United Nations Government ofUnited Nations Office of

Economic Commission forParaguaythe High Representative for

Latin AmericaLeast Developed Countries,

(UN-ECLAC)Landlocked Developing

Countries and SmallIsland

Developing States

(UN-OHRLLS)

Regional Review Meeting on the Implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action for Latin America

Asuncion, Paraguay,

18-19November 2013

CONCEPT NOTE

1. Development challengesand context

Lack of territorial access to the sea, remoteness and isolation from world markets and high transit costs continue to impose serious constraints on the overall socio-economic development of landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). Their sea borne trade unavoidably depends on transit through other countries. Additional border crossings and long distance from the market substantially increase the total expenses for the transport services. The economic performance of landlocked developing countries reflects the direct and indirect impact of geographical situation on key-economic variables. The LLDCs are generally among the poorest of the developing countries, with the weakest growth rates, and are typically heavily dependent on a very limited number of commodities for their export earnings.

It is against this background that the Almaty Programme of Action (APoA) was adopted at the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and Donor Countries and International Financial and Development Institutions on Transit Transport Cooperation, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 28 and 29 August 2003. The aim of the APoA is to address the special needs of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) within a global framework for transit transport cooperation for landlocked and transit developing countries. The overarching goal of the APoA, endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in its Resolution A/58/Res/201, is to forge partnerships to overcome the special problems of landlocked developing countries. The APoA identifies specific actions in five priority areas to establish efficient transport systems, namely: (i) fundamental transit policy issues; (ii) infrastructure development and maintenance; (iii) international trade and trade facilitation; (iv)international support measures; and (v) implementation and review.The overarching goal of APoA is to forge partnerships to overcome the specific problems of the LLDCs that result from their lack of territorial access to the sea and their remoteness and isolation from world markets.

The United Nations gives high priority to LLDCs. Among others, the establishment of the Office of the High Representative and the adoption of the Almaty Programme of Action for LLDCs (APoA), adopted in 2003, aresome of the key instruments through which the international community has mobilized support for this group of countries.

In accordance to UN General Assembly Resolution 61/212, a midterm review meeting of the APoA was held in 2008 in New York, preceded by regional preparatory meetings. In that regard, the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) and the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) organized the Latin America Review meeting on 30 June 2008 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The objectives of the meeting were to: review the implementation of the APoA in Latin America; examine the overall economic development of Latin America landlocked countries since the adoption of the APoA; and assess progress in the establishment of efficient transit transport systems on the continent. The meeting made several recommendations on how to accelerate the implementation of the programme in the region that fed into deliberations at the global midterm review meeting.

The meeting discussed the challenges faced by the landlocked and transit developing countries in Latin America in establishing efficient transit transport systems. The results of the consultation of regional experts in infrastructure, transport, logistics and trade and transport facilitation were also presented. Presentations were made on regional initiatives for the physical integration of landlocked and transit developing countries were made, including the Initiative on Regional Infrastructure Integration in Latin America. In addition, key challenges faced by LLDCs in Latin America were identified. These included: the lack of investment in new works and in infrastructure maintenance, the difficultiesinvolved in carrying out works at border crossing points, the failure of the public and private sectors tocomply with certain international standards, delays relating to infrastructure in neighbouring countries,problems with habits and customs in compliance with rules, and specific sectoral interests whichobstructed the execution of transport improvement works.

As is well known, the global as well as regional socio-economic climate has dramatically changed since the midterm review of the Almaty Programme of Action was undertaken in 2008. Although significant progress has been made in several areas of APoA, LLDCs continue to face major challenges and development gaps. Harmonization of legal regimes, adoption of an integrated approach to trade and transport facilitation, elimination of physical and non-physical bottlenecks to transport, completing missing links, promoting intermodal transport, developing integrated transport corridors and logistics services and mobilizing domestic and external resources are some of the remaining challenges faced by landlocked developing countries. The multiple (or triple) food, fuel and financial crises have highlighted the vulnerabilities of the countries with special needs including LLDCs to external shocks, as well as impacts of climate related extreme weather events and natural disasters (floods, drought, sand and dust storms, etc).

  1. The Comprehensive Regional Review of the Almaty Programme of Action for the Landlocked Developing Countries

The General Assembly Resolution 66/214 mandated the convening of a comprehensive ten-year review conference of the Almaty Programme of Action in 2014.The conference is to be preceded, by regional and global as well as thematic preparations in a broad participatory manner. The Resolution underlines that intergovernmental mechanisms at the global as well as regional levels, including those of the UN regional commissions, as well as relevant substantive material and statistical data should be effectively utilized for the review process. The ten-year review will provide an opportunity for: (i) assessing progress made in establishing efficient transit transport systems in landlocked developing countries since the adoption of the APoA in August 2003, and particularly after the midterm review of 2008; and (ii) agreeing on actions needed to sustain achievements and address challenges in overcoming the special problems of landlocked developing countries around the world.

