Being landlocked is a significant obstacle for development. Landlocked Developing Countries, lacking direct access to the sea. They face isolation from global markets as well as high trade and transport costs. These inherent disadvantages—often compounded by weak infrastructure connectivity for transit and transport, inefficient customs operations, and over-dependence on exports of primary commodities—dampen competitiveness and hinder their effective integration into the global trading system. 

The Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) will be held in Awaza, Turkmenistan 5-8 August. Key partners include Austria and Mongolia, co-chairs of the LLDC3 Preparatory Committee, leading the inter-governmental process of negotiating the new Plan of Action. 

LLDC3 is critically important, timely, and opportune for implementing policy and regulatory reform ideas that will emerge, given the traditional window of opportunity for reforms in the first year of tenure for new governments. But this conference is about more than optimizing policies in individual LLDCs. It also enables them to formulate approaches that benefit them all. 

Key among these is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Trade is a particularly salient issue in Botswana, which has a highly undiversified economy, as well as very high youth unemployment. Re-shaping the narrative from landlocked to land-linked and developing value chains that enable scaling of productive activities by accessing a vastly larger market than any individual LLDC can offer can bring immense benefits. Botswana can rely on its central location in the Southern African Development Community region and become a perfect gateway if it implements policies that are conducive to trade and investment.

Climate change is another key issue profoundly affecting Botswana and most LLDCs and giving rise to two important sources of inequality. Their share of the adverse implications of climate change is markedly higher than their share in causing it. Delays in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change have a highly adverse impact on intergenerational equity. A topic in the joint interest that LLDC3 could usefully take up is early coordinated action to avoid such delays. 

Another vulnerability is high debt burden. While the external debt stock of LLDCs is a relatively manageable 52 percent of GDP on average, 13 LLDCs are highly indebted and 10 are in debt distress, or at high risk of it. 

Agriculture remains pivotal, accounting for 17 percent of their GDP. However, the sector grapples with low productivity, vulnerability, high informality, and limited added value. There are several contributing factors. About 54 percent of LLDCs are classified as dryland and 60 percent of their populations live in drylands. The largest population living in drylands is found in the Sahel region. LLDCs face the common challenge of land degradation, are among the most water-stressed countries, and face recurrent droughts and continuing desertification. These factors undermine agricultural activities affecting food security, productivity, livelihoods, and the economy.

The Gaborone Programme of Action (GPoA) will be adopted at the LLDC3, with the following main priorities to support LLDCs in structural economic transformation, economic diversification, developing productive capacities, innovation and technology transfer;

1. Trade, trade facilitation and regional integration
2. Transit, transport and connectivity (including digital connectivity and energy)
3. Enhancing adaptive capacity and resilience (including disaster risk reduction) and reducing vulnerability
4. Means of implementation

UNDP is a key partner for LLDCs. The global ‘Supplier Development Programme’ focuses on small business productive capacity, improved competitiveness, and connecting them to larger markets to foster structural economic transformation such as in Botswana and Moldova. ‘Aid for Trade ’ in Central Asia promotes green value chains, building resilient economic structures through economic diversification, e-commerce and regional economic cooperation. Technical and institutional support is provided to Lesotho and South Sudan under the Enhanced Integrated Framework to foster trade integration. 

UNDP is supporting the Africa region with energy projects in over 26 countries, such as  the ‘Solar for Health’ initiative, and the Italy-UNDP energy partnership in Rwanda, Comoros, Eswatini, Nigeria, Zambia, and Kenya. 

Botswana remains steadfast in its commitment to the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries and looks forward to a transformative Programme of Action for 2024-2034. By addressing critical challenges such as trade barriers, infrastructure deficits, and climate vulnerabilities, Botswana anticipates collaborative and actionable outcomes that will foster sustainable development, enhance regional integration, and unlock the economic potential of Landlocked Developing Countries, paving the way for a prosperous and inclusive future.