Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - Midterm Review of the Vienna Programme of Action

2019 Annual Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Landlocked Developing Countries

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 20:22:00 +0000

Wednesday, 25 September 2019 - 3:00pm to 6:00pm

BACKGROUND

The Ministerial Meeting preceeded the comprehensive high-level Midterm Review of the Vienna Programme of Action held on 5 and 6 December 2019, thus it provided an opportunity for LLDCs, transit countries and their development partners to exchange views on how the implementation of the VPoA can be accelerated. Although there has been some positive progress since 2014, many LLDCs still lag in various indicators. The meeting reviewed the progress made so far and how lessons from the first five years of implementation of the VPoA can be applied to the remaining five years.

The meeting was also held during the 74th session of the UN General Assembly and alongside the high-level General Debate including the Climate Summit, UN High-level Political Forum, and Financing for Development. The meeting therefore provided collective views on issues discussed during the high-level General Debate.

MEETING DOCUMENTS

Background Materials

Opening

H.E. Mr. Antonio Rivas Palacios

General Debate

Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu

Statements by Ministers and Representatives of LLDCs, development partners, international and regional organizations:

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Landlocked Developing Countries

Midterm Review of the Vienna Programme of Action

Vienna Programme of Action

Annual Ministerial Meeting

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Events

LLDCs

Remarks at the Ambassadorial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:42:00 +0000

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

22 January 2020
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I wish to thank you for inviting me and for sharing your vision and priorities for the next 2 years of your tenure as Chair of the LLDCs Group.

I would like to commend you for coming up with such a comprehensive set of priorities. These priorities will serve as an important guideline for the group as well as my Office in carrying out our activities in 2020 & 2021.

As already highlighted by earlier presenters, the comprehensive High-level Midterm review of the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs identified achievements and areas where more action is needed.

We now need to actively follow-up and implement the outcome of the Midterm Review and the Vienna Programme of Action. I note that the priorities presented by Ambassador Umarov already captures the key issues highlighted in the Political Declaration and the Vienna Programme of Action and will definitely assist in advancing the implementation.

I would like to highlight some of the OHRLLS activities that we will undertake to support the implementation of the priorities of the Chair.

OHRLLS will undertake analytical work related to the priorities of the Vienna Programme of Action to provide evidence-based support to the LLDC group and to be used in the preparation of the report of the Secretary General on the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action. In this regards we are currently preparing a substantive report on “Improving Transport Connectivity for LLDCs and Building of Resilient Transport Infrastructure to Support Accelerated Progress Towards the SDGs.”

We will organize important thematic meetings on relevant key issues of interest to the group such as transit and transport, international trade, trade facilitation, Information Communication Technology, regional integration, and climate change. This year we will provide the substantive and organizational support to the preparation of: Ministerial Transport Conference for LLDCs to be hosted by the Government of Turkmenistan on the 26th & 27th March; and the LLDC Ministerial Meeting on trade also to be hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan during the margins of the WTO Ministerial Meeting in June.

We will use opportunities presented by major meetings to articulate the developmental needs of LLDCs including through organizing side-events during major regional and global meetings. In this regard we plan to organize side events at the Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference to be held in China 5th – 7th May; and at the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference to be hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan in Nur Sultan from the 8th to 11th June.

We will provide substantive support to the group in the ongoing follow-up processes to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, such as the HLPF, the Financing for Development Forum, BBNJ, and QCPR. It is crucial that LLDCs’ concerns and needs are expressed in these fora, as they are essential to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the SDGs.

OHRLLS will organize capacity building activities, facilitate exchange of experiences and peer learning among LLDCs and transit developing countries. This year we are organizing a training session of policy-makers from Ministries of Transport of LLDCs and transit countries on how to promote transport connectivity and development of resilient transport infrastructure and preparation of bankable infrastructure projects. The training is being organized in collaboration with relevant partners and the Ministry of Transport of China.

We will undertake and support the Chair on advocacy activities for enhanced international support towards the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action, the outcome of its High-level Midterm review and the 2030 Agenda.

We will support the Group to highlight their priorities, as a part of the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the 51�Թ� this year.

OHRLLS will continue to organize interagency meeting to mobilize UN support to implement the VPoA and the outcome of the Midterm Review. OHRLLS will also support the Chair in organizing all the thematic consultations with the UN and other international organizations.

Excellencies, this will indeed be a very busy year.

I wish to once again assure you of the readiness of OHRLLS to extend all necessary support to implement your strategic priorities and thank you for the support that your group has provided and continue to provide to my Office in its efforts to better serve you.

I thank you for your attention.

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Remarks at the Meeting of LLDCs Ambassadors

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 16:42:00 +0000

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

7 January 2020
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Happy New Year to you all.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to be with you on this important occasion of the handover ceremony of Chairmanship of the LLDC Group.

