Group Of Less Developed Countries Research Articles

Группа наименее развитых стран (НРС) в международной климатической политике

Global climate change is one of the main challenges of our time. Rising temperatures threaten the stability of the ecological, socio-economic, and political systems around the globe. Countries in the Global South have the greatest material losses from climate change without having a significant impact on it. The high vulnerability of the group of least developed countries (LDCs) to climate change, coupled with social and economic challenges poverty, and lack of means for adaptation, determine its special rank and status in international climate policy. In it, the LDCs act as a single actor. Over the course of more than 30 years of climate policy, LDCs have initiated the adoption of a number of important documents and the creation of fundamental structures for international climate policy. At the same time, noticeable transformations have taken place to adapt and decarbonize the national structures of LDCs. The purpose of this article is to show the role of the LDC group in the formation of the United Nations (UN) climate agenda, institutional structures, and international mechanisms, to highlight their efforts to restore global climate justice, and to characterize modern national climate policy according to the legal documents adopted by the LDCs. The methodological basis is formed by historical, comparative approaches. The main objective of the article is to study the trajectories of the climate policy of the LDC group, highlight the stages of its evolution, demonstrate centre-peripheral relations to restore climate justice, and examine the internal policies of the LDCs. Policy initiatives of the LDCs played a direct role in the formation of climate finance funds, the group of experts on the least developed countries (LEG), and national programmes and plans for the adaptation of states to climate change. The article concludes that there are two stages in the development of climate policy in LDCs; it is assumed that the use of international mechanisms for adaptation and decarbonization could become a tool for the economic and technological modernization of LDCs and their achievement of the sustainable development goals of 2030. The main obstacles to this are the insufficient financing of available funds from countries of the Global North, high interest rates on loans, and the indebtedness of LDCs.

The Impact of Foreign Trade in the Graduation Process of Asian Least-Developed Countries (LDCs)

AbstractThe importance of development studies comes from the need to assess and solve economic problems. Graduation from LDC status represents an important milestone in their development path. This research tries to deepen on the relationship between the fulfillment of the “graduation criteria” established by the United Nations and the evolution of the foreign trade indices of a group of Asian LDCs about to graduate (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Timor-Leste, Nepal, and Myanmar), checking how trade, one of its engines for economic development, has involved during the last years and, specifically, on their way to graduation. First, the characteristics of the LDCs and the criteria to exclude them from the list are analyzed. Second, a set of indices are presented to find out the trade flows throughout the period observed. Finally, conclusions and future lines of research are proposed. The results show that all the countries studied have succeeded in expanding their share in world trade. The high participation of Bangladesh is justified by the size of its economy and its weight within the textile trade. Regarding diversification, all of countries present a highly concentrated pattern of exports and their exchanges are carried out with few countries. This lack of trade diversification places them in a vulnerable position. The relative trade balance index indicates that all of them are competitive with their trading partners in the products analyzed and the six have comparative advantage. To conclude, the analysis confirms that the trade structure of the LDCs considered has improved, but with differences due to their characteristics.

Institutional Provision of Tariff and Non-Tariff Regulation of Cross-Border Trade

Introduction. The study is devoted to a comprehensive study of the global trade system in conditions of global economic instability, in particular, to the identification and analysis of the determinants of deepening its asymmetries in the regional perspective. The study contains a description of the peculiarities of the modern global trade system and regulatory regime, including tariff and non-tariff methods of regulating cross-border trade and key trends in its development.
 Aim and tasks. The purpose of the study is to diagnose the institutional provision of tariff and non-tariff regulation of cross-border trade in order to determine the presence or absence of asymmetries in the global trade system in the regional context.
 Results. The study identifies and systematizes fundamental features of the modern global trade system whose development has been directly or indirectly influenced by regional asymmetries. Particular attention is paid to the characteristics of the major international economic organizations as the main regulators of the cross-border trade process, and to the study of the impact of the use of tariff and non-tariff import and export regulatory tools on cross-border trade asymmetries. The world trading system is divided by country and individual customs territory, depending on whether it belongs to a certain geographical area or to a group of countries with a certain level of economic development.
 Conclusions. Although the expansion of global trade has visually slowed down, the integration of world trade is not over, on the contrary, there are clear signs of the beginning of a completely new phase of globalization. The presence of asymmetry in the world trading system in a geographical context, regardless of the size of the region, has been theoretically proven. According to the criterion of the asymmetry of the trading system depending on the level of economic development of the countries, in general, there is a tendency to increase the level of liberalization of trade regimes by the increase in the level of development. At the same time, it has been proven that belonging to the group of least developed countries does not necessarily mean closed access to national markets, and categorization as a developed country does not indicate the application of the least number of non-tariff measures to regulate trade volumes. At the same time, Ukraine remains a country that has undertaken the most liberal obligations regarding providing access to markets for both goods and services. As one of the world's leading exporters of agricultural products in 2020, Ukraine has set the customs tariff level at 11%, the lowest among group members.

