THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S OPENING REMARKS TO THE THIRD UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

I thank the Government and people of Turkmenistan for your warm welcome and leadership in hosting this important conference.

We gather today to reaffirm a fundamental truth: 

Geography should never define destiny.

Yet for the 32 Landlocked Developing Countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, geography too often limits development opportunities and entrenches inequality.

Your countries face daunting challenges: steep barriers to trade, high transport costs, and limited access to global markets. 

Many remain highly vulnerable – relying on raw commodity exports, exposed to volatile international prices and constrained by narrow economic bases. 

Meanwhile, debt burdens are rising to dangerous and unsustainable levels. 

And one-third of LLDCs are grappling with vulnerability, insecurity, or conflict.

Despite representing 7 per cent of the world’s population, LLDCs account for just over one per cent of the global economy and trade – a stark example of deep inequalities that perpetuate marginalization. 

These inequalities are not inevitable.

They are the result of an unfair global economic and financial architecture unfit for the realities of today’s interconnected world, compounded by systemic neglect, structural barriers – and in many cases, the legacy of a colonial past.

Recent shocks – from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate disasters, supply chain disruptions, conflicts and geopolitical tensions—have deepened the divide – pushing many LLDCs further away from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

But this conference is not about obstacles. 

It is about solutions.

It is about launching a new decade of ambition – through the Awaza Programme of Action and its deliverables – and fully unlocking the development potential of landlocked developing countries.

The United Nations is proud to stand with you in this effort. 

Allow me to outline four essential priorities for collective action in the decade ahead.

First – we must accelerate structural transformation and economic diversification.

LLDCs possess extraordinary potential – from natural resources to human capital. 

Yet this potential remains largely untapped – constrained by limited funding and market access.

We need bold and sustained investments in value-added industries, local innovation, and inclusive growth that reaches every community – across regions and generations.

Digital transformation must be central to this effort. 

It can help LLDCs overcome physical barriers and connect to global markets.

Digital tools can also deepen connectivity between communities – preserving indigenous knowledge, celebrating cultural heritage, and strengthening linguistic and educational exchanges across borders.

And with the right support, LLDCs can leverage Artificial Intelligence to strengthen early warning systems, expand precision farming, enable smart logistics – and tailor solutions in health, education, and public services.

But today, the digital divide is stark.

Many people in LLDCs remain offline, with women and rural communities especially excluded.

We must urgently close these gaps – by expanding digital infrastructure, boosting digital literacy, and ensuring affordable access for all.

The Global Digital Compact offers a roadmap. 

We need strong partnerships – particularly with the private sector – to scale innovation, transfer technologies, and connect some of the world’s most isolated populations.

I will soon present a report on innovative voluntary financing options to support AI capacity-building in developing countries.

We must also support LLDCs in harnessing e-commerce, mobile banking, and digital services to unlock jobs, boost revenues, and empower youth.

Second – we must strengthen trade, transit, and regional connectivity.

Your countries are bound by deep human connections – shared languages, cultural heritage, and kinship ties – that transcend borders and offer a powerful foundation for regional cooperation.

Yet, fragmented logistics, border delays, inadequate transport infrastructure, high transport costs keep your countries on the margins of the global economy.

We must address both the “hardware” and “software” of connectivity.

That means simplifying cross-border procedures, harmonizing standards, and strengthening legal frameworks for seamless trade and transit.

It means investing in physical infrastructure – from resilient transport corridors to cross-border energy interconnections, expanded air connectivity and smart logistics platforms.

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.

We must reform the global trade system to better reflect your realities, challenges and ambitions.

We must deepen connections with transit countries through joint planning, mutual benefit, and shared infrastructure – including traditional trade routes and cross-border community ties. 

Multilateral development banks must prioritize LLDCs with concessional funding in their regional transport and trade lending portfolios, rapidly scaling support for green, cross-border investments.

When LLDCs are connected, entire regions can prosper. 

Third – we must strengthen climate action.

LLDCs contribute less than 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions – but suffer disproportionately and unjustly from climate impacts.

From desertification in the Sahel to glacial retreat in mountainous regions, from extreme weather in Central Asia to changing rainfall patterns in South America, climate change is hitting landlocked countries hard.

The combination of landlockedness and climate vulnerability creates compound risks that threaten development – and in some cases, survival. 

When climate disasters destroy critical infrastructure, entire economies can be severed from global markets overnight.

We must double adaptation finance as promised, invest in early warning systems, and build resilient infrastructure that can withstand climate shocks.

At the same time, the science is unequivocal: to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we must keep the 1.5-degree goal within reach. 

COP30 later this year must be a decisive moment.

G20 countries bear a particular responsibility due to the scale of their emissions. 
 

They must lead by example – submitting Nationally Determined Contributions that reflect their highest possible ambition.

And LLDCs must have the means to act, from financing and technologies to partnerships that align climate action with national development goals.

With the right support, the green transition can enable your countries to leapfrog to sustainable solutions – from renewable energy to electric mobility – creating new industries and decent jobs, while protecting the planet.

Fourth – we must mobilize financing and partnerships.

None of our ambitions can be met without adequate, accessible, and affordable financing.

Yet today, many LLDCs are trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and underinvestment:

High borrowing costs due to perceived risks, limited access to international capital markets, and debt burdens that divert scarce resources from development to debt service.

Access to affordable and long-term finance remains limited. 

And the global financial system is failing those who need it most.

The Sevilla Commitment calls for a new era of financing – one that is fair, inclusive, and responsive to the realities of LLDCs and developing countries. 

We must implement these commitments with urgency and ambition.

We must scale up concessional finance by tripling the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks. 

Reform the sovereign debt architecture to better support sustainable development. 

Mobilize private capital at scale for public good. 

Strengthen global tax cooperation to address tax evasion and curb illicit financial flows.

And reform the governance of the international financial architecture to promote greater equity, transparency, and accountability, with stronger participation of developing countries.

We must also unlock concessional climate finance – urgently and at scale – to ensure that LLDCs can invest in resilient infrastructure, sustainable development, and inclusive growth.

The Awaza Programme of Action echoes the Sevilla Commitment. 

Together, they offer a concrete roadmap for transforming promises into capital – and capital into impact.

Excellencies, 

The success of LLDCs is essential to the success of the 2030 Agenda. 

We have the knowledge, and we have the tools. 

Together, we can write a new chapter in the history of landlocked developing countries – one of economic integration, resilience, and shared prosperity.

Together, we can transform geography from a barrier to a bridge – connecting not just markets, but the peoples and cultures that give meaning to development.

Let us seize this moment – and build a more prosperous, just, and sustainable future for all.

Thank you.