Statement delivered by Rt. Hon. Mr. K P Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal at the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (Awaza, Turkmenistan, 5-8[...]

His Excellency the President Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my honour to address this august gathering on behalf of the Group of the Least Developed Countries.

At the outset, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Turkmenistan for graciously hosting this important Conference in this beautiful city of Awaza and for the warm and generous hospitality accorded to all of us.

Excellencies,

We live in an era of transformative progress, driven by technology, innovation and interconnectivity.

Yet, LLDCs continue to face persistent structural barriers: geographical isolation, dependency on transit countries, inadequate transport networks and limited integration into regional and global markets.

These challenges are even more acute for half of the LLDCs that are also LDCs. Their very geography of "landlockedness" continues to hinder their development.

Despite two decades of journey from Almaty to Vienna Program of Action, LLDCs still grapple with:

• Infrastructure and connectivity deficits,
• High trade and transit costs
• Limited diversification and little value addition,
• Heavy reliance on primary commodity exports
• Low levels of private investment, and
• Growing vulnerability to climate change and disasters

These barriers pose severe impediments to their economic growth and development.

Excellencies,

LLDCs are not just defined by their inherent geographical constraints. They are also defined by their potential.

These countries are rich in untapped natural endowments, offering many investment opportunities.

They are home to youthful and innovative populations.

They are increasingly engaging in the digital economy.

This is the moment to unlock that potential.

The Awaza Programme of Action offers a renewed opportunity to address these long-standing bottlenecks and seize new pathways toward inclusive and resilient growth.

But we must be clear: ambition without action will not suffice.

We need:

• Stronger Political will
• Renewed and strengthened global partnership that leaves no country behind
• Coordinated actions at all levels

I firmly believe that, with the right policies, strong solidarity and support, LLDCs can transition:

• From landlocked to land-linked
• From transit-dependent to trade-competitive
• From climate-vulnerable to climate-resilient countries

Excellencies,

Science, technology and innovation, especially digital technologies, hold immense promises to overcome the physical limitations of LLDCs.

This Conference is a call to collective resolve.

The Awaza PoA outlines five clear priorities under the theme of "Driving Progress through Partnership":

1. Structural transformation and STI
2. Trade facilitation and regional integration
3. Transit, transport and connectivity
4. Climate resilience and adaptation
5. Means of implementation

It is a pathway to equity, inclusion and shared opportunity.

To turn isolation into integration, and potential into prosperity, we must:

• Invest in smart, sustainable, and climate-resilient infrastructure
• Deepen regional and subregional cooperation
• Harness the opportunities offered by technology to advance and accelerate development
• And drive progress through inclusive global partnerships with shared responsibility

Let us reaffirm our commitment to convert the Awaza Programme of Action into tangible and measurable progress, for more than 570 million people who live in Landlocked Developing Countries.