Poverty Reduction And Good Governance: Report of the Committee for Development Policy on the Sixth Session (29 March - 4 April 2004)

Within the overall global objective of reducing poverty by half by 2015, a central challenge remains that of improving the economic and social conditions of the more than 600 million inhabitants of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Good governance can be instrumental in achieving poverty reduction. The challenge is to build capable governments that can guarantee peace and security, provide an enabling political and legal environment for development and promote equitable distribution. The present volume contains the report that the Committee submitted to the United Nations Economic and Social Council on these matters, as well as two papers, each prepared by a member of the Committee, that were used to assist the Committee in its deliberations. 1. The Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 (A/CONF.191/11) calls for growth rates in the least developed countries of at least 7 per cent and investment rates of 25 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to provide a basis for improving the economic and social conditions of the more than 600 million inhabitants of the 50 least developed countries (para. 6 of the Programme of Action). Focusing on three issues, this report sets out the main findings and recommendations of the 6th session of the UN Committee for Development Policy, held in New York in March 2004. At head of title: Department of Economic and Social Affairs.