At the outset, allow me to thank Paraguay and His Excellency Mr. Julio Cesar Arriola for leading the Group in the past 2 years and for his tireless efforts to advocate for the special needs of the LLDCs in the global processes. I also wish to recognize and appreciate the excellent cooperation that you maintained between your delegation, the LLDC Group and OHRLLS.

At the same time, I wish to again congratulate the incoming Chair, His Excellency Mr Kairat Umarov of Kazakhstan, and look forward to the continuing collaboration with his Bureau to support the LLDC group over the next 2 years.

2019 was indeed a landmark year for the LLDC Group. It was dominated by the preparations for the High-level Midterm Review of the Vienna Programme of Action. We worked together with Member States, the rest of the UN system, and our partner institutions, to organize the regional review meetings that were held for the Euro and Asia; Africa and Latin America regions and a series of pre-conference events and undertake comprehensive analyses of the progress, constraints, and challenges on the implementation of the VPoA. Many LLDCs also prepared their national reports.

All these activities culminated in the comprehensive High-level Midterm review of the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs that was held— as a plenary meeting of the General Assembly—from 5 and 6 December 2019. The Meeting reviewed the progress made and adopted a Political Declaration that has a call for action for accelerating the implementation of the Programme in the remaining five years. I thank you all for your active engagement in both the preparatory process and the Mid Term review itself. I wish to also join the Chair in once again commending our two co-facilitators, Ambassador of Bhutan and Austria for guiding the work to a successful conclusion.

There were also important key meetings that the LLDCs actively participated in and contributed to in 2019 as highlighted by Ambassador Arriola. Some of the 2019 key outcomes that are of importance to the development of LLDCs include the intergovernmentally agreed conclusions and recommendations of the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up; the Political declaration of the high-level political forum on sustainable development convened under the auspices of the General Assembly; the Ministerial Declaration of the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of LLDCs; and the Second Committee Resolution on LLDCs adopted last December.

There were also some sessions in 2019 of the Intergovernmental Conference on an international legally binding instrument under the 51�Թ� Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction – BBNJ. I would like to point out that the BBNJ negotiations are continuing and it is important for LLDCs to continue their engagement in this process. On climate change, both the Climate Action Summit that was held here in New York in September and COP25 held in Madrid, Spain called for urgent and ambitious global climate action.

Turning back to the High-level Midterm review of the implementation of the Vienna Programme and its Political Declaration, I would like to reiterate the six key messages.

First, achievements were made on the VPoA priorities in the last five years and it is important to scale them up and or replicate them.

Second, the constraints and implementation gaps need to be urgently addressed – such as tackling extreme poverty, improving trade and transit transport, building of climate and disaster-resilient transport infrastructure, diversifying and adding value to production and export structures, creating enabling environments for private sector development reliable, building capacity for reliable data as well as addressing climate change and desertification.

Third – While the visibility of the LLDCs Group has increased, the level of support is not yet adequate. Substantial financing and capacity development are required to support the priorities of the LLDCs and greater mobilization of resources is needed.

Fourth - Enhanced genuine, effective and durable multi-stakeholder partnerships are needed to accelerate implementation of the VPoA.

Fifth - Greater coherence in the implementation of the Vienna Programme and the 2030 Agenda and other global development frameworks including the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Paris Agreement on climate change is crucial.

Sixth - the implementation, monitoring and follow up, at all levels, of the provisions of the Vienna Programme of Action and the Political Declaration of the mid-term review are essential.

I also wish to note that the General Assembly adopted a resolution last December that asks the Secretary General to reinforce UN resources for the LLDC subprogramme and I look forward to working with you on this during the year in order to make this happen.

Turning to 2020, we need to actively implement the outcome of the Midterm Review and the Vienna Programme of Action. I look forward to working with the incoming Chair, Ambassador Kairat Umarov of Kazakhstan in advancing the implementation.

A number of meetings and global processes will take place this year that are of great importance to the LLDCs. These important gatherings include the Ministerial Transport Conference for LLDCs to be hosted by the Government of Turkmenistan on the 26th & 27th March, in preparation for the Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference to be held in China 5th – 7 th May; 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference to be hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan in Nur Sultan from the 8th to 11th June; the LLDC Ministerial Meeting on trade also to be hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan during the margins of the WTO Ministerial Meeting; the 15th UNCTAD Quadrennial Conference to be held in Barbados on the 18th -23rd October, and the World Investment Forum in United Arab Emirates. It is very important that the group of LLDCs fully engage & actively participate and contribute to these meetings and processes.

There are of course also the continuing ongoing follow-up processes to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, such as the HLPF, the Financing for Development Forum. We need to make sure that LLDCs’ concerns and needs are expressed in these fora, as they are essential to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the SDGs. There is also the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the 51�Թ� this year and I hope the Group will capitalize the occasion to highlight their priorities.

