Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,

Mr Dennis Francis,

to the Joint GA-ECOSOC thematic event on the LLDCs

Thursday 7 December

 

Video link: https://youtu.be/ufv95mYKW4k

 

[As Delivered]

 

 

 

Madame President of ECOSOC – my co-host,

Madame Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Botswana,

Under-Secretary-General of UN OHRLLS,

Representative of the International Telecommunications Union,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, I wish to take this opportunity to emphasize two main messages in relation to the new pathway to address the unique challenges of Landlocked Developing Countries – which could also hamper their ability to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Firstly, a successor Programme of Action rooted in a thorough evaluation of our successes and shortcomings in implementing of the Vienna Programme of Action would reveal the abundant opportunities for these countries.

 

Indeed, the Secretary-General’s regular reports, complemented by individual country reports, and the outcomes of three regional review meetings – all reveal two markedly divergent trajectories over the last decade.

 

While the initial five years of the Vienna Programme of Action saw commendable progress, the second five years experienced expanding vulnerabilities – occasioned by a myriad of overlapping challenges, and most prominently, the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lack of direct access to the sea, combined with high trade and transportation costs and unpredictable transit risks, create disproportionate impacts on the economies of LLDCs.

It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to ensure that – despite their inherent disadvantages – the LLDCs have equal rights to participation in and to benefit from the global economy.

 

 

Yes, the challenges are clear – but so too are the solutions, if we have the political will to do things right:

 

  • Thousands of kilometres of paved roads and railways are urgently needed to bolster LLDCs’ development, and this will require a substantial investment of some US$500 billion in transportation infrastructure, alone.

  • Collaboration with transit countries as partners and accelerating regional integration initiatives to boost intra-regional trade is essential to produce collectively beneficial economic growth and resilience.

 

  • Financing, including effective domestic resource mobilization to complement foreign direct investment, and official development assistance, is likewise crucial.

  • In addition, the proportion of the people with access to the internet in LLDCs is half of the world average (32.3% vs 63.1%). We must take proactive measures to ensure that LLDCs are able to fully –     I repeat, fully – reap the benefits of technological advancements, including affordable and accessible cutting-edge information and communication technology.

 

  • Furthermore, resilience-building and disaster risk reduction is essential to combat the economic, social, and environmental impacts – and to minimize costs – the wear and tear from climate change induced weather elements.

Regrettably, many LLDCs cannot make any meaningful investments because they are trapped in cycles of debt – with 10% of them facing a high risk of debt distress, while total external debt stock stands at a concerning 52% of their GDP.

Excellencies,

My second point is that – to better tailor the solutions – the successor Programme of Action must benefit from an inclusive preparatory process throughout the road to Kigali.

We must, therefore, cast as wide the net as possible to include all voices – including the young people.

Just this morning, the General Assembly formally endorsed the special accreditation of the first cohort of non-governmental organizations, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and private sector representatives that have sought participation in the Third United Nations Conference on LLDCs.

Engaging with the UN system, development partners, and all relevant stakeholders across the board will be crucial for unlocking transformative possibilities.

 

I am also delighted to share with you two significant initiatives I recently launched as part of my priorities during this 78th Session:

 

  • firstly, I revived the Board of Advisors on LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, which I have the privilege to rely upon as we galvanize support and search for viable solutions. I successfully convened the inaugural meeting of the Board just last week to also address our journey to Kigali – and many insightful ideas were generated.

 

  • Secondly, as also announced during COP28, I will be convening the first ever “Sustainability Week” in April 2024 – as a flagship initiative of my Presidency. This week-long event will spotlight crucial priorities which are also important for LLDCs – encompassing sustainability themes in the sectors of infrastructure, transportation, energy, tourism, debt, as well as socio-economic inequality, amongst others.

As we begin crafting the successor Programme of Action, let us recognize the importance of creating pathways to supercharge implementation – with due consideration to sustainability.

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me conclude by saying that the prevailing misconception that a geographic gap implies a development gap – and that being landlocked equates to being mind-locked – is one that we must dispel.

In fact, your countries are land-linked – which is a very strategic asset to fully explore.

I am therefore confident that today’s joint event will generate substantive inputs to LLDC3 – thus paving a just and sustainable road to Kigali.

 

I end with my sincere gratitude to the President of ECOSOC – my co-host for this thematic event – for the excellent partnership, as well as the High Representative USG Ms Rabab Fatima, for the support in organizing this event. I am delighted that our teams have worked so collaboratively to ensure its success.

And I also look forward to working closely with the Chair of LLDCs, Botswana, incoming host, Rwanda, as well as the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee towards a positive outcome in Kigali – and my participation in the Conference stands confirmed.

I thank you.