By Chibuike Nwabuko
AWAZA, TURKMENISTAN (PRECISE POST) — Poised to see to the dismantling of the barriers that trap 32 nations in cycles of poverty, vulnerability, and economic exclusion, the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has called for global overhaul to lift the Landlocked nations from economic margins.
Guterres made the call on Tuesday in his remarks at the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) conference, held in TURKMENISTAN.
According to him: “Geography should never define destiny,” thundered the UN Secretary-General, pointing to the plight of LLDCs across Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America — home to 7% of the world’s population, yet contributing barely 1% to global trade and GDP.
“These inequalities are not inevitable. They are manufactured – by an unfair global system, structural neglect, and a colonial legacy that still casts a long shadow.”
Precise Post recalls that the landmark conference marks the launch of the Awaza Programme of Action — a blueprint to break the development deadlock faced by landlocked countries.
Far from another session of hand-wringing, the event focused on a new decade of bold, urgent action to transform economies and empower nations historically cut off from opportunity by geography and geopolitics.
The Secretary-General laid out four core priorities as:
1. Structural Transformation and Digital Leapfrogging. This means that despite rich natural and human resources, LLDCs remain shackled by narrow economic bases and poor access to markets. The solution? Massive investments in value-added industries, innovation, and digital infrastructure.
He urged countries and investors to close the digital divide, especially for women and rural communities, calling digital tools and AI “a bridge to global markets and future prosperity.”
“With the right support, LLDCs can leapfrog into the future, from precision farming and smart logistics to e-commerce and digital education.”
2. Tearing Down Trade and Transport Barriers. With fragmented logistics and sky-high transport costs, LLDCs remain isolated from global trade. The Secretary-General called for a complete overhaul of trade systems:
- Harmonize cross-border procedures
- Expand physical infrastructure
- Deepen regional cooperation
- Reform global trade rules to reflect LLDC realities“When LLDCs are connected, entire regions can prosper. This is not charity — it’s smart economics.
3. Climate Justice. Though LLDCs contribute less than 3% to global emissions, they are being pummeled by climate disasters — from desertification to glacial melt.
“The combination of landlockedness and climate vulnerability is a double blow, threatening not just development, but in some cases, survival.”
The UN Scribe therefore urged wealthy nations, especially G20 members, to deliver on climate financing, double adaptation funds, and help LLDCs leap into clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure.
4. FInancing That Works For The Forgotten. The Secretary-General blasted the global financial system for “failing those who need it most,” as LLDCs spiral into debt, locked out of affordable capital.
He pushed for:
- Tripling Multilateral Development Bank lending
- Reforming sovereign debt rules
- Unlocking concessional climate finance
- Ending illicit financial flows and tax evasion
- Giving developing countries a real seat at the financial table. “It’s time to move from promises to capital – and capital to impact.”
The Secretary-General further stressed on the need to “transform geography from a barrier into a bridge,” emphasizing that LLDCs are essential to the success of the global 2030 Agenda.
“We have the knowledge. We have the tools. What we need now is the will — and the action — to deliver justice, opportunity, and prosperity to those who have waited far too long,” Guterres added.
Precise Post further recalls that the Awaza Programme of Action, backed by the United Nations, sets the stage for a global reckoning — and a new era of inclusion for the world’s most geographically disadvantaged nations.
