Least developed countries (LDC) challenges: how can SDG implementation focus on transformation?

A series of interviews with leaders, experts, and civil society representatives from the LDCs on the challenges and opportunities posed by the Sustainable Development Goals

As a mountainous country, Bhutan faces particular environmental challenges (Photo: Göran Höglund, Creative Commons, via Flickr)

Article

Q&A: A pragmatic approach

27 July 2016

Around 80 per cent of schools in Haiti are privately run, and the good ones too expensive for children from poor areas like Cité Soleil (Photo: Breezy Baldwiin, Creative Commons via Flickr)

Insight

Ending endemic violence through education in Cité Soleil

Jean Jerome
10 June 2016

In 2010 a catastrophic earthquake hit Haiti. Six years later, there has been progress in rebuilding, but much remains to be done (Photo: iolanda, Creative Commons via Flickr)

Interview

Q&A: LDC Independent Expert Group chair on the SDGs and tackling inequality

08 June 2016

Smog over Kathamandu. Air pollution in Nepal's capital regularly breaches the World Health Organisation's safety guidelines (Kashish Das Shrestha)

Insight

Clearing the air in Kathmandu

Kashish Shrestha
07 June 2016

A street in Freetown, Sierra Leone: involving growing low-income urban populations in urbanising countries will help result in more inclusive urbanisation (Photo: bobthemagicdragon, Creative Commons, via Flickr)

Insight

In the world's poorest countries, cities could be the Sustainable Development Goals test

Gordon McGranahan
07 June 2016

An image of the outside of a Malawi bank, showing a ramp installed for wheelchair users. Generally the country is lagging behind in terms of provisions for people with disabilities (Photo: Steve Sharra)

Insight

People with disabilities struggle in Malawi's cities

Steve Sharra
06 June 2016

An image of villagers in a remote village in northern Bangladesh proudly displaying their first solar panel, purchased with a micro loan. Bangladesh aspires to be one of the world's largest solar providers (Photo: ILO in Asia and the Pacific, Creative Commons, via Flickr)

Interview

Q&A: A shift in mindset for the LDCs

03 June 2016

An image of the front of a stationary train on the Addis Ababa light rail system, which opened in 2015, and was the first to be built in Sub-Saharan Africa. The two railway lines, which have their own dedicated power grid, demonstrate how Ethiopia is seeking low-carbon energy initiatives (Photo: Wikipedia, via Google licence)

Interview

Q&A: Linking low-carbon pathways with the SDGs

30 May 2016

An image of a man faking injury being treated by a Bangladesh firefighter as part of a training exercise on collaborative search and rescue operations, helping the city to respond more effectively to disasters (Photo: Oregon National Guard, Creative Commons via Flickr)

Q&A: Making the SDG agenda work for LDCs

Article, 25 May 2016

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could provide a real opportunity for radical transformation in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). But national SDG implementation processes could all too easily get bogged down in endless debates over bureaucratic procedures of target-setting, delivery and monitoring, and fail to achieve change.

IIED has commissioned a series of interviews with leaders, experts and civil society representatives from the LDCs to discuss the opportunities and challenges that the SDGs create, and to seek ways forward beyond the current debate on implementation.

IIED and partners also organised a dialogue meeting in June 2016 which gathered experts from across the globe to discuss how to ensure that the SDGs deliver real transformation for the world's poorest countries.

This series is based on work with the Least Developed Countries Independent Expert Group.