Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu belong to the LDC category of the United Nations.
Vanuatu Daily Post said remaining as an LDC provides special privileges for Vanuatu.
Accompanying the minister are the director generals to the PM’s office, Semion Athy, Finance’s first political adviser, Augustine Garae, and the governor of the Reserve Bank, Odo Tevi.
Last year, the United Nations body wrote to the Vanuatu government giving a three year time frame to argue its graduation from the LDC group.
Athy told the newspaper that Vanuatu’s ambassadors to the U.N., Donald Kalpokas, and to Belgium, Roy Mickey Joy, will join the high level Vanuatu delegation in New York to lobby Vanuatu’s case.
“Following this trip and in line with the procedures, on Feb. 15 Vanuatu is expected to submit a written submission to the UN to justify our position to remain in LDC category,” Athy said.
“We will call on all government institutions to provide all required data to help us to ask U.N. to change the rules of graduation because for example, our country is made up of 80 inhabited small islands which are vulnerable to natural disasters including cyclones and earthquakes,” Athy said.
Daily Post was informed that Vanuatu’s ongoing funding, such as the Millennium Challenge Fund and other overseas development assistance, may come to an end should this New York meeting suggest that Vanuatu graduates out from the LDC in the next three years.