Foreign Trade, Aid and Economic Growth in Less-Developed Countries by Gunnar Floystad. Oslo: Scandinavian University Books, Universitetsforlaget, 1968.

Gunnar Floystad's Foreign Trade, Aid and Economic Growth is concerned with the interrelations between foreign trade, foreign aid and economic growth of a group of less developed countries (LDC) comprising all of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, excluding USSR, Japan and Mainland China. The book is divided into two parts: Part One uses a model of trade, aid and growth to deduce a relationship between GNP, exports and net capital inflows of the LDC. Assuming exports to be given exogenously and net capital inflows to grow at a constant rate over time, growth of GNP is projected corresponding to alternative postulates about growth of exports and growth of net capital inflows via the simple exponential function, E(t) = M0 [X(t) + B(t)]B, where E, X and B stand for GNP, exports and net capital inflows respectively, and M<> is a constant. Part Two analyses in some details the export prospects for a list of traditional products currently exported from LDC to developed countries.

Factors affecting road traffic crashes with drivers with disabilities who use hand controls in a less developed country

One of the most common vehicle modifications is the installation of hand controls that allow persons who are unable to operate the brake and accelerator pedals with their feet due to physical impairment to drive. Considered the specifics of hand controls (higher workload during driving and lower passive safety), it is very important to analyze the safety of the category of drivers with disabilities who use them. This paper aims to determine which factors influence the participation in road traffic crashes of drivers with disabilities who use hand controls. Based on the identified factors, measures and activities are defined to improve the road safety of drivers with disabilities who use hand controls, to improve the mobility of persons with disabilities, and to encourage potential drivers with disabilities, especially in less developed countries. The research was conducted in Serbia, which belongs to the group of less developed countries in the world. Considering the estimated number of drivers with disabilities who use hand controls, every fourth driver in Serbia participated in the survey (65 respondents). The statistical analysis was performed by the decision tree CART algorithm. Driving experience with hand controls is the most important variable of the participation of drivers with disabilities in a road traffic crash while driving vehicles with hand controls. Improving the system of maintaining hand controls, harmonize the performance of hand controls with the medical status of the drivers with disabilities, improving awareness of drivers with disabilities about risky behaviors in traffic are recognized as the most important measures and activities.

Phase-out or lock-in fossil fuels? Least developed countries’ burning dilemma

The Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs)—motivated by the climate crisis that disproportionately affects them and is predominately driven by fossil fuels—has taken a lead role in pressuring the Group of Twenty (G20) states to phase-out the production of fossil fuels. This effort is central in the development of new “supply side” climate politics. Yet, many LDCs are at the same time receiving assistance from G20 nations to expand their domestic fossil fuel production. In short, LDCs are at a crossroads of leading supply-side climate policies that are essential in the climate mitigation effort, while also actively using G20 investment and capacity to extract fossil fuels. Resolving this tension is critically important for LDCs to meet their sustainable development goals and in the global effort to reduce emissions dramatically by mid-century. Here we trace the implications and dynamics of this phase-out/lock-in tension and possibilities for redirecting G20 investment toward low-carbon developments in LDCs.

CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION GENDER EQUALITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Purpose – The article aims at discovering classes and clusters of EU member-states considering their levels of economic development and gender equality to foster the enhancement of EU cohesion policy. Research methodology – The methodology includes the grouping by two parameters, economic development and gender equality, and the cluster analysis, the “far neighbor principle”, agglomerative hierarchical classification algorithm and the usual Euclidean distance as the distance between objects. Findings – There are no gender equality laggards among EU member-states. More developed countries belong to gender equality leaders, while there are two gender equality leaders and one gender equality adopter among transition countries. The group of less developed countries consists of six gender equality leaders and seven gender equality adopters. Research limitations – The results of cluster analysis may be impacted by off-shore activity of Ireland and Luxembourg. Practical implications – The EU supranational bodies can use our results to develop more efficient cohesion policy tools to ensure the adherence to the principle of gender equality. Originality/Value – The study is a pioneer one in determining nine classes and five clusters of EU member-states considering their levels of economic development and gender equality, as well as in introducing three types of countries depending on their level of gender equality, namely gender equality leaders, adopters, and laggards.

