohesion. Of particular concern is the exacerbating effect of climate change on poverty and its negative impact on poverty eradication efforts in these States.

The Holy See reiterates its call for urgent and ambitious climate action, including the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), mindful that it should serve as the basis for ever more ambitious support and solidarity to ensure the prosperity and resilience of all SIDS.

Support for Countries in Special Situations

Mr. Chair,

The challenges that countries in special situations face require a holistic and tailored approach. However, a critical step is debt relief. Removing unsustainable debt burdens creates the fiscal space necessary for countries to invest in poverty eradication, and in other key pillars of integral human development. Without such relief, many nations will remain trapped in a cycle of poverty, unable to direct resources toward the well-being of their people. As Pope Francis has said, “It is not right to demand or expect payment when a country’s people cannot even access basic necessities.”[3] The Holy See calls for decisive action on debt relief to protect the human dignity of all, foster growth, and build resilience, and ensure that no country is held back by the burden of debt.

Thank you.  

[1] Pope Francis, Meeting with Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 7 September 2024.

[2] Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 364.

[3] Pope Francis, Address to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, 5 April 2019.