General Assembly Session 63 meeting 17

The President

The General Assembly, in accordance with resolution 62/204 of 19 December 2007, will now begin the two-day high-level meeting devoted to the midterm review of the Almaty Programme of Action.

Members will recall that in resolution 62/204 the General Assembly requested the President of the General Assembly to convene consultations during the sixty-second session of the Assembly to facilitate the preparation of an outcome document for the midterm review and to finalize its organizational aspects. In this regard, in a letter dated 29 September 2008, I informed members of the speakers for this opening plenary meeting.

Members will further recall that the two-day meeting will consist of plenary meetings and a panel discussion.

The President

I am very pleased to welcome everyone to this high-level plenary meeting on the midterm review of the Almaty Programme of Action. Over the next two days we will focus our attention on the impressive work under way to ensure that landlocked developing countries have transit transport systems to facilitate their access to international trade despite their physical isolation.

Earlier this week the General Assembly concluded its general debate. I was very pleased that we devoted our time and effort to two high-level meetings on the special needs of Africa and on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Both meetings were of particular interest to landlocked countries. It is notable that nine of the fourteen countries with the lowest human development index scores last year are landlocked.

World leaders were in agreement that the turmoil of the world's financial markets must not jeopardize the funding commitments made to Africa and to the MDGs. Representatives of landlocked developing countries know more than anyone the vulnerability of their economies to erratic markets and soaring transportation costs. I promise to do all that I can as President of the General Assembly to assure the continuing support of the international community for landlocked nations.

We are living in troubled times, and billions of people are looking to the United Nations to fulfil the promises of security and well-being that they have entrusted to us.

As I look at the accomplishments since the 2003 Almaty Conference, I am heartened to see the central and effective role the United Nations is playing in the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action.

Facilitating negotiations and assisting in the implementation of complex development projects is what the United Nations is all about. The success of the Programme can only strengthen the United Nations at a time when it is looking to enhance its participation in international economic policy-making.

The 2003 Almaty Conference aimed to forge global partnerships to address the special needs of the countries concerned by tackling their continued marginalization from the world economy in a focused, but holistic, fashion.

The resulting Almaty Programme of Action outlines a clear set of priorities for action in transit policy issues, infrastructure development and maintenance, international trade and trade facilitation, and international support measures.

There has been considerable progress since the Almaty Programme of Action was adopted five years ago. Thanks to their cooperative efforts, donor nations, a range of international, regional and subregional organizations and financial institutions have stepped up their targeted assistance and support for the landlocked and transit developing countries.

In and of itself, the decision by the General Assembly to convene the present midterm review of the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action reflects the commitment of the international community to the Programme's full and effective implementation.

However, much more needs to be done to achieve the Programme's overarching goal of establishing efficient transit transport systems in all landlocked regions of the world.

Geographical realities, coupled with critical infrastructure deficiencies, as well as cumbersome border crossing procedures, continue to pose daunting impediments to the external trade of landlocked developing countries.

Landlocked country export development is severely constrained by rising transit transport costs. These limit the range of potential exports and markets in which goods can be competitively and profitably traded.

Today, high trade transaction costs remain the single most important obstacle to equitable and competitive access by landlocked countries to global markets.

This midterm review is an extremely important exercise to assess what has been achieved so far and what can be done better. It will guide the second half of the implementation period of the Almaty Programme so that it can more effectively assist landlocked developing countries in their effective integration in the international trading system.

We know that success thus far has depended on a range of partners. They have enabled the establishment of more effective transit transport systems that benefit landlocked developing countries and their transit neighbours in all regions of the world.

The generosity and support of Member States has been, and will be, crucial to safeguard the progress achieved and to accelerate progress in the years ahead. In this regard, I would like to express special thanks to Mr. Yukio Takasu of Japan for his excellent work in facilitating the negotiation process of the outcome document that Member States are expected to adopt tomorrow.

Let us all reaffirm in the course of this meeting the crucial importance of these partnerships, with the United Nations systems chief among them.

The President

I now call on the Secretary-General.

The Secretary-General

Last week I convened a high-level event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We used the occasion to review progress towards attaining the MDGs. I sounded alarm bells that we were running out of time to honour commitments made to the developing world.

The response was overwhelming. Governments, foundations, civil society groups and businesses joined hands. We managed to forge new partnerships and prepare new action plans to speed up progress. We generated unprecedented commitments in pledges to help the world's poor. The final figures are not in yet, but the total may be as much as $16 billion. I am now more hopeful about attaining the MDGs by 2015.

