Backed by Awaza’s new action program, the third UN conference on developing countries without coastline or LLDC3 will press for the most free traffic, smarter commercial corridors, stronger economic resistance and new financing to raise the development prospects of the 570 million people living in those countries.
For no coastline, geography has long dictated destiny.
Commercial costs are up to 74 percent higher than the global average and can take double to move goods through borders compared to coastal countries. As a result, nations without coastline remain with only 1.2 percent of world trade.
And in the midst of world economic changes, these countries face the enormous risk of being behind.
“LLDC3 is a fundamental opportunity to reverse this trajectory“Said Rababa Fatima, a high UN representative for developing countries without coastline.
“In the background, this conference is people: these are the millions of children who lack the Internet or digital tools, farmers who cannot take their products to the market due to poor roads and entrepreneurs whose dreams are delayed by border delays and limited access to financing.“
Broad commitment
The four -day event, from 5 to 8, August, will feature plenary sessions, five high -level round tables and a private sector forum focused on building associations and increase investment.
Forums dedicated with parliamentarians, leaders, civil society and young people will bring voices from the whole society to the heart of discussions.
The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, is expected to be attending, underlining the urgency of the agenda.
Many countries without coastline, such as Botswana (in the photo) are also in the first line of the impact of climate change, highlighting their vulnerability.
Awaza’s action program
The center of the conference is the Awaza Action Program for 2024-2034, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December.
It establishes five priority areas (structural transformation, infrastructure and connectivity, commercial facilitation, regional integration and resilience construction, backed by five flagship initiatives.
These include:
- A global infrastructure investment center to close the financing gaps.
- Regional agricultural research hubs to boost food security.
- A high -level UN panel over freedom of traffic, ensuring softer cross -border flows.
- Digital connectivity initiatives to close the digital gap.
- A dedicated commercial work program of developing countries without coastline in the WTO.
Women buy in a vegetable market in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. The food security impulse is one of the priority areas of the Awaza Action Program.
Turkmenistan
For Turkmenistan, LLDC3 accommodation is both a diplomatic milestone and a declaration of intention.
“We are proud to organize it on the Caspio Sea coast in Turkmenistan,“Aksoltan Ataeva, ambassador and permanent representative of the UN said.
“We hope to welcome Awaza for a transformative conference oriented to the action that places countries without coastline in the heart of global associations.“
The organizers promise avant -garde facilities, cultural exhibitions and network spaces designed to stimulate collaboration. Delegates will also experience Turkish heritage by first -hand, from local art to Caspia cuisine.
The cross -border infrastructure, such as these electric lines, are crucial connections that unite LLDC with regional and global electrical networks.
The biggest image
For developing countries without coastline, bets are existential.
These countries are among the most vulnerable to the weather, less connected and further from global value chains. Without bold action, progress on the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development will remain out of reach.
“The destiny of humanity is inseparably linked to the destiny of these countries,“Said Diego Pacheco, Ambassador of Bolivia, who currently presides over the LLDC group at the UN.
“Together, we can unlock the potential of developing countries without coastline, not only for the benefit of our nations, but for the shared future of all humanity and mother earth.“
As Awaza’s regressive account begins, expectations are high, not about whether geography is important (it does), but if global solidarity can transcend its limits.
LLDC3 aims to demonstrate that it can.
There are 32 developing countries without coastline, of which 16 are also less developed.