Is the Rule of Law Essential for Economic Growth? Evidence from European Countries

This paper aims to measure the influence of human capital, rule of law and protection of property rights on GDP. The research has been inspired by the works of Acemoglu. In this study it has been used a self-structured sample containing eight countries: Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Italy, the UK, Spain and Sweden. The selection of countries in the sample was intentional. While choosing it, business culture, path dependence and geopolitical situation of the countries have been taken into account. The analysis showed a high correlation of all three observed indices with GDP/cap. In order to determine the relative share of overall indices in economic growth, a graphic representation was used. The regression analysis showed that the change in the IPRI value by one percentage point leads to a more significant positive impact on GDP growth in the group of less developed countries than in the leading developed economies. Although GDP jumps percent are higher in countries with lower IPRI, if observed in real terms they are roughly equal to those recorded in developed countries. This can be explained by the fact that countries with high IPRI have accumulated a higher mass of GDP over time.

Energy, Exergy, Exergoeconomic, and environmental (4E) analyses of thermal power plants for municipal solid waste to energy application in Bangladesh

With a population of 165 million, Bangladesh is undergoing rapid industrialization and urban development, and is well on track to move out from the group of least developed countries by 2024. This results in a significant increase in the urban energy needs and the amount of generated waste. Most of the municipal solid waste in Bangladesh is currently deposited in landfills, thereby contaminating nearby cultivable soils. It is desirable to have a system that recovers energy from the municipal solid waste in order to satisfy the increasing energy needs, while simultaneously addressing the land scarcity and pollution issues. This paper proposes using incineration to recover energy from municipal solid waste to produce electricity in the urban areas of Dhaka and Chattogram. A detailed technical analysis involving energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, and emission is presented. The power plants in these two cities show potential capacities of 169 MW and 83 MW respectively, with exergoeconomic factors of 61 %. The results indicate energy and exergy efficiencies of 32 % and 27 %, respectively, and a production cost in the range of 53.9–56.7 USD/MWh which is comparable to the production cost from the current power plants in Bangladesh. The proposed plants also result in a reduction in the greenhouse emissions and exhibit ecological efficiencies of over 87 %.

What determinants influence the diffusion of ISO 9001 by countries?

PurposeThis study has the main aim of analyzing the influence of six factors on ISO 9001 implementation: Economic Development, Exporting to Europe, Reputation, Competitiveness, Innovation and Business Sophistication. As a complement, a new factor relating to quality by country has been added: the World Quality Scoreboard.Design/methodology/approachHypotheses are proposed that establish a (positive or negative) linear relationship between the diffusion of ISO 9001 and the indicators of the different factors analyzed in each country. The SPSS program was used to evaluate the hypotheses using data from 2009 to 2018.FindingsThe results indicate strong positive relationship for the country's economic development only when countries with low levels of income are considered. For the rest of the variables, the results indicate that their behavior varies according to the degree of development of the countries. When only developed countries are considered, significant and negative correlations are obtained for reputation, competitiveness, innovation and business sophistication, while considering the group of less developed countries, the results are reversed. The new World Quality Scoreboard has the same behavior whereas regarding exports; we did not obtain conclusive results.Originality/valueThis study adds important information on the studying of ISO 9000 phenomenon diffusion/evolution by analyzing the effect of six variables on the degree of implementation of the ISO 9001 standard in different countries. This information is interesting for companies and certification bodies across the world because it allows a better understanding of the reasons and conditions of implementing a quality management system.

Sustainable Development of Natural Resources in Laos: Evaluating the Role of International Cooperation

Located in one of the most dynamic regions of the world, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic belongs to the group of Least Developed Countries. Laos is landlocked and much of the country is hilly with rugged terrain and only basic infrastructure. The country is characterized by remarkable natural and ethnic diversity. Today the country is changing rapidly. Its larger neighbors wield significant influence. Regional integration is probably the most powerful force of change in Laos and is resulting in rapid economic development in the country. My aim is to explore the challenges of environmentally sustainable development in the face of the rapid change in this country whose economy is still overwhelmingly based on the exploitation of natural resources. An important factor to deal with is environmental governance. Corruption is prevalent, especially with regard to illegal logging. I also discuss the role of external actors, including the UnitedNations, bilateral donors and the neighboring countries. It is argued that close engagement even in cases where the government may not be responsive to its citizens in a democratic manner is preferable to isolation. Constructive engagement helps both the people and sustainable development. It also balances the influence of neighboring countries wishing to exploit the natural resources of the poorer cousin. Most of the findings are based on research conducted in connection with a comprehensive evaluation of the United Nations Development Program’s contributions to the Lao PDR development results over the past several years.

