Government policymakers from 16 least developed countries (LDCs) and one graduate, Samoa, will gather in Beijing, China, from 10-12 November to discuss strategies needed to successfully graduate from LDC status and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The workshop will be organized by the CDP Secretariat in conjunction with the Beijing Centre for New Structural Economics. The Commonwealth Secretariat is co-sponsoring the event.

UN DESA | Development Policy and Analysis DivisonOn 24-27 October, 2016, UN/DPAD conducted the first training workshop for analysts of Costa Rica’s Government, in San José, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Planning (MIDEPLAN). A total of 17 analysts from different government institutions initiated their training in the use of an economy-wide model with which they will develop scenarios delineating implementation strategies for national development plans and public policies.

UN DESA | Development Policy and Analysis Divison

On 19th October 2016, the DSP unit organized a Development Policy Seminar on “Deviant Development? Lessons from the Rhino Poaching and Charcoal Trades in Mozambique”, presented by Dr. Julie Silva, Associate Professor in the Department of Geographical Sciences in the University of Maryland. The presentation delved on what has been defined as deviant development or the improvement of income and living standards from illegal activities.

Responding to a request from the Kyrgyz Government, DPAD presented a set of model-based policy scenarios to the Office of the President and other government institutions in Bishkek, on 4-5 October 2016. These scenarios considered various aspects of development, including economic growth, employment, investment paths, financing needs, poverty, and human development, among others. The Kyrgyz Government will use these scenarios to inform the process of drafting the concept note of the national development strategy up to 2030.

On 28th September 2016, the DPS unit organized a Development Policy Seminar on the topic of “The Internet of Things in transportation and its promise for Sustainable Development”. The seminar was presented by Mr. Viral Chawda (Managing Director - Data & Analytics at KPMG, Dallas) and Ms. Gaya Branderhorst (Director Data & Analytics at KPMG, New York), and it was chaired by Ms. Diana Alarcon (Chief, Development Strategy and Policy Analysis unit (DPAD/DESA)).

The Committee for Development Policy will hold a virtual expert group meeting on 29 September 2016 to discuss development strategies that particularly promote the well-being of the worst off, as a part of the Committee's multi-year work programme on the theme of "Leaving No One Behind".

On 16-19 August, 2016, UN/DPAD conducted a training workshop for analysts of Paraguay’s Government, in Asuncion, in close collaboration with the Technical Secretariat of Planning. Government analysts began their training in the use of an economy-wide model to develop scenarios delineating implementation strategies of the National Development Plan 2030 and other policies. Messrs. Jose Molinas, Minister of Planning of Paraguay, and Marco V. Sánchez, UN/DPAD staff, held a working meeting and agreed upon scenarios that will be developed as well as next steps.

ECOSOC resolution (E/2016/L.19) on Report of the Committee for Development Policy on its eighteenth session has been adopted.

During the HLPF 2016, the Development Policy and Analysis Division/DESA organized an Event on “Modelling Tools for Sustainable Development Policies: A platform to address the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development”. During the event Mr. Lenni Montiel, ASG for Economic Development of DESA, announced Ms. Monica Chelliah as the winner of the #Electricity4All Python Challenge.