Road of the least developed countries to sustainable development: Assessing trade participation in the context of the sustainable development goals

Abstract

The least developed countries (LDCs) have been declared a battleground where the success or failure of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be decided. Being the main instrument of support of LDCs and one of the main means of the implementation of the SDGs, international trade plays a crucial role in this case. Following the importance of trade for the sustainable development of LDCs, the study evaluates the success of selected LDCs in increasing their participation in international trade since the beginning of the new millennium. The participation of LDCs in international trade and the progress they have individually made is explored using 10 criteria, which were processed by the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. The low participation of LDCs in international trade and the almost negligible progress they have made brings legitimate doubts about whether international trade can fulfill its function as a means of implementation of the SDGs in these countries.