Current Affairs - Miscellaneous - Discussion

United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has announced that Bhutan along with Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe and Solomon Islands will be recommended for graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category. These four nations will be recommended to move up from ranks of poorest nations on account of increasing national earning power as well as access to better health care. At the United Nations (UN), LDC category is assessed using three criteria viz. gross national income per capita, economic vulnerability and human assets (health and education targets). Countries in this category are reviewed on these criteria at interval of three years. In order to be eligible for being recommended to graduate from LDC, a country must meet two of the three criteria. As per CDP the above listed four countries have fulfilled this condition and have thus been recommended for graduation. The recommendation has been sent to ECOSOC (the UN Economic and Social Council) for endorsement, which in turn will refer its decision to the UN General Assembly.