Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Minister Yamfwa Mukanga says strong cooperation on fundamental transit policies, laws and regulations between Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and transit countries is crucial for the effective and integrated solutions to cross-border trade and transit transport problems.
Mr. Mukanga says to achieve meaningful economic development in LLDCs, there is need to find lasting solutions to the challenges faced by LLDCs.
He says this therefore, the Conference to be held in Vienna in November provides a critical opportunity to renew the spirit of partnership that was born in Almaty, kazakhstan about 10 years ago.
Mr. Mukanga said this on Thursday at the UN Headquarters in New York during the second session of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the Second United Nations Conference on LLDCs in Vienna, Austria next month.
Mr. Mukanga who represented Zambia the country which chairs the 32-member LLDCs Group, has also noted the need to significantly enhance transit transport infrastructure development, its maintenance and closing all the missing links to reduce the high trading costs.
And UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, LLDCs and Small Island Developing States, Gyan Chandra Acharya, says the outcome document of the Vienna Conference should help improve people’s lives in landlocked developing countries.
Mr Acharya expressed hope that the outcome document will contribute to mainstream the concerns and expectations of the LLDCs in the global development processes.
Austria%u2019s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, also notes that the development challenges of LLDCs require concerted efforts on the international level to accelerate economic growth, reduce poverty and improve lives.
Representatives of LLDCs, transit developing countries and donor countries, UN system, other international organizations and the private sector will convene in Vienna Austria, between 3 and 5 November, 2014 to shape the landlocked developing countries development agenda for the next decade.
This is according to a statement released to Qfm news by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at Zambia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Chibaula Silwamba.