Post-2015 International Development Agenda in the Context of Interlocking Trade and Financing in the LDCs

The adoption of the ambitious post-2015 agenda centring on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations (UN) in New York in September marks an opportune moment to suggest development policy solutions for the least-developed countries (LDCs). The objective of this paper is to explore the compatibility of the financing instruments and modalities mentioned across the major documents of the UN and other international organisations related to the post-2015 agenda with LDCs’ trade interests and concerns. It examines recent economic and financial trends in the LDCs and policy options related to the deployment of specific financial instruments for improving their trade performance. It argues that shaping the most appropriate finance mix will necessitate prioritising LDC-specific trade issues, in particular duty-free quota-free (DFQF) market access for LDCs, their accession to the WTO, trade facilitation, aid for trade, and regional integration.