Kathmandu: Lok Bahadur Thapa, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group, addressed the UN General Assembly plenary meeting on the Secretary-General’s priorities, highlighting key concerns for the year ahead, on January 15.

During his address, Thapa drew attention to the disproportionate impacts of cascading global crises on LDCs, emphasizing their heightened vulnerability to economic shocks, debt distress, and climate change.

Furthermore, he reaffirmed the LDC Group’s full support for a stronger, more inclusive, and more responsive multilateral system, and urged the international community to scale up concessional finance, ensure effective debt treatment, take urgent climate action, and provide smooth and sustainable graduation support for LDCs.