Transcript To Graduate or not to Graduate

GRADUATION FROM LDC STATUS
Al Binger
University of the West Indies
AOSIS Inter-regional Preparatory Meeting for the WSSD
SINGAPORE
January 2002
To Graduate or Not to Graduate ?
 Background
 The Criteria
 The Key Questions
Personal Perspective
Background
 The Criteria for graduation developed in 1991 by
the Committee on Development Policy- based on
the famous GDP indicator
The Criteria
 Graduate when you reach a certain level of per
capita GDP and maintained over a relatively short
period - based on fulfillment the CDP make a
recommendation to the Secretary General
The Benefits
 Priority Donor Assistance
 Concessional Financing
 Concessional Trade Agreements
 Technical Assistance
Key Questions
What Does Graduation Imply?
 What Are Some of the Weaknesses in the Criteria?
• Natural Disasters
• Loss of Preferential Markets
• Bad Economic and Environment Policies
Key Questions (cont’d)
Whose Interest Does the Criteria Serve?
• Minimize the Demand on Donors
• While Being Seen As Responsive to the Needs of the
Poorest Segment of the Global Population
• While Protecting Markets
 Is the Classification Still Relevant in the New Era
of Economic and Environmental Globalization?
Key Questions (cont’d)
 Is There Need for a New Set of Criteria That
Addresses the Existing Weakness - World Bank
Report?
GRADUATION FROM LDC STATUS
Al Binger
University of the West Indies
AOSIS Inter-regional Preparatory Meeting for the WSSD
SINGAPORE
January 2002