How Bangladesh is preparing for graduation?

The Government of Bangladesh is attaching highest priority to ensure smooth and sustainable graduation with momentum.  As part of this process:

• A National Committee on LDC Graduation (NCG) has been formed. All the relevant Ministries and organizations both from public and private sectors are the members of NCG.
• Seven thematic subcommittees have been formed under the guidance of the NCG to address various core issues related to graduation including: preferential market access & trade agreement; Intellectual Property Rights (IPR); WTO issues (other than market access & trips); investment, domestic market development & export diversification; internal resource mobilization & tariff rationalization; smooth transition strategy; and branding Bangladesh abroad.
• Economic Relations Division (ERD) has undertaken a project called “Support to Sustainable Graduation Project (SSGP)” to identify the impacts of graduation, to provide necessary capacity-building supports and other necessary supports to the relevant ministries and other stakeholders as well as to promulgate this historic achievement at home and abroad by producing various research papers and publications related to graduation.
• It is recommended by the United Nations that a graduating LDC should prepare a national Smooth Transition Strategy (STS) during the preparatory period in cooperation with its development and trading partners and with targeted assistance from the UN system. The 9-member Subcommittee on STS led by the Secretary ERD is tasked with the formulation of the STS.
• A ‘Working Group’ comprising the officials from relevant ministries and private sector, and a ‘Joint Task Team’ comprising representatives from government, private sector and development partners are working to support the Subcommittee on STS in preparing an effective and inclusive transition strategy for sustainable graduation.
• Bangladesh, along with the LDC Group, has submitted a proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) for the continuation of the existing LDC-specific International Support Measures (ISMs) for a certain period after LDC graduation.
• The Government is carrying out in-depth sectoral studies, research works and technical papers to assess the impact of LDC graduation and to formulate the relevant strategies accordingly.
• Bangladesh is carrying out regular dialogue and knowledge sharing through the UN and other international platforms regarding sustainable LDC graduation issues with other graduating LDCs of the Asian region, e.g.- Nepal and Lao PDR.
• Building on the success of implementing Istanbul Program of Action (IPoA) Bangladesh is committed to implement the Doha Program of Action (DPoA). A National Action Plan for implementing the DPoA has been prepared. A high-powered committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary is monitoring the implementation of DPoA.