In November 2021, Bangladesh, Lao PDR, and Nepal officially qualified to graduate out of the least developed countries category by 2026. This was an important development milestone for the three countries marked by reaching threshold criteria in per capita gross national income, human assets index, and economic and environmental vulnerability index for two consecutive three-year cycles. The three countries differ significantly in terms of their economies, geographies, and histories. Yet, they share the common prospect of graduating out of the LDC category in the aftermath of the greatest global pandemic in living memory, followed by the cascading effects and impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine, against the backdrop of the intensifying triple planetary crisis. Bangladesh is among the countries that extensively use the international support measures for LDCs to increase exports and produce pharmaceuticals for domestic and international markets. Given the dependence of exports on duty-free-quota-free market access, the Government and private sector of Bangladesh would like to prioritize advocacy and negotiations for continuation of the trade and intellectual property related support measures and preparing the country to access better trade deals. Nepal, on the other hand, has not been able to fully utilize available international support measures due to the supply side constraints, and so its losses in trade and erosion in concessional aid are expected to be low in the short to medium term. However, Nepal may experience constraints on diversifying exports due to high tariffs, loss of flexibility in the implementation of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement, limited flexibilities to promote infant industries and other.  To offset these challenges, the Government of Nepal and the private sector prioritize international support to accelerate economic transformation, bring foreign direct investment, and access to development finance, particularly climate finance. For Lao PDR, the case is of relatively limited exports taking place under LDC-specific market access arrangements as most trade is covered by regional agreements, but LDC provisions are important for some key sectors and a growing demand for new export markets. Key challenges for Lao PDR in managing a smooth transition relate to securing sufficient development finance, in particular climate finance, and strengthening integrated planning to support economic transformation and sustainable long-term development. Rising inflation and emerging complexities around the price of food, energy, and finance over the course of 2022 have subsequently added to the difficulties and challenges for these three countries. In this context, the UN in the three countries is supporting respective governments in addressing country-specific needs associated with graduation within their Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks. A key imperative for LDC graduation is to ensure that the transition is smooth and sustainable in the face of shocks and a changing global context. For this, the three graduating countries are formulating nationally owned, time-bound, and action-oriented Smooth Transition Strategies. Relevant expertise, knowledge, and capacity to support the development, and later implementation, of these strategies sits across different parts of the UN development system- at national, regional, and global levels. This includes dedicated specialists in UNDESA—including with its secretarial support to the Committee for Development Policy (CDP), which advises the Economic and Social Council of the UN General Assembly on a wide range of issues relevant for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including the LDC graduation process, —OHRLLS, UNCTAD, and ESCAP, as well as in-country technical capacities in agencies such as ITC, ILO and UNDP and the overall in-country coordination of systemwide efforts supported by the strategic economic and development analysis and planning capacity of RCOs led by UN Resident Coordinators. The reform of the UN has created the opportunity to take a significant step forward in the efficiency with which this distributed capacity can be used to support government efforts. In particular, to facilitate the process and help land such support among in-country stakeholders, as Resident Coordinators of the three countries, thanks to new ways of working, we have been able to convene integrated cross-country support that is showing the potential to make a difference at this key moment for the three countries. This has included regular discussions across the RCOs of the three countries to coordinate approaches, share practice and facilitate peer learning, and support the three countries in leveraging a common voice, aligning their positions for international negotiations. Challenged by COVID-19, but nonetheless almost two years of effective background work, and a first virtual meeting among government representatives in 2021, this led to physically bringing the three governments together for a joint South-South Exchange. The three RCOs, with support from the UNDESA and in collaboration with the UN-OHRLLS and UNESCAP organized the conference on formulating smooth transition strategies in Bangkok in August 2022. Among the participants were Government officials who would lead and draft the transition strategies, and representatives from the private sector and civil society. Experts from UN Development System, multilateral organizations, representative from the Republic of Korea and Viet Nam, academia, and think-tanks also joined. The topics discussed ranged from challenges and priorities of each country to specific thematic issues common to all countries. These included issues like leaving no one behind, market access, intellectual property rights, export diversification, climate action, the criticality of investments into human capital, development finance, and domestic resource mobilization. This broad