Distinguished Co-Chairs and Members of the Bureau, Excellencies, Permanent Representatives, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honor of deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

I wish to commend the Co-Chairs of the Preparatory Committee and other Bureau Members for convening this first session of the Preparatory Committee for the Third United Nations Conference on the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) to consider the draft outcome document of the Conference. The participation of delegations at this session demonstrates the dedication and commitment to the work of the Landlocked Developing Countries. On behalf of the G77 and China, I extend our sincere condolences to the government and people of the Namibia on the death of the President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Hage Gottfried Geingob.

Excellencies,

The Landlocked Developing Countries is a group of 32 countries that face a wide array of unique development challenges due to the lack of direct territorial access to the sea. This remoteness and isolation from the world market, additional border crossings, cumbersome transit procedures, insufficient logistical systems and poor infrastructure cause the LLDCSs to incur substantial higher transport and other trade transactions when compared to countries with access to the sea. Thus, this presents a tremendous trade- reducing effect that has a direct negative impact on economic growth and undermines their national efforts to achieve sustainable development and national development goals. The UN General Assembly during its 28th Session recognized these specific challenges and adopted a resolution on special measures related to the particular needs of landlocked developing countries.

Excellencies,

As we come to the end of the Vienna Programme of Action adopted at the Second UN Conference on LLDCS in 2014, just like in the Almaty Programme of Action adopted at the First UN Conference on LLDCs in 2003, the assessment on programme implementation indicates limited progress towards the achievement of its overarching goal. In this regard, the Third UN Conference on the Landlcoked Developed Countries is a timely reminder of the urgent need for enhanced, renewed and strengthened global partnership to support the LLDCs to address their unique development challenges. The convening of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Rwanda, therefore provides a unique opportunity for the international community to agree on special measures that support LLDCs to address their unique development challenges.

Excellencies,

The G77 and China fully support the adoption of the next bold Programme of Action that supports the LLDCs to address their development challenges, in particular those of remoteness, limited productive capacities, inadequate funding, high debt, commodity price volatility as well as emerging challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and disasters. The G77 and China formally submits to the PreCom for the Third UN Conference on LLDCs the draft outcome document containing five priority areas of action that are important to support the LLDCS in addressing their development challenges for consideration. We firmly believe that through renewed and strengthened partnerships at bilateral and international levels that the LLDCs would be able to adequately address their unique development constraints and also support accelerating the implementation of internationally agreed goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals

Excellencies,

As the PreCom commences the consideration of this draft outcome document, it is critical to emphasize that the preparatory work for the draft outcome document of next programme of action commenced with the national and regional reviews by the LLDCs. The LLDCs remain a group of countries in special situation requiring special action from the international community to ensure that these countries are not left

behind. The G77 and China calls for the fulfulfilment of all previous commitments made to support the LLDCs to address their development challenges. We therefore urge the international community that it is now time to scale up support to the LLDCs. In this regard, we applaud the international community for the support so far extended to the LLDCs. We also thank the countries of the South for their support which has demonstrated the solidarity with the LLDCs in pursuit of their national development aspirations.

The G77 and China will participate constructively in the intergovernmental consultation process on the draft outcome document in support to our Landlocked Developing Countries. The delegation of Botswana as the global Chair of the Landlocked Developing Countries will lead the negotiations on behalf of the G77 and China.

I thank you for your attention.