UN opens conference on unlocking economic potential of world's poorest countries

A major United Nations conference aimed at devising a new strategy to help the world's poorest countries unlock their economic potential and accelerate development opened today in Turkey, where of heads of State and senior officials from international organizations are among 7,000 participants in attendance.

The Fourth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Istanbul will assess the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action -- the outcome document adopted at the last such conference, held in 2001 -- and try to reach agreement on a new set of support measures for the 48 nations classified as LDCs.