My Office is also organizing a training session of policy-makers from Ministries of Transport of LLDCs on how to promote transport connectivity and development of resilient transport infrastructure and preparation of bankable infrastructure projects. The training will be organized in collaboration with relevant partners and the Ministry of Transport of China. OHRLLS will also organize interagency meeting to mobilize UN support to implement the VPoA and the outcome of the Midterm Review.

Let me conclude my remarks by stressing my hope that this year we could make the greatest stride in accelerating the implementation of the VPoA in order to set a high standard for the remaining years. I wish to assure you of my Office’s commitment to support your special development needs.

Once again I wish to thank Ambassador Arriola the outgoing Chair for your tremendous support and welcome the incoming Chair Ambassador Umarov.

I thank you for your attention.

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International Community Reaffirms Commitments to World’s Landlocked Developing Countries

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 20:42:00 +0000

lldcs_mtr_un-photo.jpg

SG António Guterres

Evan Schneider /UN Photo

NEW YORK, 5 December 2019 – The 51�Թ� General Assembly today adopted a political declaration reaffirming commitments by the international community to address the special development needs of the world’s thirty-two Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs).

At a two-day meeting which started today at 51�Թ� headquarters in New York, leaders and government representatives from LLDCs and their development partners gathered for the Midterm Review of the Vienna Programme of Action which was adopted at the second 51�Թ� Conference on LLDCs held in 2014.

The Midterm Review meeting is being chaired by the President of the General Assembly, H.E. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande and will review progress, identify gaps and propose innovative solutions to accelerate implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action over the next five years. Speaking at the opening of the Midterm Review, H.E. Muhammad-Bande said “Landlocked developing countries are at risk of being left behind. Their economic growth has declined in the last five years and one- third of their population lives in extreme poverty… As we move forward, we need to ensure that all efforts are made to support the sustainable development of landlocked developing countries… Our actions must be guided by the spirit of cooperation and solidarity.”

Over the next two days, discussions will also focus on scaling-up partnerships, strengthening regional integration and building resilient economies and societies in order to turn the LLDCs into vibrant, prosperous and sustainable land-linked countries.

The 2019 report of the Secretary-General on LLDCs notes that countries have exhibited mixed progress in their socio-economic development and that the annual growth rate of real GDP per capita in LLDCs decreased from 3.1 per cent in 2014 to 2.1 per cent in 2017. Despite this, important gains have been made in reducing the numbers of populations living in poverty, improvements in child and maternal health and increases in the number of seats held by women in Parliament. Encouragingly, there have been recent developments by LLDCs and their transit neighbours in deepening regional integration through agreements on transport and economic corridors. Efforts are also being made on diversification and upgrading of their economies, export promotion and private sector development.

Speaking to the media, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, said “It is clear that while this group of countries is making progress, we need to continue building on that momentum. Over the next five short years, we hope to look back on the Vienna Programme of Action and say that the programme of action achieved concrete results, that it galvanized partnerships and that it brought the world together to work with Landlocked Developing Countries to overcome their unique challenges.”

The political declaration welcomed progress made by LLDCs since the adoption of the Vienna Programme of Action. Together with their transit partners, LLDCs have made important gains in upgrading railways, roads, ports, air transport and inland waterways. Major advances have also been seen in the expansion of modern and renewable energy services. However, of concern, more than 40 per cent of the population of LLDCs still do not have access to electricity and the rural-urban gap remains significant.

Despite notable gains, the political declaration stresses that LLDCs continue to face multiple challenges.

The competitiveness of LLDCs remains limited due to high trade costs which are double that of transit developing countries. Transport and connectivity challenges are also prevalent with only one third of roads in LLDCs being paved. Of particular concern is the decline in the share of LLDCs in global trade. Furthermore, most exports from LLDCs remain highly concentrated in a few primary commodities with limited capacity to produce high-value products. While Official Development Assistance to LLDCs is on the rise, foreign direct investment has continued to decline.

The climate crisis is also having major impacts on LLDCs with many heavily affected by desertification, biodiversity loss, drought and receding glaciers.

The political declaration concludes with a call for action on targeted and accelerated measures by LLDCs and development partners to fully achieve the Vienna Programme of Action in the remaining five years. Actions include: achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, promoting measures to improve trade and transit transport, building climate and disaster-resilient transport infrastructure, diversifying export structures and value-added exports, building enabling environments for private sector development as well as strengthening foreign direct investment and domestic capital markets.

