Landlocked
Developing Countries
What are the
specific problems of landlocked developing countries?
Owing to their lack of territorial access to the sea, remoteness
and isolation from world markets and high transit costs, landlocked
developing countries are among the poorest of the developing
countries. Of the thirty landlocked developing countries in
the world, sixteen including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Lao People's
Democratic Republic and Nepal are classified as being least
developed. The long distances from their markets and delays
at border crossings increase the total transport cost as well
as transit time for goods from landlocked developing countries.
The high transport costs and transit times erode the competitive
edge of landlocked developing countries and create a more restrictive
barrier to trade for these countries than tariffs. These trade-reducing
effects are especially pronounced for transport intensive exports
and imported intermediate goods for production. According to
UNCTAD estimates based on the IMF balance of payment statistics,
landlocked developing countries spent on average almost twice
their export earnings for the payment of transport and insurance
services in 1995 than the average for developing countries and
three times more than the average of developed economies. Increase
in trade of landlocked developing countries requires the development
of a cost-effective, yet highly technical, transport system
through the landlocked country and their transit countries.
Which are these countries are located
in Asia?
Of the 30 landlocked developing countries, the following 12
are located in Asia: Afghanistan*, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Bhutan*, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's
Democratic Republic*, Mongolia, Nepal*, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
and Uzbekistan
(* Also least developed)
What is the global mandate?
The
Almaty Declaration and Programme of Action, the International
Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing
Countries and Donor Countries and International Financial and
Development Institutions on Transit Transport Cooperation ,
held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 28 and 29 August 2003,
to promote more effective transit system for landlocked developing
countries.
Further information
