Five decades of neoliberal developmentalism in “Least Developed Countries”: A decolonial critique

Abstract “Least Developed Countries” (LDCs) were identified by the United Nations (UN) in 1971 to consolidate international support measures to address development challenges related to poverty, health and education. Using neoliberal developmentalism and decolonisation as a theoretical framework, this paper analyses key policy documents produced by the UN from 1971 to 2021 to investigate the support measures taken by the UN and other international organizations for addressing development challenges faced by LDCs. A major finding of the paper is that while some attempts were made for integrating LDCs into global trade and economy, international organisations could not translate their policy rhetoric into reality; therefore, LDCs have fallen behind in several developmental sectors such as economy, education and health. As the COVID‐19 pandemic ravaged the world, the historical problems and challenges faced by LDCs worsened. In the context of post‐2030 discussions on setting the next round of Sustainable Development Goals, the findings are significant for devising more effective social policies for LDCs.