and inclusive participation and agenda showcased promising practice and possible pathways ahead, but also highlighted the many trade-offs that must be addressed to ensure a sustainable, irreversible, and quality LDC graduation. LDC graduation not only brings changes to the trade and finance landscape, but it also directly affects people – workers in the sectors most impacted, and unskilled workers across the board. Particularly affected are women in the informal sector and in factory jobs and, importantly, the prospects for future employment opportunities which underscores the criticality of investments into human capital looking ahead. It is, therefore, an imperative to ensure that LDC graduation is inclusive and that the smooth transition strategies incorporate the interests of all stakeholders, including workers and an outlook that stretches beyond the immediate concerns. To that end the South-South Exchange included discussions on leaving no one behind, inclusive institutions, environmental and labour standards, and human rights as key drivers for sustainable economic growth. Also on the agenda was climate change and the potential for climate action to be supported by concessional climate finance to drive sustainable development of these LDCs. Government representatives of all three countries actively engaged in these discussions. During final presentations, they committed to work on the issues on inclusive development, increased investment in human capital, labour and human rights, and environmental standards for an informed smooth transition strategy. The discussions unpacked some of the needs of the three countries for policy, capacity, and technical support, and they clarified areas where joint advocacy could be leveraged to create space for advanced engagement and broader development cooperation. The event also provided the opportunity for the private sector representatives of the three countries to engage directly with each other. There is also interest among the three governments to continue the peer exchange and learning through virtual discussions. Importantly, the work also serves to demonstrate what can be achieved with more coordinated and integrated support from across the UN system, also when capacities do not sit directly in-country. The preparations for a smooth LDC graduation cut across the mandates of many parts of government and of the UN development system, offering the potential to spur integrated and transformational ways of working, and to address some of the most pressing and challenging multidimensional development challenges facing countries today. The next steps in the process will involve each country identifying the needs for technical, financial and policy support in more granular detail, and mobilizing country-specific support through the UN and other development partners. The UN’s support to the three countries will require to be tailored to the needs identified in these ongoing discussions and be fully anchored within the respective UN Sustainable Development Frameworks. Our offices will carry on the collaboration across the three RCOs and with UNDESA at the technical level to facilitate exchange between the three Governments. We will continue to coordinate our advocacy and messaging both internally and in international fora. Delivering as One-UN can go beyond country teams and across borders and indeed, also coherently align UN efforts vertically from HQ through regional to country-based support in line with the ambitions of the UN development system reform.  

Mahela Begum (38) returned from Greece to her native Sirajdhikhan sub-district in the Munshiganj district in 2018. Upon return, she and her family struggled to support themselves, with three children and only a low salary from her husband’s job as a carpenter.
As early as 2014 Mahela had wanted to migrate to Greece as a way of ensuring a better future for her young family, after hearing success stories from friends and relatives. She persuaded her husband it was the best thing for the family and connected with a local middleman to facilitate migration.
Maleha gave BDT 600,000 (EUR 6,200) to the middleman to arrange the trip to Greece. To secure that amount she sold her land and borrowed money from neighbors. The broker promised Mahela she would get a work permit in Greece easily and would soon secure a decent job. After arriving in Greece in March 2016 she soon realized that the middleman’s promises had been dishonest, and that he had in fact secured her a work visa as a domestic worker.
She began working as a housemaid, but the salary was not enough to support her family. While she did look for other jobs, she was not able to secure any due to her visa status. She continued to work as a domestic worker - which was not the decent job she had been promised.
By 2017 Mahela’s mental and physical health was deteriorating as a result of her situation. However, her employer only provided very basics primary healthcare, which was insufficient for her. In early 2018, Mahela ran away from her employer's house and surrendered to Greek police.
On 6 March 2018 with the assistance of several Bangladeshis living in Greece, Mahela returned to Bangladesh empty-handed and with her dreams in tatters.
Upon return, her family's financial difficulties and the debt she still owed to her neighbors added to her distress. As a female returnee, she was not welcomed back to the community warmly – and this only compounded her physical and mental health concerns.
During this period a member of the Prottasha Migration Forum came to know about her and directed her to a Prottasha Field Organizer (FO) in Shirazdikhan. The FO screened Mahela’s situation, and a Tailored Reintegration Plan (TRP) was developed for her in March 2021. The TRP included psychosocial counselling, skills development training, and in-kind assistance. She was also provided with psychosocial support when she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety during the screening process.
