Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - LLDC

International Community Reaffirms Commitments to World’s Landlocked Developing Countries

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 20:42:00 +0000

lldcs_mtr_un-photo.jpg

SG António Guterres

Evan Schneider /UN Photo

NEW YORK, 5 December 2019 – The United Nations General Assembly today adopted a political declaration reaffirming commitments by the international community to address the special development needs of the world’s thirty-two Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs).

At a two-day meeting which started today at United Nations headquarters in New York, leaders and government representatives from LLDCs and their development partners gathered for the Midterm Review of the Vienna Programme of Action which was adopted at the second United Nations Conference on LLDCs held in 2014.

The Midterm Review meeting is being chaired by the President of the General Assembly, H.E. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande and will review progress, identify gaps and propose innovative solutions to accelerate implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action over the next five years. Speaking at the opening of the Midterm Review, H.E. Muhammad-Bande said “Landlocked developing countries are at risk of being left behind. Their economic growth has declined in the last five years and one- third of their population lives in extreme poverty… As we move forward, we need to ensure that all efforts are made to support the sustainable development of landlocked developing countries… Our actions must be guided by the spirit of cooperation and solidarity.”

Over the next two days, discussions will also focus on scaling-up partnerships, strengthening regional integration and building resilient economies and societies in order to turn the LLDCs into vibrant, prosperous and sustainable land-linked countries.

The 2019 report of the Secretary-General on LLDCs notes that countries have exhibited mixed progress in their socio-economic development and that the annual growth rate of real GDP per capita in LLDCs decreased from 3.1 per cent in 2014 to 2.1 per cent in 2017. Despite this, important gains have been made in reducing the numbers of populations living in poverty, improvements in child and maternal health and increases in the number of seats held by women in Parliament. Encouragingly, there have been recent developments by LLDCs and their transit neighbours in deepening regional integration through agreements on transport and economic corridors. Efforts are also being made on diversification and upgrading of their economies, export promotion and private sector development.

Speaking to the media, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, said “It is clear that while this group of countries is making progress, we need to continue building on that momentum. Over the next five short years, we hope to look back on the Vienna Programme of Action and say that the programme of action achieved concrete results, that it galvanized partnerships and that it brought the world together to work with Landlocked Developing Countries to overcome their unique challenges.”

The political declaration welcomed progress made by LLDCs since the adoption of the Vienna Programme of Action. Together with their transit partners, LLDCs have made important gains in upgrading railways, roads, ports, air transport and inland waterways. Major advances have also been seen in the expansion of modern and renewable energy services. However, of concern, more than 40 per cent of the population of LLDCs still do not have access to electricity and the rural-urban gap remains significant.

Despite notable gains, the political declaration stresses that LLDCs continue to face multiple challenges.

The competitiveness of LLDCs remains limited due to high trade costs which are double that of transit developing countries. Transport and connectivity challenges are also prevalent with only one third of roads in LLDCs being paved. Of particular concern is the decline in the share of LLDCs in global trade. Furthermore, most exports from LLDCs remain highly concentrated in a few primary commodities with limited capacity to produce high-value products. While Official Development Assistance to LLDCs is on the rise, foreign direct investment has continued to decline.

The climate crisis is also having major impacts on LLDCs with many heavily affected by desertification, biodiversity loss, drought and receding glaciers.

The political declaration concludes with a call for action on targeted and accelerated measures by LLDCs and development partners to fully achieve the Vienna Programme of Action in the remaining five years. Actions include: achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, promoting measures to improve trade and transit transport, building climate and disaster-resilient transport infrastructure, diversifying export structures and value-added exports, building enabling environments for private sector development as well as strengthening foreign direct investment and domestic capital markets.

Speaking at the opening of the Midterm Review, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said “The Declaration you will adopt today calls on us to help turn landlocked developing countries into land-linked places of prosperity and opportunity.” He added “Let us join forces to help the world’s 32 landlocked developing countries achieve sustainable transformations and better standard of living for the more than 500 million people who call these countries home. The United Nations system, reformed and repositioned, remains strongly committed to supporting your efforts.”

