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Madame Chair,

Allow me, at the outset, to convey my heartfelt congratulations to you and your delegation for assuming the responsibilities of Acting Chair of the LLDC Group.

 I wish to commend you Ambassador, for taking on this responsibility amid  considerable parallel demands, including the intensive work related to Kyrgyzstan’s candidacy for the Security Council. 

Kyrgyzstan’s readiness to shoulder this role reflects a strong leadership and a deep commitment to advancing the collective interests of landlocked developing countries.

I also extend my sincere thanks to the Bureau members, the Ambassadors of Lao PDR, Eswatini, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, for their continued support and engagement. My Office remains fully committed to working closely with the Acting Chair and the Bureau in advancing the priorities of the LLDC Group.

Excellencies,

This year marks a particularly significant moment. It is the first year of implementation of the Awaza Programme of Action, and a critical phase for maintaining political momentum following the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries. Our collective challenge is to ensure that the outcomes of Awaza are translated into concrete, visible and coordinated action across the United Nations system and beyond.

I recently had the opportunity to address the 2026 ECOSOC Coordination Segment, where I conveyed the perspective of LLDCs and the Awaza POA; and underscored the imperative to move from commitments to action.

In that context, I stressed the importance of deliberate and sustained efforts to embed the priorities of the Awaza Programme of Action – APOA- across the work programmes of ECOSOC subsidiary bodies, functional commissions, and operational entities. 

In this regard, the role of the Chair and the Bureau will be central in ensuring that the APOA is fully reflected in the work of the General Assembly, the High-Level Political Forum, and other relevant intergovernmental processes.

Allow me to emphasize a fundamental point: across all these processes, the collective presence,  and visibility of the LLDC Group will be indispensable. A strong, coordinated voice in intergovernmental fora, thematic processes, and major global negotiations will be critical to ensuring that the priorities of LLDCs remain firmly anchored in global decision-making during this first year of implementation.

Excellencies,

The year ahead will be marked by several important moments that require strong, coordinated engagement by the LLDC Group.

Following the successful completion of pilot projects in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Burundi and Zimbabwe, my Office will organize a global meeting on trade and transport connectivity for LLDCs. This meeting will provide a key platform to advance practical solutions to reduce trade costs, address transit constraints, and enhance competitiveness.

Later in the year, my Office plans to convene a meeting of LLDC- National Focal Points, which will be essential for strengthening national-level ownership and coordination in the early phase of implementation of the Awaza Programme of Action.

These efforts will be followed by major international events taking place in LLDCs themselves, including:

-    the Water for Sustainable Development Conference in Tajikistan in May, 
-    the World Urban Forum in Azerbaijan also in May, 
-    the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference of the Parties in Mongolia in August, 
-    and the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties in Armenia in October. 

In addition, we plan to convene a meeting of the Group of Friends of LLDCs, which will provide an opportunity to further mobilize political support and partnerships for implementation.

Taken together, these developments underscore the importance of coherence, focus, and collective leadership.

Excellencies,

Alongside these engagements, UN-OHRLLS is advancing key deliverables mandated by the APOA. In line with General Assembly mandates, the Office is leading the preparation of several reports of the Secretary-General, including on the proposed Infrastructure Investment Financing Facility for landlocked developing countries, the establishment of Regional Agricultural Research Hubs, and system-wide support to LLDCs.

We are also working with the Office of the Secretary General on the establishment of the High-Level Panel on Freedom of Transit, which will provide a political platform to address persistent transit barriers that continue to constrain the development prospects of LLDCs.

Excellencies, 

In accordance with our coordination mandate, OHRLLS is further advancing the second update of the Roadmap of Awaza Programme of Action implementation activities. The roadmap currently captures 319 activities across 36 United Nations entities, and serve as an important tool to enhance coherence, transparency, and accountability across the system.

Excellencies,

The High-Level Political Forum this year will offer a critical opportunity to bring the specific challenges and priorities of LLDCs to the center of global discussions on accelerating progress towards the 2030 Agenda.

In this regard, I encourage the Group to continue strengthening its working methods, including through the effective use of Thematic Coordinators, to further enhance coherence, impact, and collective advocacy.

UN-OHRLLS stands ready to continue working closely with the Chair, the Bureau, and all Member States to ensure that the Awaza Programme of Action delivers tangible, coordinated, and lasting results for landlocked developing countries.

I thank you.