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The United Nations Convention on Climate Change states that “the Parties shall take full account of the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries in their actions with regard to funding and transfer of technology” (art. 4, paragraph 9). This served as the basis for the establishment of an LDC work programme by the Conference of the Parties in 2001 and for flexibility provisions extended to the LDCs under the Convention and the Paris Agreement. See information on LDC support under the UNFCCC .
Since then, a number of instruments and funds have been developed to support developing countries to address climate change, reduce disaster risk and build resilience, with provisions for LDCs.
| Support measure | What happens when a country graduates? |
| A was established in 2001 to provide technical guidance and support to the LDCs to formulate and implement national adaptation plans (NAPs), the preparation and implementation of National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA)s, and the implementation of the LDC work programme. It also provides technical guidance and advice on accessing funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the process to formulate and implement NAPs. At least two delegates per LDC Party are supported to participate in training workshops conducted by the LEG, subject to the availability of adequate resources. Priority is also accorded to the LDCs in other workshops and events organized under the Conference of the Parties (COP) and its subsidiary bodies. See the reports of the LEG to the Subsidiary Body for Implementation and the LEG's work programmes . | The LEG supports participation of all LDCs that graduated for a period of 3 years since its graduation, to attend the workshops, trainings and events organized by the LEG.
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The helps recipient countries address their resilience needs and reduce climate change vulnerability in priority sectors and ecosystems, supporting countries in the implementation of their National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), as well as the Least Developed Countries work program under the UNFCCC. Disbursements under the LDCF follow a principle of “equitable access", which means there are caps on the amount of funds a single country can receive in any specific replenishment period. It is managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
| Projects approved before and up until graduation continue to receive funding for their full implementation. Moreover, in accordance with recent COP decisions, from GEF-9 onwards, countries that graduate continue to be eligible to receive support during the subsequent GEF replenishment periods, albeit with progressively lower amounts of funds. Prior to graduation, the GEF Secretariat conducts targeted outreach to, and consultations with, graduating LDCs to ensure that they do not miss out on the opportunities to address their adaptation priorities through the LDCF.
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Under UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, LDCs and SIDS have more flexible reporting requirements. For example, while other parties must submit reports on their implementation of certain articles of the Paris Agreement, LDCs and SIDS do so at their discretion. More information | Unless the graduated country is also a SIDS, the normal reporting requirements will apply. |
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) supports all developing countries. , approved by the COP in 2011, determines that, in the allocation of resources for adaptation, it takes into consideration the “urgent and immediate needs of developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, including LDCs, SIDS and African States using minimum allocation floors”. For the period 2024-2027, the GCF has a target of allocating 50 per cent of adaptation finance to LDCs, SIDS and African States. LDCs and SIDS are also eligible for a 320,000 dollar readiness grant for expert placement or country liaison officers. | Upon graduation, a country would no longer be considered among the priority recipients of 50 per cent of adaptation finance unless it is also a SIDS or an African State. This would have practical implications only if the fund were operating close to or beneath the 50 per cent floor. It currently (as of 2026) well exceeds that floor.
A graduated country that is not also a SIDS would no longer have access to the 320,000 dollar readiness grant. |
| The Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems Initiative (CREWS) provides financial support to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to establish risk-informed early warning services, implemented by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the World Bank Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), based on clear operational procedures. | Projects can be financed to completion if the financing decision is made before the date of graduation. Graduated LDCs that are SIDS maintain access to CREWS; other countries are not eligible to participate in future phases of the project. Investments made through CREWS are often combined with funding from other national or regional projects, which remain accessible after graduation. |
| The is a financing mechanism co-created by WMO, UNDP and UNEP, that supports countries to close the basic weather and climate observations gap. SOFF works with the countries with the most severe shortfalls in observations, prioritizing LDCs and SIDS. Activities under SOFF are divided into readiness, investment and compliance phases. All ODA-eligible countries are eligible for the SOFF readiness phase support, but only LDCs and SIDS are eligible for SOFF support in the investment and compliance phases. | After graduation, countries that are not also SIDS are no longer eligible for SOFF support in the investment and compliance phases. |
See for the provisions on allocation of funds for climate change under the GEF Trust Fund for biodiversity, climate change and land degradation.
Other initiatives supporting LDCs with climate change, disaster risk reduction and resilience-building:
- The “supports LDCs to negotiate as a bloc at the intergovernmental negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change sessions, to effectively represent their collective needs”. The LDC Group maintains a list of .
- The , which supports developing countries in advancing their NAP processes and accelerating adaptation , aims to ensure that a specific share of technical support and peer learning opportunities go to LDCs and SIDS. For example there is a goal of ensuring that at least 30% of participants in peer learning events represent. Once a country graduates, they remain eligible for support but would not be prioritized over LDCs or SIDS.
- aims to support a shift away from 'business-as-usual' approaches to a more effective and ambitious climate response. LIFE-AR is a LDC-led initiative, which serves as one of the primary vehicles for delivering the LDC 2050 Vision for a climate-resilient future.
- The helps local government authorities in least developed countries and other developing countries access to climate finance, capacity-building and technical support to respond and adapt to climate change. Hosted by the , LoCAL promotes climate-change-resilient communities and local economies. LoCAL is owned by participating countries, most of which are LDCs, with priorities defined at the annual .
- The aims to build capacity in LDCs to adapt effectively to the adverse impacts of climate change by developing a South-South and South-South-North knowledge sharing and capacity development programme in universities and training Institutes in LDCs to address climate change through research, knowledge sharing and education. The consortium functions through a hub-and-spoke system of universities in several LDCs.
- The is a “strategic framework for driving transformative change across sectors and a platform for sharing experiences, best practice, and disseminating knowledge to reach universal energy access and accelerate the transition to renewable energy and energy efficiency in all LDCs". The initiative also aims to support LDC's efforts to access climate-dedicated funding. It is fully driven by LDCs and supported by the South Centre.
- The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) supports .
- The provides LDCs and SIDS with diplomatic, legal, technical and advisory services from think tanks, associations of member states and others, to help identify priorities, develop engagement strategies and strengthen coordination in preparation for global climate negotiations. It also supports them to enhance their understanding of climate issues and strengthen their readiness to work on implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
- One of the key deliverables of the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) is an Enhanced Resilience Building Mechanism.
Photo UN/Eskinder Debebe
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