High-Level Meeting on Sustainable Transport of Landlocked Developing Countries

Background

Owing to their long distances from the sea, landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) face disproportionately high transport and trade transaction costs that further intensify their comparative disadvantage relative to other developing countries. These unique challenges of LLDCs are stemming from their geographical location, as well as inadequate physical infrastructure, lack of effective implementation of a conducive legal framework on transit transport, low productive capacities, low diversification and value addition of their economies and exports. Given their geographical location, increasing connectivity is a critical objective for the LLDCs in order to reap the benefits of globalization. Establishment of integrated, sustainable and efficient transport systems is a critical element in this endeavor, as called for by the Vienna Programme of Action for the LLDCs for the decade 2014-2024. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development contains commitments with regard to transport and infrastructure development, in particular in SDG 9 and SDG 11that are of critical importance to the LLDCs.

The Event

The High-Level Meeting on Sustainable Transport of LLDCs is jointly organized by the Government of Bolivia, the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).  The meeting will review the progress made by LLDCs, as well as challenges, in the development and maintenance of efficient, reliable and sustainable transport systems and the linkages between the Vienna Programme of Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the area of transport. It will identify new strategies, cooperation initiatives and policy recommendations on how to develop and further improve transit transport systems for the benefit of the LLDCs, strengthen cooperation, enhance mobilization of financing for infrastructure development and maintenance and promote sustainable transport in the LLDCs. The recommendations of the meeting are expected to contribute the perspectives of the LLDCs into the first global sustainable transport conference to be held from 26-27 November 2016 in Turkmenistan. The meeting will be attended by the Ministers of Transport of LLDCs. Ministers of transport of transit developing countries and selected development partners, as well as representatives of the UN system, other international, regional and sub-regional organizations and financial institutions, private sector, NGOs and other stakeholders will also be invited to participate at senior official level.