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Statement at LLDCs Ambassadorial Meeting

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 20:27:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 September 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

I wish to thank Chair, His Excellency Ambassador Julio Cesar Arriola, for inviting me to participate in this meeting and would also like to thank him for his tireless efforts and excellent leadership of the LLDC Group.

I understand that you have just elected a new Bureau for the period 2020 to 2021. I wish to congratulate the newly elected Bureau as well as new Chair on their election. I am confident that your leadership together with the elected Bureau will give a great impetus to the work of the Group in addressing the special challenges of landlocked developing countries. OHRLLS remains ready to work closely with you and accord you the necessary support during your tenure.

Excellencies,

The main issue in this year’s LLDC agenda is the midterm review of the Vienna Programme of Action and I wish to thank you for your full engagement and for your support during the preparatory process. In its resolution 73/243, the General Assembly mandated OHRLLS to coordinate the preparatory process of the Midterm Review. Allow me to give you an update on what has been achieved so far. Consistent with the mandate of the General assembly, OHRLLS organized three regional review meetings for Euro-Asia, Africa and Latin America regions. All the three regional meetings adopted forward looking outcomes, and these provided inputs to the draft outline of the outcome document that OHRLLS prepared and submitted to the co-facilitators. OHRLLS also prepared the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action which was also important background material for the negotiations.

As part of the preparatory process, OHRLLS, in collaboration with partners, has so far organized 22 thematic pre-conference events. We are still working on a few more pre-conference thematic events to be held in the month of October and these include a meeting on Best Practices in Corridor Development and Management for the Benefit of LLDCs and Transit Countries; Expert Group Meeting on Trade Facilitation; and a joint event with the World Bank Group to discuss priorities of the LLDCs. I encourage active participation of LLDCs in these meetings.

The meeting on Best Practices in Corridor Development and Management for the Benefit of LLDCs and Transit Countries will be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 29 to 30 October 2019 and the meeting is being organized in collaboration with Government of Mongolia. Invitations to this meeting have been sent to LLDCs’ Ministries of Transport through the Missions. I encourage your countries to participate in this meeting and urge you to follow-up with your capitals and confirm participation. OHRLLS will provide funding for one capital-based official to participate in the meeting. I wish to thank the Government of the Russian Federation for their contribution towards organization of the meeting and the Government of Mongolia for hosting the meeting.

Regarding the outcome document of the Comprehensive high-level midterm review, I would like to thank the Chair and the LLDCs Group for your active participation in the informal consultations leading to a consensual document that passed silence procedure. The outcome document has a call for action, which, if fully implemented together with the VPoA, will greatly contribute to the desired socioeconomic transformation of LLDCs in the remaining five years and contribute to the acceleration of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Once again, I wish to thank the co-Facilitators Ambassadors of Austria and Bhutan for overseeing the negotiations of the outcome document of the Midterm Review.

Excellencies,

As you are all aware, the PGA circulated that the dates of the Comprehensive high-level midterm review are 5 and 6 December 2019 here in New York. We are now working closely with the PGA, the Chair and the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management in organizing the Midterm Review. We received contribution that will support the participation of delegates from the capitals and we will be working with the missions of LLDCs and some of the transit countries to facilitate the participation of the capital-based delegates.

I wish to emphasize that it will be important that the LLDCs participate in the midterm review at the highest possible level as stated in resolution 73/243 and the draft High-level Political declaration of the Midterm Review also indicates participation at Head of State level.

Excellencies,

Now getting to the events of the high-level week which will be starting in a few days, this year, in addition to the general debate, there will be a series of summits and high-level meetings. The UN Secretary General will convene the Climate Summit and the General Assembly will convene one-day high-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage, High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, High-level dialogue on financing for development and the high-level meeting on the midterm review of the SAMOA Pathway. I encourage you to actively participate in these meetings. Your participation in the SIDS midterm review will be an important sign of solidarity to another vulnerable group.