Today we are sounding alarm bells for the Almaty Programme of Action. I hope for a similarly hope-inspiring response.

Too many of the landlocked developing countries are not on track to meeting the MDGs. According to the United Nations Development Programme, they account for 10 of the 20 countries with the lowest level of human development.

It is vital that landlocked developing countries increase their volume of exports in order to meet the MDGs. Currently the world's 31 landlocked developing countries account for less than 1 per cent of global merchandise trade.

The single biggest obstacle to increasing this share is the very high cost of transport. In some landlocked developing countries, transport costs can exceed 70 per cent of the export value. This has become a bigger barrier to trade than tariffs. Clearly, we need a more vigorous effort for international cooperation.

There has been some encouraging progress in implementing the Almaty Programme. Many countries are improving transit transport policies. This is making it easier for landlocked countries to use neighbouring countries' ports and roads. Trade facilitation has also reduced the costs of doing business.

Much more now needs to be done in the area of infrastructure development. Roads and railways remain inadequate. Many ports are using obsolete cargo handling equipment. We need to mobilize more international support in order to improve infrastructure.

The Millennium Summit of September 2000 committed to addressing the special needs of landlocked developing countries. The Almaty Programme of Action translates that commitment into specific actions.

The United Nations supports the Almaty Programme by working with countries to develop integrated transport networks; modernize customs operations; build capacities for trade negotiations; and develop indicators for monitoring progress. We are building partnerships with financial institutions and regional development banks in our activities.

The achievements so far are encouraging. But we need full implementation by all partners in order to make significant progress. Let us use the success of the high-level event on the MDGs as inspiration for this review.

The President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the President of Mongolia, His Excellency Mr. Nambar Enkhbayar.

President Enkhbayar (Mongolia)

I am pleased to address the opening meeting of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly devoted to the midterm review of the Almaty Programme of Action.

I strongly commend the leadership of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in galvanizing the activities of the United Nations system organizations in our concerted efforts to implement the Programme. Mongolia also extends its high appreciation to High Representative Cheick Diarra and his Office for the coherent coordination of all the preparatory activities in the lead-up to this high-level review.

Over the coming two days we will engage in an extensive discussion to take stock of the progress achieved so far in moving forward the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action, to share the lessons learned and identify future actions to speed up its realization through addressing the still persistent constraints.

It is gratifying to note that over the last five years the landlocked and transit developing countries, with the support of their developed partners, have registered certain headway in all five priority areas of the Programme. They have strengthened their policy reform efforts, including the liberalization of transit and transport services; increased accession to relevant international conventions; the establishment of regional inter-modal transport corridors; and harmonization of common rules and standards.

The international community has come to better recognize that high transit transport costs represent a more important barrier than most favoured nation tariffs for landlocked developing countries. As a result it is encouraging that there is a much broader recognition of the special needs of landlocked developing countries per se and a stronger engagement of development partners with respect to transport infrastructure development and trade facilitation, as well as aid, debt relief and market access.

Multilateral and development institutions and regional organizations also tend to allocate greater attention and resources to the establishment of efficient transit systems. All these efforts are encouraging and ought to be further consolidated for the effective and full implementation of the Programme.

The past few years have been somewhat favourable for the overall economic development and growth of landlocked developing countries as a group. According to the Secretary-General's report (A/63/165), the gross domestic product of the landlocked developing countries grew annually by almost 8 per cent in the period 2003-2006. Foreign direct investment has also seen a certain increase over the same period. In addition, as of 2006 more than 90 per cent of exports of landlocked developing countries to developed markets enjoyed duty-free access, a significant increase from 70 per cent back in 2003.

Despite these positive developments, landlocked developing countries continue to face considerable challenges inherently linked to their geographical handicap. Over the past decade, their share in world exports has remained unacceptably dismal -- well below 0.6 per cent -- with commodities accounting for the bulk of exports.

In our case, transit transport costs through Russia and China amount to up to 8 per cent of our GDP. Hence, with a view to promoting a comprehensive subregional agreement designed to harmonize transit regulations and reduce transit transport costs, Mongolia has initiated a Tripartite Framework Agreement on Transit Transportation with its two neighbours. The draft agreement has been agreed in principle, and negotiations continue on annexes.

The agreement, once concluded, will provide a legal framework for efficient transit systems to and through Mongolia by allowing freedom of transit by all modes of transport and promoting simplification, harmonization and standardization of customs, administrative procedures and documentation.