Speaking at the opening of the Midterm Review, 51�Թ� Secretary-General António Guterres said “The Declaration you will adopt today calls on us to help turn landlocked developing countries into land-linked places of prosperity and opportunity.” He added “Let us join forces to help the world’s 32 landlocked developing countries achieve sustainable transformations and better standard of living for the more than 500 million people who call these countries home. The 51�Թ� system, reformed and repositioned, remains strongly committed to supporting your efforts.”

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Best Practices in Corridor Development and Management for the Benefit of LLDCs and Transit Countries

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 19:56:00 +0000

Tuesday, 29 October 2019 - 8:00am to Wednesday, 30 October 2019 - 5:00pm

INTRODUCTION

UN-OHRLLS and the Government of Mongolia is organizing this meeting to facilitate sharing of experiences on effective transit transport corridor development, functioning and management for the benefit of LLDCs and transit countries.

The meeting will review the state of institutional arrangements of existing transit transport corridors and facilitate dialogue and experience sharing on corridor management amongst LLDCs and transit countries from different regions. The aim of the meeting is to identify recommendations to facilitate the development, functioning and effective management of corridors.

The two-day meeting is part of the preparatory process taking place in the lead up to the Comprehensive Midterm Review for the Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs scheduled to be held on 5-6 December 2019.

The meeting will bring together senior officials from LLDCs and transit developing countries; representatives of corridor management organizations; UN and international, regional, and sub-regional organizations; private sector representatives; experts or practitioners on the ground who can share experiences and best practices.

MEETING DOCUMENTS

Background Materials

Presentations

Day 1 - Wednesday, 29 October 2019

Welcome and Introduction

Message from the President of Mongolia
H.E. Ms. Batmunkh Battsetseg
Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu
Mr. Tapan Mishra

Session 1: Corridors as key for LLDCs' trade and access to global markets

Session 2: (Sub-)Regional perspectives from Euro-Asia

Session 3: (Sub-)Regional perspectives from Africa and Latin America

Day 2 - Thursday, 30 October 2019

Session 4: Strengthening legal frameworks for corridor operations

Session 5: Identifying best practices in development, management and functioning of corridors

Session 6: Enhancing financing for corridor development and development of bankable infrastructure:

Way Forward and Closing

Presentation of the outcome:

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Landlocked Developing Countries

Vienna Programme of Action

Midterm Review of the Vienna Programme of Action

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LLDCs Featured Slider

Opening Statement at the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of LLDCs

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 17:32:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

25 September 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to attend this meeting on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres who would have wanted to be here but, due to conflicting engagements, could not attend this meeting. I bring best wishes from him.

Let me first express my sincere appreciation to His Excellency Antonio Rivas Palacios for Paraguay’s excellent leadership to the LLDCs Group. I also wish to express my gratitude for the leadership that Ambassador Julio César Arriola Ramírez continues to exercise here in New York.

This year marks the midpoint of the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and the theme for this meeting is indeed appropriate, as we gear up for the Comprehensive High-level Midterm review scheduled for 5 and 6 December 2019 here in New York. This week is also very important in view of the other ongoing processes that are fundamental to the midterm review of the Vienna Programme of Action. As you may be aware, the General Assembly is meeting to follow up and comprehensively review progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, the High-level dialogue on Financing for Development, the Climate Action Summit and High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage are also convened this week. The outcomes of these meetings are very important as we will beginning the second half of the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action. The General Assembly is also conducting the mid-term review of the programme of action for the small island developing states. Your participation to thisreview will be an expression of solidarity with a group of countries, which just like LLDCs, is facing binding structural challenges in the pursuit of their sustainable development agenda.

Excellency,

Allow me to apprise you on the state of socioeconomic development in LLDCs as well as the progress achieved so far on the implementation of the Vienna Programme since its adoption in 2014.

LLDCs have exhibited some progress toward achievement of the SDG targets but the progress remains slow and not enough to achieve the SDGs by 2030. LLDCs, in too many instances, continue to lag behind the averages of developing countries as well as global averages.

Growth in real gross domestic product (GDP) for LLDCs declined, from 5.6 per cent in 2014 to 2.9 per cent in 2016, its lowest level since 1998. However, it rose to 4.5 per cent in 2017.

The ranking of LLDCs on the human development index improved by only 1.5 per cent from 2014 to 2018. Progress has been recorded against some health- and education-related indicators, as well as with gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Access to improved drinking water sources and sanitation facilities, however, remain low.

Food security remains a challenge, as the dire impact of climate change continue to affect LLDCs, most of which are located in dryland, and are already impacted by desertification, land degradation and drought. Further, the devastation caused by cyclone Idai in Malawi and Zimbabwe is a vivid reminder of growing negative impact of climate change on the livelihoods across LLDCs.

Some progress was made in completing missing links and generally improving the quality of infrastructure for increased connectivity of LLDCs however challenges remain. Access to electricity in the LLDCs has increased but remains below the world average. ICT connectivity in LLDCs improved; however, the costs of ICT services remain high.