Regional Commissions were directed to provide necessary support and actively contribute to the preparatory review process and the comprehensive ten-year review conference itself.

In response to the above GA Resolution, ECLAC and OHRLLS, in cooperation with the Government of Paraguay, are organizing the Latin America Final Review of the Almaty Programme of Action for the LLDCs from 18 to 19 November 2013. The outcome of the regional review in Latin America will constitute important inputs to the Outcome Document for the Ten-Year Comprehensive Review Conference on the Implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action in 2014.

The Post 2015 Global Development Agenda needs to focus on the countries with special needs including the LLDCs. The recent triple crises and the increasing impact of climate change have painfully exposed the specific vulnerabilities of countries with special needs such as the LLDCs. The new global partnership for development needs to prioritize these countries with special needs with a view to support them in their efforts to leave poverty traps. It also needs to focus on building resilience for long-term sustainable development in the broadest sense. The Outcome of the Rio+20 Conference “The Future We Want” of June 2012 has recognized the need to further mainstream sustainable development at all levels integrating the three pillars of development, namely economic, social and environmental aspects and recognized their interlinkages, so as to achieve sustainable development in all its dimensions.

The preparatory process for the Conference has started in February 2012 with the first Inter-Agency Consultative Group meeting that adopted the Roadmap towards the Conference in 2014. At the global level, substantive preparations for the comprehensive ten-year review conference have already commenced.Some high-level and pre-conference meetings have been organized. A high level thematic meeting on International Trade, Trade Facilitation and Aid for Trade was held in September 2012 in Almaty, Kazakhstan to review and assess the progress made in the implementation of priority 3 of the Almaty Programme of Action and identify future actions needed to enhance the participation of LLDCs including the Euro-Asian LLDCs in the international trading system.

In March 2013, UN-OHRLLS organized, in New York, a Brainstorming Meeting on the Priorities of a New Development Agenda for the LLDCs. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the key development challenges and needs of the LLDCs and identify the priorities of a new development agenda for the LLDCs. Given the wide array of challenges that the LLDCs face, the meeting stressed that a comprehensive and holistic programme of action is required for the next decade that will more concretely address their broader development issues. The meeting suggested that the new development agenda for the LLDCs must not be designed simply as a sectoral programme but must concretely address LLDCs’ challenges in a more holistic manner, with measurable targets and indicators. The new development agenda should help them to secure a rapid and sustained positive economic growth that delivers decent jobs and enables them to make significant strides towards poverty reduction and broad based sustainable development.

In June 2013, in WashingtonDC, UN-OHRLLS and the World Bank organized a pre-conference event on Transport Development and Trade Facilitation. The aim of the meeting was to review the progress that has been made in improving the transport infrastructure and trade facilitation in assisting the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) to integrate into the global markets, identify the major achievements, best practices and challenges and suggest priorities on infrastructure development and trade facilitation for a new development agenda for LLDCs. The meeting identified key priorities to enhance transport development and trade facilitation in the next decade.

At regional level, two regional review meetings were organized in cooperation with ESCAP, ECE and ECA. The regional review meeting for Euro-Asia Region was convened from 5 to 7 March 2013 in Vientiane, Lao People`s Democratic Republic. The meeting adopted the “Vientiane Consensus” with far-reaching recommendations on the way forward in view to address challenges faced by landlocked developing countries.

The regional review meeting for Africa was hosted by the Government of Ethiopia and organized jointly by OHRLLS and ECA. It was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 16 to 18 July 2013. The meeting adopted several recommendations in particular with regard to: investment in infrastructure development, enhancing accession and effective implementation of relevant conventions, investment in transit cooperation and trade facilitation, trade negotiations and enhanced trade, WTO accession, structural transformation, diversification, value addition and industrialization, regional integration and cooperation, free movement of persons and goods, enhancing the role of the private sector.

The two regional meetings provided important inputs relating to the regional perspectives on the implementation of the APoA and the special needs of LLDCs in Asia, Europe and Africa.

In the margins of the UNCCD COP11, on 18 September 2013, in Windhoek, Namibia, UN-OHRLLS, UNCCD and UNFCCC jointly organized a side event on: “Building the Resilience of Landlocked Developing Countries to the Impacts of Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought”. The meeting also made suggestions on priorities needed to build resilience of LLDCs to climate change, desertification, land degradation and drought, in particular, the need to promote a holistic and integrated approach to addressing those aspects in national development strategies and strengthen capacities in LLDCs.

Other consultations were undertaken by OHRLLS with UN Member States and international institutions, in New York and Geneva, to raise their awareness and support.

