Capacity Building Workshop on Sustainable Transport for Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)

Background

The 32 Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), 16 of which are in Africa, continued to confront substantial difficulties stemming from their geographical constraints and lack of direct access to seaports, which complicated trade logistics, raised transport costs, and hindered regional integration. These special challenges of LLDCs had been recently reflected in the Gaborone Programme of Action (GPoA) which would be adopted in December 2024.

The Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) of UN DESA, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) organized this workshop to enhance the capacities of national and local governments in formulating and implementing policies for sustainable transport, in line with the Gaborone Programme of Action. The capacity-building workshop focused on the distinct challenges faced by LLDCs, while identifying specific challenges of the African region and engaged Member States and experts to identify and exchange good practices for tackling them. It empowered LLDCs to actively engage in the development of the Implementation Plan of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport and to contribute to the activities of the Decade.

The workshop aimed to ensure that LLDCs were equipped with the necessary tools, knowledge, and partnerships to effectively address their transport challenges. Strengthening institutional capacities and enhancing technical expertise were key to the success of sustainable transport systems in LLDCs, especially in contexts where resource limitations and logistical constraints were prominent. Discussions in this workshop explored lessons learned, innovative financing mechanisms, partnership opportunities, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at strengthening transport infrastructure and policy frameworks.

The workshop also aimed at situating the discussion in the broader framework of existing sectoral and regional transport policies and initiatives. Although it had to be recognized that regional programmes and initiatives hardly excluded LLDCs, there was also no systematic approach that included them. These initiatives included in particular the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the TransAfrican Highway Network, and the African Railway Network.

The workshop conversations contributed to a policy brief that reflects on the special challenges faced by the LLDCs and offers policy recommendations for enhancing sustainable transport in these countries.