Context: Recently, the General Assembly adopted a 10-year action programme to address the unique challenges faced by landlocked developing countries, a historic cybercrime convention and the $3.72 billion United Nations budget for 2025.

• It builds on Vienna Programme of Action (2014-2024) & Almaty Programme of Action (2003), which laid groundwork for addressing challenges faced by Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs). 

• Adopting a draft resolution titled Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2024–2034, the 193-member Assembly called upon all relevant stakeholders to commit to implementing the instrument, which outlines a series of commitments for action across five priority areas.

1. They included structural transformation and science, technology and innovation; 

2. trade, trade facilitation and regional integration; 

3. transit, transport and connectivity; 

4. enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change and disasters; and 

5. means of implementation.

Key Targets 

• Boost labour productivity & job opportunities across all sectors by 50% by 2034. 

• Provide support to develop special economic zones, industrial parks, etc.

• Reduce/eliminate arbitrary & unjustified non-tariff barriers & double their global merchandise exports by 2034.

• Effective implementation of WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation in all LLDCs.

• Reduce disaster risk in LLDCs through full implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015– 2030.

About LLDCs

• Landlocked countries are countries that do not have direct access to the sea. There are 32 LLDCs with a population of about 570 million.

• Liechtenstein & Uzbekistan are doubly landlocked countries (surrounded by other landlocked countries).

Challenges faced by LLDCs

• Hurdles in Trade: Relying on transit nations, leads to higher trade costs, delays & reduced competitiveness in global markets.

• Slower Economic Growth: Due to limited trade & export opportunities, reduced FDI etc. 

• Global merchandise exports from LLDCs accounts for just 1.1% of total global exports (2022).