UN meeting on landlocked countries set to kick-off in Kazakhstan

Government ministers from around the world are set to meet this week in Almaty, Kazakhstan, for a United Nations conference aimed at seeking solutions to the special problems faced by countries without access to seaports.

The two-day International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries, opening Thursday, seeks to negotiate systematic improvements of those problems through cooperation with transit nations – those situated between landlocked countries and the seas – donors and multilateral agencies.

Conference deliberations are expected to focus on freedom of access to the seas, infrastructure development, efficiency of transport operations and international support measures. Countries will negotiate agreements on cutting red tape, time and costs in goods from landlocked nations reaching markets through transit access countries.

According to UN officials, the results of the Almaty action plan will be monitored and evaluated through measurable criteria, such as reductions in costs and days it takes products from specific nations to reach deepwater ports.

UN Under-Secretary-General Anwarul Chowdhury will lead the Almaty Conference. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev is expected to address the plenary on opening day.

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