An ambitious ten-year programme to reduce by half the number of so-called Least Developed Countries or LDCs across the world is being launched in Turkey.
LDCs meet in Turkey The 48 LDCs recognized by the United Nations suffer extreme poverty, poor governance and inadequate infrastructure.
Cheick Sidi Diarra the UN's Under Secretary General for the LDCs says the poorest countries need to make fundamental changes if they are to develop.
"Transparency, good governance, diversification of the economy and putting in place the basis of infrastructure required and human skill to attract foreign direct investment is something important."
Thirty-three of the current 48 LDCs are in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are 14 in Asia and one, Haiti, in the Latin America and Caribbean region.
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