A/RES/69/137. Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, 2014

• Resolution Number: A/RES/69/137
• Year: 2014
• Session: 69th
• Issuer: General Assembly of the United Nation

United Nations A/RES/69/137

General Assembly Distr.: General

23 January 2015

Sixty-ninth session

Agenda item 22 (b)

14-67268 (E)

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Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 12 December 2014

[without reference to a Main Committee (A/69/L.28)]

69/137. Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing

Countries for the Decade 2014–2024

The General Assembly

,

Recalling

its resolution 66/214 of 22 December 2011, in which it decided to

convene the second United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing

Countries in 2014, as well as its resolutions 67/222 of 21 December 2012, 68/225 of

20 December 2013 and 68/270 of 23 April 2014,

1.

Expresses

its profound gratitude

to the Government and the people of

Austria for hosting the second United Nations Conference on Landlocked

Developing Countries in Vienna, from 3 to 5 November 2014, and for providing all

the necessary support;

2.

Endorses

the Vienna Declaration and the Vienna Programme of Action

for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024 adopted by the

second United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, which are

contained in annexes I and II, respectively, to the present resolution.

71st plenary meeting

12 December 2014

Annex I

Vienna Declaration

We, the Heads of State and Government and representatives of the States

gathered here in Vienna from 3 to 5 November 2014 to participate in the second

United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries,

Having adopted

the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing

Countries for the Decade 2014–2024,

Declare

that:

1. We are strongly committed to the implementation of the Vienna

Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024

to address in a holistic manner the special development needs and challenges of

A/RES/69/137 Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024

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landlocked developing countries arising from their landlockedness, remoteness and

geographical constraints;

2. We express our sincere appreciation for the constant efforts undertaken

by the Government of Zambia in its capacity as Chair of the Group of Landlocked

Developing Countries;

3. We express our profound appreciation to the Government of Austria as

well as the City of Vienna and the people of Austria for hosting the second United

Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries.

Annex II

Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing

Countries for the Decade 2014–2024

I. Introduction

1. Thirty-two landlocked developing countries situated in Africa, Asia, Europe

and South America, with a population of about 440 million, face special challenges

that are associated with their lack of direct territorial access to the sea and their

remoteness and isolation from world markets. Their international trade depends on

transit through other countries. Additional border crossings and long distances from

major markets, coupled with cumbersome transit procedures and inadequate

infrastructure, substantially increase the total expenses for transport and other

transaction costs, which erodes the competitive edge of landlocked developing

countries, reduces economic growth and subsequently negatively affects their

capacity to promote sustained economic development, human and social progress

and environmental sustainability. Landlockedness is a major contributor to the

relatively high incidence of extreme poverty and structural constraints in landlocked

developing countries. Landlocked developing countries, as a group, are among the

poorest of developing countries, and many of them are also least developed

countries, with limited capacities and dependence on a very limited number of

commodities for their export earnings.

2. In most cases, the transit neighbours of landlocked developing countries are

themselves developing countries, often with broadly similar economic structures

and beset by similar scarcities of resources. The least developed transit countries are

in an especially difficult situation. Furthermore, transit developing countries bear

additional burdens, deriving from transit transport and its financial, infrastructural

and social impacts. Transit developing countries are themselves in need of

improvement of the technical and administrative arrangements of their transport and

customs and administrative systems, to which their landlocked neighbours are

expected to link.

3. The Almaty Programme of Action: Addressing the Special Needs of

Landlocked Developing Countries within a New Global Framework for Transit

Transport Cooperation for Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries, adopted in

2003,

1

reflected the strong commitment of all actors to address the special

development needs and challenges faced by landlocked developing countries and to

_______________

1 Report of the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and

Donor Countries and International Financial and Development Institutions on Transit Transport

Cooperation, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 28 and 29 August 2003 (A/CONF.202/3), annex I.