New York — As the world’s youngest and fastest-growing nations, LLDCs are home to immense untapped potential, yet remain cut off from the currents of international commerce and opportunity. Imagine being surrounded by opportunity, yet separated from it by mountains, borders, and vast distances from the nearest port–this is the daily reality for the world’s landlocked developing countries (LLDCs).
These 32 nations, on average 1,370 kilometers from the closest seacoast, face daunting obstacles: high transport costs, tangled logistics, and economic vulnerabilities. LLDCs account for only 1.3% of global exports, 82% of which are unprocessed primary commodities, and face 1.4 times higher trade costs than coastal partners.
This high dependence on exports of unprocessed goods not only undermines their resilience to crises like demand shifts and trade disruptions but also limits their inclusion in higher-value global supply chains.
Today’s environment of increasing tariffs compounds these vulnerabilities and LLDCs risk becoming further marginalized from global value chains, which can slow economic growth and hinder efforts toward poverty reduction.
LLDCs often depend on a small number of trade partners, with China being the primary market for many. This economic concentration and dependency on a single partner increases vulnerability when there are unpredictable shifts in global trade policies.
LLDCs’ development landscape is shaped by intersecting crises: economic instability, debt distress, climate shocks, and technological disruption. Nearly half of LLDCs are classified as Least Developed Countries and almost 40 percent of their urban populations live in slums.
The LLDCs face compounded vulnerabilities that demand more agile, anticipatory, and systemic responses. With their populations poised to surpass one billion by 2050, the stakes have never been higher–or the moment for transformative action more urgent.
Four game changers for unlocking local action in LLDCs:
1. Harnessing Extractives for Sustainable Development
- – Harnessing extractive industries is vital for many mineral-rich LLDCs. Promoting sustainable practices, especially in artisanal and small-scale mining is critical along with maintaining strong regulatory frameworks, social environmental safeguards and technological innovation. In
- , in partnership with the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU), UNDP is addressing these challenges by strengthening regulatory frameworks, so issues pertaining to Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Enterprises (ASMEs) are mainstreamed into mining and mineral laws and policies.
2. Trade Facilitation and Regional Cooperation
- – Regional integration is essential for LLDCs to overcome geographic constraints and boost economic resilience. Initiatives like
Aid for Trade
African Continental Free Trade Area
- implementation have helped LLDCs align strategies, improve coordination, and strengthen infrastructure, resulting in greater regional trade and inclusive growth.
3. Strengthening National Institutions
- – Effective governance is central to drive structural transformation in the backdrop of democratic backsliding and shrinking civic space. A comprehensive approach that seeks to strengthen local and national institutions with quality analysis of evidence and improved monitoring and evaluation can boost inclusive and accountable governance. Efforts in
- have helped reinforce institutions during times of crises.
4. Supporting Local Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- – At the local level, small businesses and community enterprises need new opportunities through inclusive development models. Support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) means providing technical assistance and innovative tools to improve access to finance, digitalization, and investment. For example, in many countries women-led cooperatives in agriculture have gained skills to boost exports, resulting in significant economic gains.
Over the past decade, UNDP has partnered with all 32 Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) across diverse contexts. Through the framework of the Vienna Programme of Action (2014-2024), UNDP invested over USD 12.5 billion to support national efforts in governance, climate resilience, economic transformation, and financing for development, helping countries find solutions that fit their own needs.
This decade of impact is captured in the latest report Landlocked Developing Countries: Looking Back and Ahead | Accelerating Action in the next 10 Years.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The next decade must be about unlocking the untapped potential
Although the sea may be far away, the horizon offers broad possibilities when we consider perspectives beyond geographic boundaries. Many Landlocked Developing countries (LLDCs) have achieved meaningful developments over the past decade, but overall progress has been uneven and still limited to meet the goals set by the Vienna Programme of Action or the Sustainable Development Goals.
This week, global leaders and stakeholders will gather in Turkmenistan, for the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries. The Awaza Programme of Action already provides a blueprint for governments to agree on reforms for better trade arrangements, address tariff sensitivities by fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, economic diversification and through regional and South-South cooperation, so LLDCs are fully integrated and empowered within the framework of global development.
https://www.un.org/en/landlocked/about-landlocked-developing-countriesFrancine Pickup is Deputy Director, UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support
IPS UN Bureau