The United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (UNCLDC) held in Paris in 1981, consolidated the category of least developed countries as a major issue at the international level. The creation of the category, and the theory and practice of least development are examined, and the results of the UNCLDC are assessed. Malawi is taken as a case study, to examine its response to the Substantial New Programme of Action, agreed to at the UNCLDC, and to analyse the extent to which the international community has fulfilled its commitment to substantially improve the volume and quality of assistance. The effects and causes of the recurrent cost problem in least developed countries arc analysed, at the micro and macro levels, and proposals made to ease this constraint. Attention is given to the scope of food aid to support recurrent costs, and a set of guidelines are proposed. At the UNCLDC it was suggested that very large projects (transformational investments) should be undertaken in least developed countries. The methodology for estimating the benefits of such projects is discussed, and a case study presented of the use of project appraisal and the multiplier in Malawi. A significant increase in aid was agreed as a key international support measure at the UNCLDC. As yet there is no systematic aid evaluation process. The results of an experiment arc presented, using a qualitatively based system of evaluation, which is then assessed across sets of data with quantitative summations, to measure aid effectiveness.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:674170 |
Date | January 1987 |
Creators | Jennings, Anthony |
Publisher | University of Leicester |
Source Sets | Ethos UK |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Source | http://hdl.handle.net/2381/35499 |
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