Why in the News?

The 3rd UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) in Awaza, Turkmenistan, adopted the Awaza Declaration to boost investment, address challenges, and promote sustainable growth in 32 landlocked nations.

About Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs):

• Overview: 32 UN-recognized countries with no direct access to the sea, collectively home to over 600 million people.
• List of LLDCs:

1. 1. Africa: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
   2. Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
   3. Europe: Armenia, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia.
   4. South America: Bolivia, Paraguay.

• Challenges:
  • Dependence on transit countries for global market access.
  • Higher trade and transport costs (often twice those of coastal countries).
  • Limited connectivity, slower growth, and vulnerability to climate impacts.
• Past Conferences:
  • 2003 (Almaty) – Almaty Programme of Action.
  • 2014 (Vienna) – Vienna Programme of Action (2014–2024).
  • 2025 (Awaza) – Awaza Programme of Action (2024–2034).

Structure and Functioning:

• LLDC Conferences: Held every 10 years to review progress and set a new action framework.
• Awaza Programme of Action (2024–2034) – Priority Areas:
  • Structural transformation, science, technology, and innovation.
  • Trade facilitation and regional integration.
  • Transit, transport, and connectivity.
  • Climate resilience and adaptation.
  • Monitoring and implementation.
• Stakeholder Participation:
  • UN member states, transit countries, donor agencies, NGOs, private sector, and academia.
• Mechanisms:
  • UN-wide monitoring framework covering 323 initiatives.
  • Partnerships for infrastructure and digital connectivity.
  • Climate Negotiating Group under UNFCCC for LLDC-specific challenges.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now