Factors determining the location decisions of Spanish MNEs: an analysis based on the investment development path

On the basis of theoretical assumptions approached via the investment development path (IDP), this study examines the most important factors for and against the location decisions in foreign direct investment taken by multinational enterprises, considering host countries at very different stages of economic development (Latin American and European Union countries). We carry out different kinds of analysis on a sample of 103 firms belonging to a medium-sized country that has recently achieved the status of developed country. The results reveal that the importance that home country firm managers give to diverse location factors depends to a certain extent on the stage that each group of host countries has reached in the IDP. In line with prior research, we find that firm managers consider mainly the group of factors associated with strategic asset-seeking when deciding to locate their investments in the group of more developed countries (European Union). In contrast, our results show that when these firm managers choose the group of less developed countries (Latin America), social and cultural factors play a more determinant role, thus suggesting the importance of historical and cultural ties between the home and host countries.

Foreign direct investment, growth and income inequality in less developed countries

How does foreign direct investment (FDI) affect economic growth in less developed countries (LDCs)? What is its association with changes in the income distribution? This paper empirically examines these issues within a cross section of less developed countries between 1970 and 1989. FDI is positively associated with economic growth within this sample of countries. However, there is no strong association between FDI and changes in income inequality within these same countries and over this same time period. Hence, there is no evidence that FDI is increasing income inequality within this group of LDCs.

Do Global Trade Institutions Marginalize the Poor?

Backwaters of Global Prosperity: How Forces of Globalization and GATT/WTO Trade Regimes Contribute to the Marginalization of the World's Poorest Nations. Edited by Caf Dowlah. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2004. 220 pp., $84.95 (ISBN: 0-275-98043-X). Backwaters of Global Prosperity by Caf Dowlah, focuses on the expanding group of least developed countries (LDCs) that have been largely excluded from the benefits of economic globalization. Situated within the literatures on both globalization and development, the book's core concern is real and of great consequence. Indicators show a pronounced gap between developed and developing countries. Even as advanced industrial economies grow stronger, more nations suffer extreme poverty, poor heath, substandard education, and substantial economic vulnerability. The crisis is global and severe. Dowlah's primary objective is to convince readers that globalization broadly and the institutions that support the multilateral trade regime specifically—that is, the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO)—have played a significant, causal role in marginalizing the world's poorest economies while allowing developed countries to reap the benefits. In Dowlah's words (p. 12): There are literally mountains of evidence that suggest that the LDCs have increasingly been marginalized in the rapidly globalizing world economy, and much of this debacle can be attributed to economic globalization, to the processes of economic integration of trade, migration, technology, and financial flows around the world, that took place during the second wave of globalization (1945–1980). Backwaters of Global Prosperity presents an array of summary statistics to illustrate the marginalization of the LDCs, which have grown in number from 24 in 1971 to 50 by 2003. By definition, the LDCs are marginalized states with substandard per capita income, weak nutrition, poor health, limited education, low literacy, and substantial economic vulnerability. To explain this trend, Dowlah turns to the multilateral trade regime and asks how the GATT and WTO have contributed to the marginalization of the LDCs in the contemporary world economy. He argues that successive trade rounds have had adverse and discriminatory effects on developing countries, …

Is Debt Relief Efficient?

When Less Developed Countries (LDCs) announce debt relief agreements under the Brady Plan, their stock markets appreciate by an average of 60 percent in real dollar terms - a $42 billion increase in shareholder value. In contrast, there is no significant stock market increase for a control group of LDCs that do not sign Brady agreements. The results persist after controlling for IMF programs, trade liberalizations, capital account liberalizations, and privatization programs. The stock market appreciations successfully forecast higher future net resource transfers, investment and growth. Creditors also benefit from the Brady Plan. Controlling for other factors, stock prices of US commercial banks with significant LDC loan exposure rise by 35 percent - a $13 billion increase in shareholder value. The results suggest that debt relief can generate large efficiency gains when the borrower suffers from debt overhang.

