16 Oct 2024

Hosting of the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) December 10-13 is expected to boost Botswana’s Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibition (MICE) strategy of being a destination of choice for hosting meetings, international conferences and events.

The LLDC conference convenes every 10 years to adopt a decade long programme of action addressing challenges and development needs of land locked developing countries as well as explore ways of strengthening partnerships among these countries.

Following the Vienna, Austria LLDC conference in 2014, Botswana through the current chair of the LLDC President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, is hosting the next conference in Gaborone themed: Driving Progress Through Partnerships.

Updating on preparations of the coming LLDC conference, Botswana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr Gladys Mokhawa, in a recent interview said LLDC was a 32-member organisation of land-linked countries with no direct access to the sea and members were from Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.

She said the concerned countries came together to address challenges emanating from the lack of direct access to the sea, impacting trade facilitation, transportation of imports and exports. Without direct access to sea, their goods have to travel through other countries on their way to the sea, subjected to taxation of different countries reducing efficiency of trade.

Dr Mokhawa said the organ was established by concerned countries to have one voice in addressing their challenges. She said the current chair of the LLDC, Botswana would host the conference, where a new 10-year road map ‘Gaborone Programme of Action’ would be drafted.

She said through President Masisi chairmanship, Botswana had been at the helm of the LLDC since 2022 and his term was ending this December. She said as the chair of the organ, the country was mandated to advocate for and take into the account interests of the LLDC member countries on among other issues challenges of climate change, infrastructure development as well as improving trade relations.

Dr Mokhawa said what was important during Botswana’s tenure was to draft and finalise the new programme of action to be discussed and adopted by the conference. 

She said the 10-year Vienna programme of action was ending and would be replaced by Gaborone Programme Action. Dr Mokhawa said the Vienna Programme of Action primarily focused on developing and adopting technology and innovation, trade facilitation, regional integration to necessitate trade, connectivity and transport.

She said LLDC member states were mandated to come up with a working plan aimed at facilitating the ending Vienna Programme of Action.

Dr Mokhawa said some projects the country was engaged in to fulfil the Vienna Programme of Action, were improving and expansion of connectivity networks, regional integration by constructing Mohembo and Kazungula Bridges and the Trans-Kalahari Corridor to improve regional integration.

She said while implementing current Vienna Programme of Action, some activities were found to be lagging behind such as harmonising trade policies in the region, costs of transporting goods through other countries. 

He said the plan was to harmonise such challenges and ease trade.

Therefore, Dr Mokhawa said, all issues pending under the Vienna Programme of Action, such as trade facilitation, regional integration, technology and innovation, transit, connectivity as well as improving policies dealing with challenges of climate change and disasters, as well as means of implementation would be incorporated into the Gaborone Programme of Action.

She said the LLDC conference, expected to attract 192 UN member states and LLDC members would be the first major conference hosted by Botswana and the continent. Dr Mokhawa said cluster committees organising for the conference were in place, whilst another team was working on the facility to ensure that it was ready to host the expected 4 000 delegates.

Dr Mokhawa said other than main programme, the conference would have plenary sessions and five round tables of which one would be chaired by Dr Masisi, where priority issues of the LLDC would be discussed.

She said President Masisi would make a presentation on the main programme of the LLDC, adding the round tables would also give ministers an opportunity to advance the country’s interests on among others issues of trade, innovation and technology.

Dr Mokhawa said the conference would also have side events featuring different countries and organs of the UN, and Botswana would have two side events focusing on the economy and disaster management. Additionally, she said the conference would feature five forums one of which would be of private sector.

A Youth Forum will be held on the eve of the main conference on December 9 at the University of Botswana. She said the third forum of the main conference would feature civil society from across the world where they would discuss how LLDC programme of action represented the civil society.

The conference will also feature Women Leaders Forum, which will be conducted by the First Lady together with UN women.

She said the conference would also feature Parliamentary Forum where LLDC legislators would discuss issues of interest as well as consider means of improving their collaboration. 

Dr Mokhawa said landlocked countries directly had trade and other relations with countries with access to the sea, adding that transit countries such as Namibia, South Africa were an important stakeholder at the conference as the decisions to be made directly affected them.

She said local businesses among others; transport and logistics, hotel, catering, tourism among others must be ready and in position to join hands with government and other organs such as the civil society to make the LLDC conference a historic, memorable and successful event. ENDs