LLDCs continue to be marginalized from global trade, as their share of global merchandise exports declined from 1.19% in 2014 to 0.98% in 2018.

Interest in regional integration and cooperation grew among LLDCs and this is demonstrated by increase in the average number of regional trade agreements that the LLDCs were parties to, with the number of agreements per country ranging from one to nine.

The ratification of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement has been impressive, as 25 out of the 26 LLDCs that are WTO members have ratified the Agreement. The implementation of the Agreement however is still lagging due to both financial and technical capacity challenges.

On structural transformation and economic diversification, limited progress has been achieved. The average value-added contribution of the manufacturing sector to GDP in LLDCs has remained low and only increased slightly, from 9 per cent in 2014 to 9.6 per cent in 2017. 26 out of the 32 LLDCs are still commodities-dependent, meaning that commodities account for more than 60 per cent of their exports and therefore these countries remain vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations.

Regarding means of implementation, ODA flows to LLDCs increased from $24 billion in 2014 to $28 billion in 2017 but continue to be concentrated in a few LLDCs. Foreign direct investment flows declined from $28.7 billion in 2014 to $22.7 billion in 2017.

Excellencies,

It is evident that achieving the objectives of the Vienna Programme of Action in the remaining five years of its implementation calls for redoubling of efforts and accelerated implementation. This calls for innovative ideas and collective efforts of all the relevant stakeholders, including the LLDCs, transit countries, development partners, UN System organizations and the private sector. We must work harder to improve the lives of 508 million people in LLDCs if we want to live up to leaving no one behind. The midterm review offers us the opportunity to individually and collectively find ways of forging ahead and ensure that LLDCs are not left behind.

Allow me to now update you on the preparations for the Comprehensive high-level midterm review.

The General Assembly resolution 72/232 mandated OHRLLS to coordinate the preparatory process. Consistent with this mandate, OHRLLS, in collaboration with relevant regional commissions, organized three regional review meetings, for Euro-Asia, Africa and Latin America regions. In addition, 22 thematic pre-conference events relating to the priorities of the Vienna Programme of Action were organized and two are still to be held in the month of October. The negotiations on the draft outcome document, which were co-facilitated by Ambassadors of Austria and Bhutan, were concluded in July 2019. I would like to congratulate Ambassadors of Austria and Bhutan for the smooth and timely conclusion of the negotiations that led to a consensual document that passed silence procedure.

OHRLLS continues to work closely with the President of the General Assembly, the Chair and the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management in organizing the Midterm Review and ensuring that the meeting is a success. I wish to emphasize that it will be important that the LLDCs participate in the midterm review at the highest possible level.

Excellency,

Before I conclude, I would like to bring to your attention some of the global meetings to be convened in 2020, in which the participation of the LLDCs will be fundamental. The 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference will be held in Kazakhstan in June 2020 and this will be the first WTO Ministerial meeting to be organized in an LLDCs. The Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference will be held in China. The 15th UNCTAD Quadrennial Conference will take place in Barbados while the World Investment Forum will be hosted by United Arab Emirates.

I would also like to bring to your attention the ongoing negotiations on the International legally binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction as well as the ongoing discussion under the International Seabed Authority on exploitation of marine mineral resources. The participation of LLDCs in these discussions has been very low and I would like to encourage you to fully engage in these processes to ensure that the interest of the LLDCs is preserved.

In concluding my remarks, let me reiterate Secretary-General is fully committed to advocating the priorities and needs of our most vulnerable member states. Similarly, the UN System stands ready to work with LLDCs in advancing their development agenda. I look forward to continuing to work closely with you in pursuit of the sustainable prosperity of the LLDCs.

Thank you.

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Statement at LLDCs Ambassadorial Meeting

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 20:27:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 September 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

I wish to thank Chair, His Excellency Ambassador Julio Cesar Arriola, for inviting me to participate in this meeting and would also like to thank him for his tireless efforts and excellent leadership of the LLDC Group.

I understand that you have just elected a new Bureau for the period 2020 to 2021. I wish to congratulate the newly elected Bureau as well as new Chair on their election. I am confident that your leadership together with the elected Bureau will give a great impetus to the work of the Group in addressing the special challenges of landlocked developing countries. OHRLLS remains ready to work closely with you and accord you the necessary support during your tenure.

Excellencies,

The main issue in this year’s LLDC agenda is the midterm review of the Vienna Programme of Action and I wish to thank you for your full engagement and for your support during the preparatory process. In its resolution 73/243, the General Assembly mandated OHRLLS to coordinate the preparatory process of the Midterm Review. Allow me to give you an update on what has been achieved so far. Consistent with the mandate of the General assembly, OHRLLS organized three regional review meetings for Euro-Asia, Africa and Latin America regions. All the three regional meetings adopted forward looking outcomes, and these provided inputs to the draft outline of the outcome document that OHRLLS prepared and submitted to the co-facilitators. OHRLLS also prepared the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action which was also important background material for the negotiations.

