News - USA, New York, Permanent Representation of the Republic of Bulgaria to the UN

Ambassador Gergana Karadjova met with Rabab Fatima, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

During the meeting, Ambassador Karadjova emphasized that Bulgaria views connectivity—physical, digital and economic—as a key factor in overcoming the structural disadvantages faced by these countries. She added that, in line with the priorities of the EU, we support:

– facilitating trade and regional integration;

– investments in sustainable transport and energy infrastructure;

– bridging the digital divide, including through the development of digital skills and digital trade.

Under-Secretary-General Rabab Fatima noted that the Office covers 92 of the world’s most vulnerable countries. She pointed out that the United Nations is of vital importance to these states, which face challenges such as the lack or low coverage of essential social services, including access to education, healthcare and social protection. In many of these countries there are high levels of malnutrition and food insecurity, and limited opportunities for personal and professional development. At the same time, populations are large and include a high proportion of young people who, lacking opportunities for development in their home countries, choose to migrate, Ms. Fatima added.

Ambassador Karadjova also highlighted Bulgaria’s strong support for the UN80 Initiative as an opportunity to make the United Nations more coherent, more effective and better prepared to fulfil its mandate.

Bulgaria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations noted that UN80 could help shift the focus from processes to concrete results on the ground, turning global commitments into tangible outcomes for the most vulnerable countries, in line with the principle of “leaving no one behind.”

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Photos: UN Photo/ UN-OHRLLS