United Nations Calls on Parliaments to Transform Commitments into Legislation Supporting Landlocked Countries
Senior United Nations officials urged parliamentarians to activate political commitments through enacting national legislation that can create a tangible impact on the lives of people in landlocked developing countries. This call was made during the parliamentary forum held in Awaza, Turkmenistan, as part of the third UN conference dedicated to this category of nations.
Rabab Fatima, the UN High Representative, emphasized that the 32 landlocked countries face chronic structural challenges, notably weak infrastructure, export constraints, and difficulties in accessing financing. She highlighted that trade costs in these countries exceed those in coastal nations by 30%.
Fatima noted that these countries, which are home to more than half a billion people, represent 7% of the world’s population but contribute only 1% of global GDP. Moreover, only 61% of their populations have access to electricity, and less than 40% benefit from internet services, reflecting the scale of the existing developmental gap.
The UN official pointed out that the “Awaza Action Plan” offers a roadmap to turn challenges into opportunities but necessitates significant national mobilization. She urged parliamentarians to work on aligning legislation, securing funding, enhancing trade, and establishing governance, describing them as “agents of change.”
For his part, the President of the UN General Assembly, Philemona Yang, stressed that parliaments are the cornerstone of translating international commitments into national results, as they lay down the legal framework for development and control budgets allocated to vital sectors such as education, health, and climate.
Yang called for enhanced coordination between parliaments at both regional and international levels to tackle the common challenges faced by landlocked developing countries, affirming that parliaments remain the link between the state and citizens and play a supervisory role over government performance and public finance management.
He concluded by reiterating the commitment of the “Parliament of Humanity” to monitor progress in these countries and to ensure their inclusion among the priorities of the sustainable development agenda, urging for closer partnerships between national parliaments and international institutions to achieve the desired goals.
The list of countries classified as landlocked developing nations includes: Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Armenia, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Moldova, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
