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Ambassador Agnes Chimbiri-Molande,
Ambassador Amrit Rai,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Panelists,
Distinguished Colleagues,

It is my honour and pleasure to welcome you all to this important high-level Special Event on Regional Agriculture Research Centers.

Thank you Ambassador for setting the tone for this meeting aimed at turning the untapped agricultural potential of the LLDCs into drivers of inclusive growth, food security, and sustainable development.

This is one of the most pressing challenges facing our world today. Agriculture remains the backbone of the economy in most LLDCs.  It provides livelihoods for the majority and is central to reducing poverty and building resilience.

Yet, despite its importance, agriculture in LLDCs remains underperforming and underfunded. The structural constraints are well known: difficult topographies, high transport costs, climate shocks, limited market access, and outdated practices. Nearly 54% of LLDCs’ land is classified as dryland. And 60% of LLDC populations live in these areas, compared to just 36% in neighboring transit countries.
As a result, food insecurity is deepening. 

And so, this conversation today could not be more timely.
 
More than 100 million people in LLDCs face severe food insecurity today. Between 2022 and 2024, nearly one in five people in LLDCs suffered from undernourishment. With populations projected to double by 2050, the urgency for action could not be clearer.

But the challenge also presents an opportunity. 

Agricultural growth is two to four times more effective in reducing poverty than growth in any other sector. 

It is a multiplier - transforming rural livelihoods, spurring agro-industrial development, and creating decent jobs.

To realize this potential, we must invest in agricultural research, innovation, and technology.

That is why we are here today.

Increasing investment in innovation, and fostering stronger collaboration among research institutions, academic communities, and industry, LLDCs can begin to reverse negative trends and unlock their full potential 

But research and innovation alone are not enough. Farmers must be empowered and incentivized to adopt new technologies and practices. 

We are seeing exciting advances in AI-powered precision agriculture that can provide real-time insights into soil health, crop conditions, and weather patterns. 

These tools have the potential to revolutionize productivity. 

Yet the key question remains: how do we bring these technologies to the doorsteps of farmers in a way that is affordable, accessible, and user-friendly?

That is where partnership becomes vital. 

National governments, regional organizations, development partners, and UN agencies must work together to develop tailored programmes that reach smallholder farmers – especially women and youth.
They must be supported to embrace and benefit from innovation.

Equally important is the need to ensure that productivity gains are sustainable. 

Environmental protection must be at the core of agricultural strategies. 

We must promote solutions that are climate-smart, environmentally sound, and aligned with agroecological principles. 

Sustainable agriculture is not only good for the planet, but also essential for long-term food security and resilience.

Excellencies,

The Awaza Programme of Action for LLDCs for the decade 2024-2034 provides a comprehensive framework for addressing these challenges through targeted interventions in agricultural research and development. 

The Programme commits to "exploring the establishment of regional agricultural research hubs for landlocked developing countries.”
These hubs can play a vital role in addressing structural impediments, enhancing agricultural productivity, promoting value addition, supporting capacity-building and facilitating improved agricultural practices. 

The Secretary-General has been requested to explore the feasibility, effectiveness, and administrative modalities of these hubs.

The Programme also recognizes the need to promote sustainable technologies and to establish regional agricultural research centers, tailored to the unique realities of LLDCs.

The proposed Regional Agriculture Research Centers for LLDCs holds immense potential. 

These centers can help drive innovation, close knowledge gaps, and localize solutions that respond to the realities on the ground.

My Office remains fully committed to advancing this agenda. 

Excellencies, 

Strengthening agricultural R&D in LLDCs should become a cornerstone in our efforts to achieve SDG 2. 

It also offers a clear path to food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture – for today’s communities and generations to come.

Let us work together to turn vision into reality. 

We are fortunate to have a distinguished panel of experts and leaders with us today to explore these issues further. And I am very pleased to have with us the Ministers from Lesotho and Uzbekistan, who have already offered to host such regional hubs.  And I look forward to hearing their ideas and visions in this regard. 

Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,

Your presence and participation here today is a powerful signal of our collective resolve to move from potential to prosperity.

I look forward to a rich and productive discussion. 

Thank you.