Vienna: Amid calls from landlocked developing countries for more transportation infrastructure and transit corridors, one speaker at this morning’s round-table discussion at the Third Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries encouraged those countries to use existing international instruments to enable smoother transit.
According to EMM, the theme of the round table was Building sustainable infrastructure, strengthening connectivity, and promoting unfettered transit systems for landlocked developing countries. Umberto de Pretto, Secretary-General of the International Road Transport Union, noted that he lives in a landlocked country called Switzerland, whose experience demonstrates that geography does not dictate the future. He encouraged landlocked developing countries to consider solutions beyond physical infrastructure.
Billions are being spent on building roads, but it is futile if drivers are waiting at borders for not just hours or days, but weeks, he pointed out. We have the audacity to talk of sustainable development, but a truck blocked at a border is the antithesis of sustainable development, he emphasized. When drivers are held hostage, waiting in long lines to get to the other side, economies are stopped. Trucks are idling at borders, burning fuel and emitting carbon dioxide because people in this room cannot get their act together to ensure that their drivers can move smoothly through borders within minutes.
Other speakers at the round table drew attention to the key role that transit corridors can play. Emile Zerbo, Minister of State for Territorial Administration and Mobility of Burkina Faso, pointed out that the closest transit port to his country is located 1,000 kilometres away. This represents a major structural challenge for us and our external trade, he said. Citing a recent study, he mentioned that in 2023, for West African countries that did not have direct access to the sea, transport costs represented 45 per cent of total costs as compared to 10 per cent for coastal countries.
Fatou Haidara, Senior Director and Deputy Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), noted that she is from a landlocked country herself – Mali. She highlighted that climate-smart, resilient, and digitally-enabled infrastructure is key. Transport corridors are not simply roads or rails, but economic lifelines. If properly planned, transport corridors can help reduce logistic costs dramatically, shorten transit times, and improve predictability of business.
Leila Batyrbekova, Founder of the Europe and Central Asia Transport and Trade Association, emphasized the need for improved connectivity to and from landlocked developing countries. She called on governments to create more and better infrastructure, stressing the importance of well-maintained systems. This is especially crucial when it comes to the Middle Corridor connecting Central Asia to the rest of the world.
Madina Sissoko Dembele, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure of Mali, who chaired the meeting, called for innovative resources to ensure access to global markets. Transit costs can be as high as 70 per cent of total transport costs for landlocked developing countries, she noted, adding the need for partnerships and synergies of action.
Several landlocked developing countries echoed the call for establishing transit and energy corridors. Lesotho’s delegate noted that its geographical position continues to hinder the country’s regional connectivity despite the mutually beneficial coexistence with South Africa. The speaker for Zimbabwe, despite the unilateral coercive measures imposed on his country, mentioned collaboration with neighbours to put in place transit corridors and promote trade.
Gateway countries also outlined their efforts to ensure that their landlocked neighbours are connected. Angola’s delegate highlighted the Lobito Corridor, which connects the interior regions of Africa to the Atlantic coast. The representative of the United Republic of Tanzania emphasized the modernization of the port of Dar-e-Salam and measures to fast-track the movement of goods.
The representative of the European Union pointed out that physical infrastructure alone is not enough. Human-centred digitalization, interoperability, streamlined border management, and harmonized customs procedures are essential soft measures that will unlock new opportunities, he said. Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, urged massive investment to close the estimated $500 billion finance gap for least developed countries.