The LLDCs meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs will also be held on 25 September 2019 and encourage all LLDCs to participate in this meeting.

In concluding my remarks, I would also like to bring to your attention some of the very important meetings to be held in 2020 which I encourage LLDCs to actively participate in and these include: the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference to be hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan; the Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference to be held in China; the 15th UNCTAD Quadrennial Conference to be held in Barbados, and the World Investment Forum in United Arab Emirates.

I wish to assure you of OHRLLS outmost support in these processes.

I thank you for your attention.

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Statement at the Side Event of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 16:00:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

17 June 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The Ocean is an important part of humanity and a common heritage to mankind. The ocean makes about seventy-one percent of the Earth’s surface and billions of people depend on the oceans for their livelihoods. Maritime transport remains an essential part of international trade as over 90% is carried by the seas, according to the United Nations International Maritime Organization. It is estimated that the value of key ocean assets is US$24 trillion, with an annual value of goods and services at US$2.5 trillion. Due to its significance, the ocean economy, is growing in importance and gaining momentum amongst policymakers across the world. Participation in the ocean economy and the global discussions on the ocean economy are however not fully inclusive and not fully understood.

The participation of landlocked developing countries continue to be limited. Excellencies and distinguished delegates, Ladies and gentlemen Landlocked countries are not directly connected to the oceans due to their geographical location, but the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea gives them rights to access and to use the ocean space including the marine resources. Some of the provisions that give the right to access and to utilize the Oceans by the landlocked countries include: article 69 on Right of land-locked States, Article 125 on Right of access to and from the sea and freedom of transit, Article 136 on Common heritage to mankind and Article 140 on Benefit of mankind. UNCLOS also states that the Area and its resources are common heritage of mankind and activities in the Area are to be carried out for the benefit 3 of mankind as a whole irrespective of the geographical location of States. It is therefore necessary that no country, including LLDCs, should be left behind in the exploitation of the resources regarded as common heritage to mankind.

Out of the forty-four landlocked states, twenty-eight have ratified the UNCLOS and twenty of these countries are Landlocked Developing Countries. Six LLDCs have signed the Convention but have not ratified it and six have neither signed nor acceded to the Convention or the Agreement. While twenty LLDCs are parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea their participation in the ocean economy, including in the meetings related to the implementation of UNCLOS, is however limited. The limited participation of these countries can be attributed to several reasons such as limited resources, lack of awareness and challenges of access. LLDCs are also faced with transit challenges, which include inadequate transit infrastructure and cumbersome transit procedures.

Challenges in accessing the sea greatly affect the participation of the LLDCs in international trade and achieving sustainable development. It is therefore important to enhance access and freedom of transit of the LLDCs so that they can be integrated into global trade and into the blue economy. The implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and other international and regional agreements that can facilitate transit is therefore fundamental. These include the Revised Kyoto Convention (2006), World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement, and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The development of transit infrastructure is also fundamental in this regard. OHRLLS, in collaboration with transit countries, development partners and relevant international organizations continues to make efforts to facilitate the integration of the LLDCs into the global economy. OHRLLS continues to 4 advocate for efficient transit for LLDCs to access the sea and has previously organized events to discuss these issues and some of the recent events include a side event on importance of Efficient transit cooperation for the achievement of the SDGs by Landlocked Developing Countries held in 2017; a Side event at the Global Sustainable Transport Conference on Financing Sustainable Transport Infrastructure for enhancing Connectivity of the LLDCs; side event held during the Ocean Conference in 2017 on “Enhancing the participation of the Landlocked States in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14”, a High-Level Meeting for the Euro-Asia Region on Improving Cooperation on Transit, Trade Facilitation and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development held in 2017 and Ministerial Meeting of LLDCs on Trade and Transport held in 2018.