Subregional and regional cooperation and integration of landlocked developing countries and their transit neighbours play an important role in effectively addressing cross-border trade and transit transport problems. In this context, we welcome the regional initiatives aimed at promoting the development of regional rail and road transit transport networks, including the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway Agreements, to which Mongolia has already become a party.

The continued marginalization of landlocked developing countries from the international trading system prevents them from fully using trade as an instrument for achieving the respective MDGs. It is disheartening that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report (2007-2008) shows that 10 out of 20 of the lowest-ranking countries in the human development index were landlocked developing countries. Their situation is being further exacerbated by the current global food, energy and financial crises.

In this regard, we need to seize this opportunity of reviewing the implementation of the Programme to explore new avenues on how to urgently respond to these global development challenges, both existing and emerging.

Increased international assistance for export diversification, infrastructure development, institutional capacity-building and better market access are essential for landlocked developing countries. As high transaction cost represents the main cause of the marginalization of these countries from the international trading system, the current negotiations on market access for agricultural and non-agricultural goods should, in our view, give particular attention to products from landlocked developing countries.

In addition, trade facilitation negotiations, especially the part on GATT article V, present an opportunity to set internationally applicable rules and standards that are most urgently needed. In this respect, I reiterate my earlier proposal, voiced at the Ulaanbaatar thematic meeting last year to consider negotiating a separate, multilateral agreement on issues covered by GATT Article V on Freedom of Transit.

The Ulaanbaatar meeting on trade and trade facilitation and the Burkina Faso meeting on infrastructure development constitute an important part of the substantive preparations in the run-up to this midterm review. I gather that the publications on the outcome of these thematic meetings are being launched by the Office of the High Representative.

With a view to maximizing the efficiency of our coordinated efforts in promoting the interests of landlocked developing countries, including effective and full implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action, I recently proposed to set up an international think-tank and offered to host it in Ulaanbaatar. I am pleased that this initiative has enjoyed active support from our fellow members of the group.

We are also hopeful that the relevant bodies of the United Nations system and international and regional financial institutions, along with our development partners, will step in to ensure its efficient and effective functioning.

As for the national implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action, Mongolia has introduced several innovative measures to build policy framework and to promote public-private partnership. On my initiative, the MDG-based National Development Strategy -- a comprehensive mid- and long-term development blueprint -- was approved earlier this year. The Strategy makes human development and modernization of infrastructure as a key priority for making Mongolia a middle-income country by 2021.

Furthermore, a National Committee on Trade and Transport Facilitation, set in motion in 2005, is entrusted with a mandate to serve as a nationwide coordinator for the Programme's implementation. It is composed of representatives of government, the private sector, academia and non-governmental organizations to ensure a broad-based partnership.

Also, with active participation of all stakeholders, Mongolia has developed a comprehensive sector development Programme called Transit Mongolia incorporating all Programme priorities and Mongolia-specific goals. Hence, we believe that creation of a designated institutional mechanism along with the relevant plan of action lays a sound foundation for the Programme's effective implementation. In addition, active engagement of investors, both foreign and national, and the local business community helps to better mobilize the needed resources, both financial and human.

Finally, I wish to emphasize the crucial role of regional and international cooperation in ensuring effective implementation of the Programme. In this regard, my delegation fully endorses the related provisions in the draft outcome document to be adopted at the end of our review meeting.

We commend the considerable efforts made by United Nations bodies, in particular that of the Office of the High Representative, in coordinating system-wide activities towards Programme implementation. We also acknowledge the important work and support provided by our development partners, both bilateral and multilateral, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the regional commissions, the World Bank and the regional development banks.

I wish the Assembly a successful review with a productive outcome.

The President

I thank the President of Mongolia for the statement he has just made.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Hamed Diane Semega, Minister of Equipment and Transport of Mali.

Mr. Semega (Mali)

A problem occurred in a Python script. Here is the sequence of function calls leading up to the error, in the order they occurred.

<type 'exceptions.UnicodeEncodeError'>: 'ascii' codec can't encode character u'\xe9' in position 153: ordinal not in range(128)
      args = ('ascii', u'\n\t<p id="pg005-bk02-pa01">As Mali\'s Minister of ... economic competition. That would be justice.</p>', 153, 154, 'ordinal not in range(128)')
      encoding = 'ascii'
      end = 154
      message = ''
      object = u'\n\t<p id="pg005-bk02-pa01">As Mali\'s Minister of ... economic competition. That would be justice.</p>'
      reason = 'ordinal not in range(128)'
      start = 153