UNITED NATIONS HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES

 

TO BE CONVENED IN ALMATY, 29 - 31 MARCH

 

Under-Secretary-General Highlights Practical

Solutions for Establishing Efficient Transit Systems

NEW YORK, 23 March (UN Office of High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States) -- A United Nations high-level meeting on the role of international, regional and subregional organizations in the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action will convene next week from 29 to 31 March in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  The Almaty Meeting will address the special needs and challenges faced by landlocked developing countries, including issues of international trade stemming from their lack of territorial access to the sea and their remoteness from world markets.

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, and the chairperson of the Almaty Meeting, Anwarul K. Chowdhury, said in New York today, “At our invitation over 40 global organizations are coming to Almaty next week to undertake a serious dialogue aimed at coming up with practical solutions for establishing efficient transit systems in Asia, Africa and Latin America.”

“At the Meeting, we expect to hear about strategies for implementation and priority projects and deliverables related to infrastructure development and trade facilitation”, he added.

The Meeting will be inaugurated by the Kazakhstan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kassymzhomart K. Tokaev.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Somsavat Lengsavad, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, Leila Rachid de Cowles, and the Kazakhstan Minister for Transport and Communications, Nagmanov Kazhmurat Ibraevich, will also address the gathering.

A special feature of the Meeting will be the launching of the Millennium Project Report by Mr. Chowdhury.  The Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals, Jeffrey Sachs, will make a video presentation.

The 40 organizations attending the conference include the World Bank, World Customs Organization, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Trade Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Road Transport Union, and a number of regional and subregional organizations.

Media Contact:  Nosh Nalavala, Media Officer, United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, tel: (917) 367-2471, e-mail: nalavala@un.org.

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