The sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aim to double the share of global exports of the least developed countries (LDCs) by 2020.

The agenda also calls for providing duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) market access to LDCs as one of the main pillars of international support for export expansion by LDCs. DFQF market access is important, but will it be sufficient to double the export share of LDCs? And will it contribute to sustainable development?

What will genuinely improve the market access conditions faced by the least developed countries?

Considering market access conditions as one of the binding constraints to the export growth of LDCs in the post-2015 development agenda (along with constraints related to infrastructure, energy and transport), UNCTAD proposes the following package of six international actions:

1. Provide duty-free and quota-free market access

2. Implement the WTO ministerial decision on the services waiver and fulfil article IV.1 and 3 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services

3. Reduce future trade costs by cooperating in SDG implementation

4. Physically connect LDCs to the international market

5. Target aid for trade to upgrade the productive and export capacity of LDCs

6. Help LDCs use their export growth to achieve sustainable development