The Gambia formally took over at the LDC Ministerial Meeting on September 25, with Vice President Mohammed B.S. Jallow receiving the handover from Nepal. The ceremony was witnessed by the President of the UN General Assembly, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, and the Under-Secretary-General for LDCs.
Vice President Jallow thanked member states for their trust and pledged to serve "with dedication, fairness and diligence" to ensure successful implementation of the Doha Programme of Action for LDCs 2022-2031.
In New York, the chairmanship will be led by H.E. Lamin B. Dibba, Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the UN, with Counsellor Binta Jeng coordinating negotiations and expert-level work.
The LDC Group comprises 44 countries from Africa, Asia, Pacific and Caribbean, and is the main platform for coordinating common positions on sustainable development, financing, debt, trade, climate action, technology transfer and productive capacities.
As Chair, The Gambia will provide strategic direction, preserve unity, facilitate consensus and steer common positions in UN negotiations. Its priorities include effective implementation of the Doha Programme, greater accountability for commitments to LDCs, and stronger support for countries approaching graduation.
The Gambia has also assumed chairmanship in Geneva, coordinating work at UNCTAD and WIPO.
H.E. Prof. Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Permanent Representative in Geneva and Coordinator at WTO, received leadership at Palais des Nations. He said The Gambia takes over "at a defining juncture, guided by continuity, unity and ambition," pledging to keep development at the heart of UNCTAD and ensure intellectual property at WIPO serves technology transfer, not a barrier.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has congratulated Vice President Jallow, Ambassadors Dibba and Kah and assured them of its support.