As part of the preparatory process, OHRLLS, in collaboration with partners, has so far organized 22 thematic pre-conference events. We are still working on a few more pre-conference thematic events to be held in the month of October and these include a meeting on Best Practices in Corridor Development and Management for the Benefit of LLDCs and Transit Countries; Expert Group Meeting on Trade Facilitation; and a joint event with the World Bank Group to discuss priorities of the LLDCs. I encourage active participation of LLDCs in these meetings.

The meeting on Best Practices in Corridor Development and Management for the Benefit of LLDCs and Transit Countries will be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 29 to 30 October 2019 and the meeting is being organized in collaboration with Government of Mongolia. Invitations to this meeting have been sent to LLDCs’ Ministries of Transport through the Missions. I encourage your countries to participate in this meeting and urge you to follow-up with your capitals and confirm participation. OHRLLS will provide funding for one capital-based official to participate in the meeting. I wish to thank the Government of the Russian Federation for their contribution towards organization of the meeting and the Government of Mongolia for hosting the meeting.

Regarding the outcome document of the Comprehensive high-level midterm review, I would like to thank the Chair and the LLDCs Group for your active participation in the informal consultations leading to a consensual document that passed silence procedure. The outcome document has a call for action, which, if fully implemented together with the VPoA, will greatly contribute to the desired socioeconomic transformation of LLDCs in the remaining five years and contribute to the acceleration of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Once again, I wish to thank the co-Facilitators Ambassadors of Austria and Bhutan for overseeing the negotiations of the outcome document of the Midterm Review.

Excellencies,

As you are all aware, the PGA circulated that the dates of the Comprehensive high-level midterm review are 5 and 6 December 2019 here in New York. We are now working closely with the PGA, the Chair and the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management in organizing the Midterm Review. We received contribution that will support the participation of delegates from the capitals and we will be working with the missions of LLDCs and some of the transit countries to facilitate the participation of the capital-based delegates.

I wish to emphasize that it will be important that the LLDCs participate in the midterm review at the highest possible level as stated in resolution 73/243 and the draft High-level Political declaration of the Midterm Review also indicates participation at Head of State level.

Excellencies,

Now getting to the events of the high-level week which will be starting in a few days, this year, in addition to the general debate, there will be a series of summits and high-level meetings. The UN Secretary General will convene the Climate Summit and the General Assembly will convene one-day high-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage, High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, High-level dialogue on financing for development and the high-level meeting on the midterm review of the SAMOA Pathway. I encourage you to actively participate in these meetings. Your participation in the SIDS midterm review will be an important sign of solidarity to another vulnerable group.

The LLDCs meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs will also be held on 25 September 2019 and encourage all LLDCs to participate in this meeting.

In concluding my remarks, I would also like to bring to your attention some of the very important meetings to be held in 2020 which I encourage LLDCs to actively participate in and these include: the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference to be hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan; the Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference to be held in China; the 15th UNCTAD Quadrennial Conference to be held in Barbados, and the World Investment Forum in United Arab Emirates.

I wish to assure you of OHRLLS outmost support in these processes.

I thank you for your attention.

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Statement at the Side Event of Aid for Trade Global Review

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 16:45:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

4 July 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

We all know how since the earliest days of humankind, trade is a powerful engine for growth. Trade is a key element for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development embodies ambitious targets related to international trade. This includes increasing the exports of developing countries and doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports! The Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs, which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda, already agreed on ambitious trade targets. The VPoA - as we say - foresees a significant increase of the participation of LLDCS in global trade and very importantly strengthened value added and manufacturing components of exports of LLDCs.

We are midway in the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action, we are four years into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are not moving fast enough at all! The targets set continue to be ever more in further and further reach. If we continue on this path, we will not keep promises made. Instead, we will have to witness the perpetuation and deepening of the long-standing marginalization of LLDCs from international trade.

The LLDCs’ share of merchandise exports declined from about 1.2 percent in 2013 to an estimated 0.98 percent in 2018. LLDCs’ exports continue to be concentrated on a few commodities, mostly natural resources, exported at low value addition and low technology content and with limited employment generation opportunities. Geographic features such as the long and thus very costly distances to and from the nearest seaports coupled with a lack of critical transport infrastructure both in LLDCs and transit countries just do not help! We continue to see productive capacity constraints, and additional border crossings entailing complex procedures all resulting in high if not excessive trade costs in turn marginalizing the LLDCs.

