CFC supports participation of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in Regional and Global Commodity Value Chains
The CFC will support and contribute to the discussions at the forthcoming “Special event on facilitating the Participation of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in Higher Segments of Regional and Global Commodity Value Chains: Challenges, opportunities and the way forward” which will be held at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York, on 1 October 2014.
Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) find themselves facing multiple development challenges. On the one hand, their geographical disadvantages, remoteness from international markets results in high transit-transport costs. Their domestic markets are relatively small and their international competitiveness suffers. In combination with their heavy dependence on low value-high volume primary commodities for exports this translates into poor prospects for growth, poverty reduction and overall development. This is seen in weak productive capacities and the overall lack of structural transformation in the economies of LLDCs which further impedes their development prospects.
The development "traps" facing LLDCs demonstrate that "landlockedness" is a formidable challenge that goes beyond the traditional focus on transit-transport problems of the countries concerned. In this regard, the second United Nations Conference on LLDCs to be held in Vienna, Austria, in November this year, is expected to agree on a post-Almaty Programme of Action which is comprehensive with implementable, measurable and realistic goals and targets.
The special side event supported by the CFC will focus on the case of LLDCs facing heavy dependence on primary commodities. The challenges, opportunities and prospects to enhance the role of commodities, in LLDCs' development will be discussed at this event. The ways and means to use commodities as lever for socio-economic development of LLDCs, by taking policy measures and actions that facilitate their beneficial integration into regional and global commodity value chains, especially at higher segments will be identified.
The side event is expected to generate policy debates and recommend practical policy options as a contribution to the ongoing negotiations on the post-Almaty Programme of Action. The side event is organized jointly by the UNCTAD, the CFC and UN Office of High Representative for LLDCs. The side event takes place on the occasion of the Second Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee which will take place on 2-3 October 2014.
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