OHRLLS also published several reports on improving transit cooperation and trade facilitation. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are integrated, indivisible, and universal. The initiatives to implement SDG 14 on conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources should therefore include landlocked countries. It is therefore fundamental to build their capacity to participate in the ocean economy and ensure that no one is left behind.

Today’s event is organized to deliberate on how access to the sea as well as the participation of the landlocked countries in the blue economy can be enhanced. Integrating these countries will ensure that they are not left behind including in taking part in the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and marine resources. I look forward to our dialogue and recommendations on how we can foster the participation of LLDCs in the Ocean Economy. 5 I thank you for your kind attention.

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Welcoming Remarks at the Working Dinner of the Ambassadorial Retreat on the Comprehensive High-level Midterm Review on the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action

Anonymous — Tue, 07 May 2019 16:04:00 +0000

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

7 May 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

A very warm welcome to you all! I am encouraged to see you all here taking the time and bringing the willingness for us all together to engage in forward looking, constructive discussions.We meet at a strategic moment - the high-level comprehensive midterm review of the Programme takes place this year. The review is our key opportunity to assess progress in meeting the commitments member states made when they adopted the Vienna Programme of Action.

The Vienna Programme truly was and remains a major milestone. The preparatory process we are now in was designed to be very participatory and has been in full swing for some time. As we now come closer to the midterm review itself, the onus is on us to identify practical, practicable and forward-looking ways and means to accelerate the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and the SDGs.

Five years left is not much - especially not in our fast evolving world ! The implementation of the Vienna Programme is all about bringing real tangible impact, about including more than 500 million people in the landlocked developing countries. That is almost 7% of the world’s population, occupying around 12% of total world land area. So, again I very much hope that our retreat allows for a rich exchange of ideas and action proposals. Tomorrow, we will have in-depth discussions in the various sessions. Almost five years into the implementation of the Vienna Programme Action there is hope that "it can be done" when we look at some of the progress that has been achieved. The past five years were full of developments for the LLDCs and, I think we all agree, for the entire international community. However, challenges remain that we must address with urgency. Over the course of tomorrow, we have ample opportunities to discuss what has been achieved and what has not been achieved and why that is so.

We will talk about the pressing challenges, the lessons learned and best practices. Ultimately, let us try to identify how those best practices and lessons learned can feed into the next five critical years of the Vienna Programme. We will focus on identifying the actions needed to accelerate the implementation of the Vienna Programme. Those will be the key inputs into the next stage of the preparatory process. That stage concerns the deliberations on the outcome document of the midterm review. I am delighted that the co-facilitators for this process are here with us. We also have with us a number of experts from the UN system and other international organizations. They will brief you tomorrow on the progress in the implementation of the different areas of the Vienna Programme, the remaining challenges and where the opportunities lie.

The aim is that by the end of our meeting tomorrow, we will have a clearer idea of the outstanding areas for action and a corresponding action plan that the LLDCs, transit countries, development partners, as well as the broader international community can have as the guide to focus work ahead. Focus will be essential in order to accelerate implementation of the Programme and achieving the sustainable development goals contained in Agenda 2030. Once more, it is my sincere hope that we will have deep, frank and productive discussions.

The outcome of this retreat will set the tone for the draft outcome document of the midterm review. And now enjoy the dinner and informal exchanges. Let us rest tonight and be ready to engage in the discussions tomorrow. Thank you very much.

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Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - LLDC

International Community Reaffirms Commitments to World’s Landlocked Developing Countries

lldcs_mtr_un-photo.jpg

Statement at LLDCs Ambassadorial Meeting

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 September 2019 New York, USA

Statement at the Side Event of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

17 June 2019 New York, USA

Welcoming Remarks at the Working Dinner of the Ambassadorial Retreat on the Comprehensive High-level Midterm Review on the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

7 May 2019 New York, USA

12 September 2019
New York, USA

17 June 2019
New York, USA

7 May 2019
New York, USA