UN Secretary-General Calls for Global Partnerships to Support Landlocked Developing Countries

The United Nations' Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) has convened in Turkmenistan's Awanza national resort, focusing on "Driving Progress Through Partnerships." The conference aims to promote global partnerships to accelerate inclusive and sustainable development in 32 landlocked developing countries, including Ethiopia, home to over 500 million people. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stressed that geography should not define destiny for these countries.

Key Takeaways:

• The LLDC3 conference aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences among parliamentarians and develop recommendations for legislative bodies in landlocked developing countries, focusing on incorporating the priorities of the Program of Action into legislative agendas.
• UN Secretary-General Guterres has outlined four essential priorities for collective action in the decade ahead, including accelerating structural transformation and economic diversification, strengthening trade, transit, and regional connectivity, and increasing climate action.
• LLDCs possess extraordinary potential, from natural resources to human capital, but this potential remains largely untapped, constrained by limited funding and market access.
• Digital transformation can help LLDCs overcome physical barriers and connect to global markets, and the Global Digital Compact offers a roadmap for expanding digital literacy and affordable access for all.
• Strong partnerships, particularly with the private sector, are needed to scale innovation, transfer technologies, and connect isolated populations.
• The UN Secretary-General has promised to present a report on innovative voluntary financing options to support AI capacity-building in developing countries.
• LLDCs must be fully integrated into regional and global value chains, transforming their role from suppliers of raw materials to creators of high-value products.
• The global trade system must be reformed to better reflect the realities, challenges, and ambitions of LLDCs.
• Multilateral development banks must prioritize LLDCs with concessional funding in their regional transport and trade lending portfolios and rapidly scale support for green, cross-border investments.

Statistics:

• 32 landlocked developing countries worldwide, including Ethiopia, home to over 500 million people, are participating in the LLDC3 conference.
• LLDCs contribute less than 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions but suffer disproportionately and unjustly from climate impacts.
• The UN Secretary-General has emphasized the need to double adaptation finance as promised, invest in early warning systems, and build resilient infrastructure that can withstand climate shocks.
• Global trade accounts for just over one per cent of the global economy and trade, highlighting stark examples of deep inequalities that perpetuate marginalization in LLDCs.

Sources:

• The Ethiopian Herald (2025). UN Secretary-General Calls for Global Partnerships to Support Landlocked Developing Countries.
• AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). UN Secretary-General Calls for Global Partnerships to Support Landlocked Developing Countries.