Now, it is fairly elementary to say that high costs reduce competitiveness, diminish export profits, inflate prices of imported inputs for manufacturing, push up the costs of imported capital goods, and discourage investment. But all this continues to undermine the efforts of LLDCs to accelerate sustainable development and benefit from global flows of knowledge, technology, capital and innovation. LLDCs truly are our litmus test whether or not our promise to " leave no one behind " will be just that - a promise - or will be reality! 3 It is thus with urgency that we must address the high trade costs faced by LLDCs. This is a key driver on the road to achieving economic diversification and inclusive and sustainable development by and for LLDCs. Accelerating the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement as well as other trade facilitation initiatives by LLDCs and transit countries is vital. Most LLDCs have ratified the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. LLDCS have shown how critical an importance they attach to this agreement.

The LLDCs have also become more active participants in regional integration and cooperation efforts. This is a good first step but results from these efforts are still to be realized. All this and more make it urgent that we explore how the persistent high trade costs faced by LLDCs can be adequately addressed and overcome! Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen As part of strategic actions we must engage in now and with a sense of urgency, let me brief you on the mid-term review of the Vienna Programme of Action as mandated by the UN General Assembly. T

his review will be held on 5 and 6 December 2019 in New York. The review is aimed at identifying practical and forward-looking ways and means to accelerate the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and the SDGs. The implementation of the Vienna Programme is all about bringing tangible impact to the wellbeing of 503 million people in LLDCs. They represent almost 7% of the world’s population. Our session is one of the VPoA midterm review process preconference events. The recommendations from this session are important. Here is your, our chance to contribute to facilitating the achievement of objectives of the VPoA in the remaining five years of its implementation. I look forward to listening to you and a rich exchange of ideas and action proposals. Thank you.

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Statement at the Latin America Region Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs for the Decade 2014-2024

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 20:45:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 June 2019
Santiago, Chile

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to address this Closing Session of the Latin America Mid Term Review of the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for Land Locked Developing Countries.

I thank H.E Mr. Julio Arriola Ramirez, Permanent Representative of Paraguay to the 51�Թ� and Chair of this meeting for efficiently steering this meeting to a very successful outcome.

In also thank him for his leadership as the global Chair of the Group of LLDCs in New York.

I wish to thank all participants and panelists for your active participation and contribution to the success of this meeting.

Over the last two days, we have heard excellent discussions between LLDCs, transit countries and development partners, and UN agencies on the progress as well as challenges in the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the region.

There was a convergence of opinion that tangible progress has been made on the priority areas in this region.

It is commendable that the two LLDCs in the region and the five transit countries have all ratified the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. The effective implementation of the TFA and regional and sub-regional agreements will facilitate faster, smoother and more efficient transit.

Amongst others, there was clear call for more to be done to build capacity of the LLDCs to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement and to increase intra-regional trade by strengthening productive linkages and supporting the development of supply chains within the region.

There has also been progress on inland waterways with more ports being built and the recently signed Additional Protocolof the River Transport Agreement’s for the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway.

We need to maintain and enhance these positive trends.

You also identified the key challenges and areas concerted efforts are needed.

It is commendable that economic structuraltransformation has been placed at the center of LLDC’s national development plans, and that they made some progress towards structural economic transformation. The discussions underscored the need for continued efforts to accelerate structural economic transformation.

Export diversification in both products and markets needs greater efforts.

Additional efforts are needed to support and enable the private sector, micro, small and medium sized enterprises, to grow and bring about structural transformation.

LLDCs also need to undertake policy changes required to achieve this shift.

The LLDCs’ ability to attract and retain investment, including FDI, remains a challenge. FDI flows are directed towards the extractive sector with limited potential for employment creation or skills building.

It was noted that the effects of climate change are having a huge impact on the economies of the LLDCs.

Limited financial resources, institutional bottlenecks and limited skilled human resources remain major constraints.

As we move forward toward the High-Level Midterm review of the VPoA, we need to keep strong emphasis on partnerships by all stakeholders including LLDCs, transit countries, development partners, the 51�Թ� and other international and regional organizations.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to thank the co-facilitators- the Permanent Representatives of Austria and Bhutan- I trust that you will take forward the outcome of this meeting into the negotiations of the outcome of the MTR.

I also wish to thank the transit countries and the development partners for your active participation and contribution.

I thank the representatives of the UN-system organizations as well as representatives of other international and regional organizations for your participation and important contributions to the deliberations of this meeting.

A very special thanks goes to UN-ECLAC for co-organizing the meeting, and for all the important work that you do in this region.

Last but not least, I wish to thank and express my gratitude to the interpreters for the good work and for making it possible for us to have fruitful deliberations.

I look forward to continuing collaborating closely with all of you in this preparatory process leading to MTR in December 2019.