She felt a great sense of relief after discussing her experiences, emotions and thoughts with the psychosocial counsellor. She requested medical support from the project when her lever disease deteriorated. Mahela received BDT 16,960 (EUR 175) for her medical treatment from the project.
The Reintegration Service Center (RSC) provided economic reintegration assistance. Through the Prottasha project she was provided with construction materials such as bricks, cement, rods, and sand worth BDT 85,000 (EUR 876) as in-kind support to help her build a grocery shop in her community. Mahela and her husband also received financial literacy and remittance management training to help them make the best use of their money. Now, she runs a shop in Munshiganj, earning roughly BDT 5,000 (EUR 52) per month. Mahela is optimistic about a better future. She says, "While no one understood me or my physical
limitations, these incredible people from the Prottasha project came to my help. The Prottasha project has benefited me in numerous ways. My family and I are very appreciative of this support."
Additionally, she has a message to aspirant migrants, "Please never rely on a dalal (middleman) while travelling to another country. Only use regular and legal migration channels. Prior to making a migration decision, make an effort to learn as much as possible about where you are going and the what jobs are available there."

Kamal Hossain (fictitious name) (34), a Bangladeshi returnee from Germany, is from a poor family in Patuakhali's Golachipa sub-district. Kamal could not afford higher education and he started looking for work at a young age. Unfortunately, he was not able to secure a stable job. He tried to start his own business - asking his parents for start-up funds, but they were not willing to support Kamal’s entrepreneurial endeavors.
Down on his luck, Kamal met the immigration middleman who had helped his cousins travel abroad. The middleman convinced Kamal that work in the Middle East would be an answer to his and his family’s woes. Captivated by the idea, Kamal’s parents sold some of the few assets they had and took a loan to pay the middleman BDT 300,000 to send Kamal abroad.
Kamal arrived in the Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2008 to work as an electrician. Unfortunately, his employer did not pay him the wage he was promised and for two years he barely earned enough to survive. It became clear to Kamal that his work in the UAE would not resolve his financial difficulties, and he contacted the middleman who agreed to facilitate his movement to Germany. Kamal’s journey to Germany was not straight forward, enroute from the UAE he traveled through Oman, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Siberia, Croatia, and Austria. The middleman repeatedly took advantage of him on this journey, and his family was forced to pay for his safe passage multiple times. Kamal ultimately arrived in Germany in 2014 but found that he could not work due to his lack of legal papers.
On 26 June 2018, German authorities deported him to Bangladesh on a chartered flight. No one from his family greeted him at Dhaka Airport. However, the Prottasha support team met him at the airport and helped him get home safely.
After returning to Bangladesh Kamal found himself in a difficult situation. Not able to find a job or support his family, he became quite depressed – and at times contemplated taking his own life. Shahidul Biswas, a Field Organizer at the Reintegration Service Centre (RSC) in Khulna, heard about Kamal from a neighbour. On 28 January 2021, Shahidul spoke to Kamal over the phone and informed him about the Prottasha project's support.
RSC Khulna developed a tailored reintegration plan for Kamal in early 2021, including psychological counselling. As part of the economic reintegration plan, he decided to open an oil and lubricant store. On 15 June 2021, the Prottasha project provided Kamal with some tools and equipment needed to start the business.
Kamal now earns an average of BDT 15,000 a month and has settled down as a confident person.
"I am eternally thankful to the Prottasha project," he said, expressing his gratitude. “The project provided incredible support which vastly improved both my mental and financial wellbeing. I am blessed by how the situation turned out. "
“The fact is, I could have achieved more if I had been given the chance to do something in Bangladesh from the beginning,” Kamal remarked. “The money I spent on migrating could have helped me start a business here at home. I wasted ten years of my life.”
Some parents, especially those in rural areas, believe that sending their sons abroad will solve their financial troubles. They often invest money trying to send their family members abroad, while that money would be better spent investing in their families’ futures in Bangladesh.
Kamal Hossain also has a message for aspirant migrants, Irregular migration is a dangerous waste of money and time. Your life is worth more than that, so don't gamble with it.

“In July, torrential rain caused several landslides in different camps. When faced with something similar happening in our camp, we moved people in the community from the vulnerable areas to temporary communal safe shelters. These types of lifesaving activities amazed me most.”