3. Objectives of the Meeting

  1. Review and take stock of the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action at a regional level in Latin America, including identification of the major achievements, constraints experienced, emerging challenges and the opportunities presented;
  1. Identify policy recommendations and actions that need to be implemented to enable the Latin America LLDCs to fully participate in the global trade and realize their full potential for sustainable and inclusive development.

The outcome of the regional review meeting willform substantive input into the preparation of the Ten-Year Review Conference of the Almaty Programme of Action to be held in 2014.

4. Expected Outputs

The meeting has the following expected outputs:

  • Outcome document
  • Meeting Report
  • Final report on the status of implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action in Latin America

5. Issues to be discussed

  1. The participants will review the progress that their countries have made in the four priority areas of the Almaty Programme of Action. These areas are namely Priority I: Fundamental transit policy issues; Priority II: Infrastructure development and maintenance; Priority III: International trade and trade facilitation; and Priority IV: International support measures. They will also discuss the persistent, new and emerging issues facing the Latin American LLDCs such as addressing vulnerabilities to external shocks including rising and volatile food and fuel prices and economic and financial downturns, coping with climate change consequences and reducing poverty and economic and social disparities. They will then make recommendations for way forward in addressing these challenges for sustainable and inclusive development.
  1. The persistence of low per capita incomes in landlocked developing countries results in a vicious circle where large investments in transport remain economically unviable owing to the low demand for transport services. Similarly, inadequate infrastructure facilities constrain economic activities, leading to poor development outcomes. The participants will discuss how they can address these challenges in transport linkages so that they can maximize their potential for sustainable and inclusive development.
  1. The participants will present their country experiences in enhancing trade facilitation in order to reduce transit and transport costs. In particular, they will share best lessons on how they have reduced delays at the borders and benefits of enhanced cooperation and coordination with neighbouring countries including transit developing and developed countries through deepened regional integration and establishment of legal frameworks.
  1. The meeting will discuss how to structurally transform the economies of the LLDCs in the region including improving their productive capacities so that they can improve their competitivenessand achieve sustainable growth.
  1. The review will address the issue of how to improve the role of the private sector in addressing the special needs of the landlocked developing countries.
  1. The participants will review international support measures, including official development assistance, Aid for Trade flows, non-concessional development financing or other official flows and other sources of support such as regional and south-south cooperation that have helped them increase their trade potential. They will make suggestions on how to improve the support measure so as to fully harness their trade potential.
  1. Given that the global economy remains challenging, the participants will discuss new and emerging issues and how they are addressing the vulnerabilities of their economies to commodity price volatility and other global related external shocks. In particular, they will discuss experiences with diversification of the productive base, value addition and specialization into sectors where they could be more competitive. They will also discuss how to addressemerging issues, including vulnerabilities to external shocks, climate change and food and fuel prices and economic and financial downturn; and how they canreduce economic and social disparities.
  1. The high-level participants are expected to identify the key policy recommendations and actions required to address the specific needs of the LLDCs in Latin America.

5. Participation

The meeting will bring together high-level officials and experts, including representatives of government ministries responsible for (i) transport and (ii) trade from landlocked developing countries; representatives of transit developing countries and developed countries, major continental organizations, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), transport corridor organizations; UN member countries, including UN system organizations, international financial and other relevant development institutions; the private sector; and academia.

6. Format

The meeting will be organized in interactive plenary sessions, consisting of presentations and discussions. The presentations and discussions will focus on the report on the status of implementation of the APoA in Latin America, and the priority areas of the programme, namely:

  • Fundamental transit policy issues;
  • Infrastructure development and maintenance;
  • International trade and trade facilitation;
  • International support measures; and
  • Implementation and review

Representatives of memberStates and organizations will have the opportunity to present their experiences – challenges and achievements - in trade and transit transport issues.

7. Date and Venue

The meeting will be held on 18-19 November 2013 in Asuncion, Paraguay.

8. Documentation

  1. Background report on the progress in the Implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action in Latin America Region
  2. Almaty Programme of Action: Addressing the Special Needs and Problems of Landlocked Developing Countries within a New Global Framework for Transit Transport Cooperation for Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries
  3. Report of the Secretary-General on the progress in the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action
  4. General Assembly resolution 66/214
  5. General Assembly resolution 67/222
  6. The outcome document of the Pre-Conference Global Thematic Meeting on International Trade and Trade Facilitation held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 13-14 September 2012
  7. Report of the Brainstorming Meeting on the Priorities for a New Development Agenda for the Landlocked Developing Countries held 20 -21 March 2013 in New York.
  8. OHRLLS study “The Development Economics of Landlockedness: Understanding the development costs of being landlocked”

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