Addis Ababa — Long delays in inland transport, customs and port handling procedures are common in developing countries across the world, especially those that are landlocked. In Africa, it takes over 30 days to export or import, (with the exception of North Africa), compared to about 11 days for OECD countries. In addition, in general, lack of territorial access to the sea, remoteness and isolation from world markets and high transit costs impose serious constraints on the overall socio-economic development of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs).
To address this challenge the Almaty Programme of Action (APoA) was adopted in 2003 in Almaty Kazakhstan at the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries.
Although significant progress has been made in several areas identified by APoA, LLDCs continue to face major challenges and development gaps. In addition, the global, as well as regional socio-economic climate has dramatically changed since the midterm review of APoA in 2008.
In this respect, the African Regional Review Meeting on the Almaty Programme of Action will be held on 16-18 July in Addis Ababa on the theme: Addressing the Special Needs of Landlocked Developing Countries within a New Global Framework for Transit Transport Cooperation for Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries.
Organized by the Economic Commission for Africa, OHRLLS, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Review meeting will tackle the following:
Review and take stock of the implementation of APoA in Africa;
Examine the overall economic development of African landlocked countries;
Assess progress in establishing efficient transit transport systems on the continent; and
Formulate appropriate policy measures and action-oriented recommendations aimed at sustaining achievements in overcoming the special problems of landlocked developing countries.
Recommendations from the meeting will feed into deliberations at the global 10-year review conference of APoA to be held in 2014.
The African review meeting will be attended by representatives of ministries responsible for transport and trade of African landlocked and transit countries;, major continental organizations, regional economic communities, transport corridor organizations; international financial and development institutions; the private sector; and academia.
The African review meeting will be preceded by an Experts Group Meeting on15 July 2013 on assessing the status of implementation of trade and transport facilitation instruments and measures in Africa.
Background:
The Almaty Programme of Action (APoA) was adopted in 2003. The aim of APoA, endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in its Resolution A/58/Res/201, is to address the special needs of LLDCs within a global framework for transit transport cooperation for landlocked and transit developing countries.
A global midterm review meeting of APoA was held in 2008 in New York, in accordance with a UN General Assembly resolution and was preceded by regional preparatory meetings.
Accordingly, the UN General Assembly, in its Resolution 66/214, decided to convene a comprehensive ten-year review conference on the implementation of APoA in 2014. The conference would be preceded by regional and global as well as thematic preparations in a broad participatory manner.
It is expected that 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 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.
