Myanmar makes efforts to move out of least developed country category

Myanmar has set up a national-level committee in an effort to move the country out of least developed country (LDC) category, state media reported Wednesday.

Presided by Vice President U Nyan Tun, the committee has been assigned to help Myanmar graduate from LDC category.

U Nyan Tun stressed at a meeting at the President's Office the need of a time frame to make systematic preparations in cooperation with UN organizations so as to make Myanmar move out of three criteria in line with the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goals.

The three criteria identifying LDC are based on gross national income, human assets index and economic vulnerability index.

The United Nations listed 25 countries as LDC in 1971 and the number of LDC has now hit 48 with Myanmar having been included in the list as of 1987, a year before the previous military government took over.

The UN Economic and Social Council is mandated to review the LDC classification every three years and report its findings to the UN General Assembly.