KATHMANDU, June 13: Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has urged the United Nations and other international organizations to support Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in line with the Vienna Program of Action (VPOA) in order to meet special development needs and challenges arising from their landlockedness, remoteness and geographical constraints. 

Addressing the inaugural session of the Ministerial Conference of the International Think Tank for the Landlocked Developing Countries in Mongolia on Monday, Minister Gyawali also said that Nepal considers mainstreaming goals of the VPOA in national development policies and plans of the landlocked and transit countries for inclusive growth and raising human development and reducing poverty. 

The VPOA is a holistic document issued by the UN and it centers upon addressing challenges faced by landlocked countries and aims to contribute to the eradication of poverty stemming from their landlockedness through the implementation of specific actions in the priority areas. 

“As we are preparing for the mid-term review of the implementation of VPOA in 2019, we acknowledge that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development should be in tandem with the VPOA for the much-needed synergy to achieve results on the ground,” he said, adding, the work programs of United Nations and other international organizations designed to support the LLDCs should also be aligned with the objectives and goals of the VPOA in a coherent manner.

He also said that LLDCs should also be able to harness full potentials of science, technology and innovations, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and space technologies to overcome the constraints to the development in the countries. 

He also pledged that the Nepali government will provide USD 30,000 for the operation of the first-of-its-kind think tank established by LLDCs in 2017. 

He urged the research organization to carry out in-depth research on converting “landlockedness” into “landlinkedness” and on various ways and options the LLDCs can diversify their economies.

 
• fm
 
• asks
 
• un
 
• others
 
• landlocked
 
• nations