I assure you of UN-OHRLLS support to your endeavors.

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Closing Statement at the Latin America Region Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 18:17:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 June 2019
Santiago, Chile

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to address this Closing Session of the Latin America Mid Term Review of the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for Land Locked Developing Countries. I thank H.E Mr. Julio Arriola Ramirez, Permanent Representative of Paraguay to the 51�Թ� and Chair of this meeting for efficiently steering this meeting to a very successful outcome. In also thank him for his leadership as the global Chair of the Group of LLDCs in New York. I wish to thank all participants and panelists for your active participation and contribution to the success of this meeting. Over the last two days, we have heard excellent discussions between LLDCs, transit countries and development partners, and UN agencies on the progress as well as challenges in the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the region.

The Latin America regional report, the chair’s summary and the presentations and discussions in this meeting have clearly outlined both the trends as well as the challenges that the region faces in implementing the Vienna Programme. There was a convergence of opinion that tangible progress has been made on the priority areas in this region. It is commendable that the two LLDCs in the region and the five transit countries have all ratified the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. The effective implementation of the TFA and regional and sub-regional agreements will facilitate faster, smoother and more efficient transit. Amongst others, there was clear call for more to be done to build capacity of the LLDCs to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement and to increase intra-regional trade by strengthening productive linkages and supporting the development of supply chains within the region.

There has been progress on closing missing links, expanding and upgrading the road and railway network, energy generation and ICT infrastructure. Bolivia and Paraguay are participating in Latin America’s most ambitious regional corridor integration project connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America. There has also been progress on inland waterways with more ports being built and the recently signed Additional Protocolof the River Transport Agreement’s for the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway. We need to maintain and enhance these positive trends. You also identified the key challenges and areas concerted efforts are needed. It is commendable that economic structuraltransformation has been placed at the center of LLDC’s national development plans, and that they made some progress towards structural economic transformation.

The discussions underscored the need for continued efforts to accelerate structural economic transformation. Export diversification in both products and markets needs greater efforts. Additional efforts are needed to support and enable the private sector, micro, small and medium sized enterprises, to grow and bring about structural transformation. LLDCs also need to undertake policy changes required to achieve this shift. The LLDCs’ ability to attract and retain investment, including FDI, remains a challenge. FDI flows are directed towards the extractive sector with limited potential for employment creation or skills building. It was noted that the effects of climate change are having a huge impact on the economies of the LLDCs.

Limited financial resources, institutional bottlenecks and limited skilled human resourcesremain major constraints. As we move forward toward the High-Level Midterm review of the VPoA, we need to keep strongemphasis on partnerships by allstakeholdersincluding LLDCs, transit countries, development partners, the 51�Թ� and other international and regional organizations. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to thank the co-facilitators- the Permanent Representatives of Austria and Bhutan- I trust that you will take forward the outcome of this meeting into the negotiations of the outcome of the MTR. I also wish to thank the transit countries and the development partnersfor your active participation and contribution. Ithank the representatives ofthe UN-system organizations as well asrepresentatives of other international and regional organizations for your participation and important contributions to the deliberations of this meeting.

A very special thanks goes to UN-ECLAC for co-organizing the meeting, and for all the important work that you do in this region. Last but not least, I wish to thank and express my gratitude to the interpretersfor the good work and for making it possible for us to have fruitful deliberations. I look forward to continuing collaborating closely with all of you in this preparatory processleading to MTR in December 2019. I assure you of UN-OHRLLS support to your endeavors

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Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - Midterm Review of the Vienna Programme of Action

2019 Annual Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Landlocked Developing Countries

BACKGROUND

MEETING DOCUMENTS

Remarks at the Ambassadorial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

22 January 2020 New York, USA

Remarks at the Meeting of LLDCs Ambassadors

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

7 January 2020 New York, USA

International Community Reaffirms Commitments to World’s Landlocked Developing Countries

lldcs_mtr_un-photo.jpg

Best Practices in Corridor Development and Management for the Benefit of LLDCs and Transit Countries

INTRODUCTION

MEETING DOCUMENTS

Opening Statement at the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of LLDCs

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

25 September 2019 New York, USA

Statement at LLDCs Ambassadorial Meeting

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 September 2019 New York, USA

Statement at the Side Event of Aid for Trade Global Review

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

4 July 2019 New York, USA

Statement at the Latin America Region Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs for the Decade 2014-2024

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 June 2019 Santiago, Chile

Closing Statement at the Latin America Region Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 June 2019 Santiago, Chile

22 January 2020
New York, USA

7 January 2020
New York, USA

25 September 2019
New York, USA

12 September 2019
New York, USA

4 July 2019
New York, USA

12 June 2019
Santiago, Chile

12 June 2019
Santiago, Chile