At a side event held on June 7 at the sports complex in Awaza, which is hosting the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), the UN Technology Bank focused on the critical role of technology and innovation in driving development in LLDCs. The event, which was part of a larger conference, was chaired by the new Managing Director of the UN Technology Bank, Mr. Deodat Maharaj, and was attended by delegations from various LLDCs.
The discussion centered on the importance of collaboration among these nations to leverage science, technology, and innovation to overcome structural challenges like high transport costs and limited market access. The conference, which runs from August 5-8, is operating under the Awaza Programme of Action (APoA) for 2024-2034. This ambitious framework aims to assist the 32 LLDCs worldwide, which are home to over 600 million people, by focusing on five priority areas. One of the key areas is structural transformation, and science, technology, and innovation, which calls for active collaboration between governments, academia, and the private sector to create a thriving innovation ecosystem.
The event highlights the potential for digital transformation to mitigate the challenges of being landlocked. Digital services, unlike physical goods, are not subject to the delays and high costs associated with physical borders and transit routes. The overarching theme of the conference is to turn geographic constraints into opportunities through regional cooperation and international partnerships.