Nasima, a 35-year-old Rohingya woman, shared her experiences of working in the recent monsoon response for her community in Camp 20, a refugee camp for the Rohingyas in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar. “I never thought that I would ever carry out such brave work in adverse weather, even a couple of years back. I did not have such courage then. It was only after I underwent training and became a volunteer of the Disaster Management Unit (DMU) in 2018 that I developed the courage to do this.”
From July to August this year, Nasima directly assisted 20 families during pre- and post-monsoon response. She also referred 30 families who needed support to other service-providing agencies in the camp.
“During any emergency like flood, cyclone or fire incidents, we have to work very hard. In July, when it rained a lot, I checked every day for any damage, landslide, or flood. I reported back immediately to Site Management Support (SMS) volunteers whenever I noticed anything.”
At least 200 families were affected by the flash flood in Camp 19 in July. DMU volunteers immediately relocated the affected families to safe places. They provided direct support in landslide and flood-affected shelters. They also assisted in emergency soil removal and rescue and moved the affected population to safe communal shelters.
DMU Volunteer Nasima is conducting door-to-door awareness session in the Rohingya camp.
“I never thought that I would ever carry out such brave work in adverse weather, even a couple of years back. I did not have such courage then. It was only after I underwent training and became a volunteer of the Disaster Management Unit (DMU) in 2018 that I developed the courage to do this.”
The IOM Site Management Site Development (SMSD) Programme scaled up its emergency response activities to address the damages caused by the heavy rain. The volunteers played a very important role in ensuring better emergency response during the monsoon season.
“Previously, I was scared of cyclones, floods, landslides and other natural disasters. I used to keep myself and my family members from going out when it rained or when there are risks of floods or landslides. But now, I come out from my house not only to save my kids and belongings but also to save my neighbors and members of the community who fall into distress due to the calamity,” Nasima said confidently.
As a first responder, Nasima received trainings on cyclone preparedness, fire safety and response, search and rescue, first aid, and other disaster risks reduction-related trainings. The trainings she received helped her build her capacity and strengthened her understanding of dealing with emergencies. “Before undergoing the training, I had little understanding about any natural calamity and how we should respond to it. Now, I am more confident about my role. I am capable to serve my community and I want to continue my work. Many people in my community know me already through my role. They come to me with the hope that their problems will be heard and solved. I feel very happy and proud to be able to help them.”
IOM teams are alerting the refugees who are living at landslide risk-prone areas in Rohingya camps.
Nasima is among of the 761 DMU volunteers composed of 208 women and 553 men. They are based in their respective camps which are among the 10 IOM-managed camps in Cox’s Bazar, namely Camps 9, 15, 18, 19, 20, 20 Extension, 22, 23, 24, and 25. People from her community were previously not aware of her role as a volunteer. However, they are motivated when they see her perform her role and approach her whenever there is any need.
The volunteers are among the first responders who arrive immediately after an emergency and provide initial support to the affected community until professional emergency responders arrive. They also disseminate messages on cyclone awareness and early warnings, landslide risks, fire safety, and monsoon awareness in the community during normal times.
In 2018, IOM SMSD, coordinating with the SMSD Sector, other Site Management (SM) partners, American Red Cross and the national Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), established the community-based groups called ‘Safety Volunteers’. These volunteer groups subsequently expanded and became DMU in 2019.
Jeno Beno, IOM SMSD’s Area Operations Coordinator for Teknaf said, “The DMU volunteers working together with the IOM SMS teams are a crucial part of our operations both in emergency preparedness and response activities. Thanks to their commitment, their readiness to learn and to be trained.” Beno added, “Rescuing distressed people after landslide incidents, putting fires off, or saving people affected by the flood are part of their response activities. You have to be strong and committed to carry out these responsibilities.”
Cox's Bazar is one of the most disaster-affected districts of Bangladesh. It is exposed to tropical cyclones and associated storm surges, flash floods and landslides. The Rohingya refugee camps both in Kutupalong-Balukhali Extension (KBE) and Teknaf are under heightened risks due to the environmental degradation and further heightened by the congested population of the camps. The DMU activities in IOM-managed Rohingya camps are now carried out with the support of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).