Demographic changes and the need for health technology.

Discussion focusses on recent trends in demand, giving consideration to how these trends might change between now and the end of the century. Attention is directed to the UK, but to put the situation in perspective a brief review of the worldwide importance of some diseases, as reflected by mortality figures, is included. In 1970 about 7% of the world's population were scarcely affected by the potential benefits of modern technology, and about 30% lived in countries which were only beginning to change from a pattern of very low technology and high mortality to the pattern of lower mortality found in the more developed nations. The expectation of life, at birth, in the whole group of less developed countries in 1970 was 53 years as compared with 32 years in 1935-39. The improvement in expectation of life in some countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa has been marked. In the developed countries, as a whole, the estimated expectation of life at birth increased from 65 years in 1950-54 to about 71 years in 1970. The future trend of mortality and morbidity in countries with a well organized administrative structure for the application of health technology depends primarily on the progress they can make in the reduction of infant mortality, accidents at all ages, and the cardiorespiratory disorders of later life. In the UK the need for health technology is largely determined by the incidence of those diseases which make demands upon it. This incidence is poorly represented by mortality figures because a decline in mortality may reflect an increased survival rate with no reduction in incidences. Much of the technology for the diagnosis and treatment of disease exists only in hospitals, and most patients are admitted to hospitals in order to benefit from the technology they can provide. In 1968 the principal causes for admission of males were diseases of the digestive and respiratory systems or injuries, other than fractures. Together, these accounted for about 30% of cases. In females, diseases of the breast and genital system, followed by those of the digestive and respiratory systems, accounted for a similar proportion of admissions. Admission rates are reviewed for infective and parasitic diseases, malingnant diseases, diseases of the nervous system and sensory organs, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, digestive and urinary systems, gynecological disorders, and congenital abnormalities. When admissions are related to age groups and combined with predictions of demographic trends, they probably provide one of the best indications of the demand for health technology in the future.

On the New Global Disorder

"A few years ago," wrote financial reporter Ann Crittenden in the New York Times of February 4, 1979, "an aggressive group of less developed countries began demanding a new economic order. What they wanted was some formal restructuring to give poorer nations a bigger slice of the pie. This implied that world leaders had some rational control over events. It is now apparent that the old order is indeed crumbling—but amid such disorientation that the world is confronted not with a new order but a new global disorder."This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.

The UN maze confounds African development

The United Nations has committed itself to give special attention and consideration to the difficult problems of the hard-core least developed countries (LDCs) of the world at a time of critical reevaluation of the entire UN structure of development assistance. Selected on the basis of criteria relating to per capita income, literacy, and the size of the industrial sector,' the group of least developed countries now represents an estimated population of 239 million, or about 13 percent of the population of all developing countries excluding China and Southern Europe.2 The governing council of the United Nations Development Program has earmarked two thirds of the circa $2,500 million aid program for 1977 to 1981 for these countries. Given this decision, the commitment of the UN to the special problems of the least developed would appear to be unquestionable. However, there is good reason to

An action programme for land-locked LDCs

High on the agenda of the UNCTAD III Conference is the problem of least developed countries. It is realised that these countries need special cooperative action to improve their chances of overcoming the worst handicaps of poverty stabilised by stagnation. The hard-core cases within the group of least developed countries are the land-locked countries.

Ervaringen met de Europese betalingsunie van betekenis voor de ontwikkelingslanden

The European Payments Union (EPU) can be credited with two achievements. It restored partial convertibility and so made multilateral trade liberalisation possible and it strengthened the economic cooperation between participating countries. There was, on the other hand, a risk involved, namely that a sheltered, soft currency, high cost area would be created as a result of the regional aspect of EPU and the automatic character of its credits. This danger was averted because of special factors: the prevalent ideal of worldwide convertibility, the multilateral surveillance, the competitiveness of the area, pressure of the American aid-giver etc. Care should be taken that as many of these factors as possible should be present when a group of less developed countries concludes some sort of payments agreement, particularly because some of the factors are almost certain to be absent. If, however, prospects are favourable, developed countries could use part of their aid to further payments agreements among groups of less developed countries. In so doing they would stimulate the creation of larger markets in the less developed world, so vital for its development. Moreover, in this way donor countries would be able to influence the economic performance of the less developed countries.