UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries:
The third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) opened in Awaza, Turkmenistan.
- The LLDC3 conference, held once every ten years, brings global attention to the 32 landlocked developing countries, which collectively house over 600 million people.
- The primary objective of LLDC3 is to facilitate coordinated international efforts to bridge these development gaps.
- The conference will explore actionable solutions through partnerships, smarter investment frameworks, and the development of efficient, flexible transport corridors that enhance the movement of goods and services across regions.
- Due to lack of direct access to seaports, landlocked countries face disproportionate barriers to trade, economic diversification, and infrastructure development.
- This year’s conference, themed “Driving Progress through Partnerships,” serves as a crucial platform to address structural challenges, mobilize investment, and implement the newly adopted Awaza Programme of Action (2024–2034).
- A central focus of LLDC3 is the implementation of the Awaza Programme of Action (APoA) for the Decade 2024–2034.
- The APoA was adopted by consensus at the UN General Assembly on 24 December 2024 and offers a comprehensive framework to tackle persistent development challenges faced by LLDCs.
