KATHMANDU, May 18: Civil Society Forum (CSF) for the Least Developed Countries has asked the international community to stick to its pledges to support the poorest countries.

The CSF in its statement has made this appeal in the run-up to the official UN meeting being held to review LDCs progress.

Hundreds of civil society representatives are planned to gather in Antalya, Turkey at the end of May telling the international community to fulfil the pledges they made in 2011 to help the LDCs lift their populations out of poverty.

The CSF is being convened from 26 to 28 May while the UN meeting on LDCs from 27 to 29 May.

The CSF will hear from representatives from Bangladesh, Benin, Cambodia, Kiribati, Nepal, Senegal, and Togo, as well as regional organisations such as SEATINI, representing Southern and Eastern Africa, and SAAPE, representing Southern Asia.

Gauri Pradhan, LDC Watch International Coordinator, emphasised that "as well as asking the international community to stick to its promises, NGOs from LDCs are urging their own governments to welcome them as partners in building up their countries.

They are also demanding that both their own governments and development partners introduce measures to fight national corruption, money laundering and to build more transparent governance.

Sourcre Article: My Republica