Vanuatu was recommended for graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category at the 2012 triennial review of the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP), having several years before moved above the thresholds for graduation.

The recommendation was approved by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the General Assembly. Following cyclone Pam in 2015 a three-year extension was granted, with graduation scheduled for the 4th of December 2020.