Doha, September 09 (QNA) - The State of Qatar took part in the Africa regional ministerial preparatory meeting for the Mid-term Review of the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The two-day event concluded today.
Representing the State of Qatar was Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) Fahad bin Hamad Al Sulaiti via video conference. 
The meeting brought together representatives of LDCs in Africa, alongside regional and international partners, to take stock of the progress made in DPoA execution and combine regional priorities ahead of the convening of the Comprehensive High-level Midterm Review of the Implementation of DPoA.
Discussions highlighted the structural and financial challenges besetting LDCs in Africa, chiefly widening financing gaps, limited fiscal space, mounting debt burdens, and climate-related issues, as well as the need to strengthen productive capacities and resilience while advancing sustainable graduation.
Having weighed in, Al Sulaiti underscored the importance of bridging these gaps and strengthening international partnerships in support of the sustainable development and graduation path in LDCs.
What matters more here is to galvanize innovative and flexible funding solutions that help expand productive capabilities and enhance economic flexibility, as well as protect the achieved development gains, Al Sulaiti underlined.
He further stressed the importance of reinforcing collaboration and international partnerships to back nations throughout development and graduation paths, particularly through the provision of long-term and predictable funding that meets evolving development needs.
  The QFFD's participation comes as part of its ongoing partnership with the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) to support the implementation of DPoA.
Following the State of Qatar's hosting of the Fifth United Nations Conference on LDCs in March 2023, which culminated in adopting DPoA, Qatar announced a $60 million commitment to support the implementation of the program.
This support includes a core contribution to the Office, as well as funding for key programs it executes, chiefly the two project agreements for the food stockholding mechanism to address food insecurity in LDCs and the resilience-building mechanism for LDCs.
This collaboration is the epitome of the State of Qatar's commitment to supporting the DPoA's priorities, ahead of the midterm review scheduled for 2027.
The meeting wrapped up by focusing on unifying African priorities and deepening regional and international partnerships, as well as cooperative partnerships with countries of the Global South ahead of the convening of the Midterm Review of DPoA. (QNA)