Improving the business climate in LDCs

The UN General Assembly held a day of hearings last month to solicit civil society and private sector input on the Brussels Programme, a development action plan for the least developed countries (LDCs). At the hearing, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development argued that LDC governments should prioritize:

1. The improvement of regulatory frameworks to uphold property rights, to promote greater movement of entrepreneurs to the formal economy, and to root out corruption
2. Capacity building and access to finance for local enterprises and entrepreneurs
3. Investment in the necessary infrastructure such as roads, energy, telecommunications, and ports

The hearing summary is very readable, but I didn’t see much of anything new. You can watch webcasts of the morning and afternoon sessions.