OVERVIEW ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ALMATY PROGRAMME OF ACTION Sixth Inter-Agency Meeting on the Implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action 2 November 2010 – New York Sandagdorj Erdenebileg, Chief, Policy Development, Coordination, Monitoring and Reporting Service, OHRLLS ��������� ���������
Since the last IACG Meeting… … LLDCs’ special needs and the importance of the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action have gained broader support and recognition • Increased research on LLDC-specific topics, • Increased mainstreaming of the APoA in the Agencies. … increasingly broader approach to the APoA in the UN and the General Assembly • Away from looking at APoA as sectorial transport issue, • towards understanding its overall impact on trade, economic development and achievement of the MDGs, � Secretary General’s Report on APoA in 2010 features, for the first time, an overview of the Achievement of the MDGs within the LLDCs. … tangible progress has been achieved in building an international consensus on the further implementation of the APoA • Midterm Review Outcome, • GA Resolution 64/214. ��������� ���������
Progress towards the MDGs + Solid Economic Growth: LLDCs as a group achieved an average annual growth rate of 7.8 per cent in the period 2003-2007, which slowed down to 6 per cent in 2008, + The rate of cellular subscription and Internet users significantly increased in all countries the same period, + Primary education: almost 70% of LLDCs have improved primary education between 2003-20008, + Gender parity in primary education: almost 80% of LLDCs have improved gender parity in primary education, + The number of adults living with HIV in LLDCs fell by 12.7% (weighted average) between 2001 and 2007, + Between 2000 and 2008, the weighted average of the mortality rate of children under five dropped by 24% in LLDCs, — In 14 LLDCs, more than 20% of the population is undernourished, — 42 per cent of the countries still have a maternal mortality ratio that is higher than 500 per 100,000 live births, — In 18 landlocked developing countries the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is below $1,000, — There is still wide-spread poverty in many LLDCs. ��������� ���������
Almaty Programme of Action: selected achievements… • Implementation of risk-based inspection regime and post-destination clearance programme for pre-approved traders in Malawi. Fundamental Transit Policy Issues • Implementation an electronic export system and improvement of the risk-based inspection system in Paraguay. • Introduction of an automated import and export customs clearance system at the Chittagong port in Bangladesh. • Establishment of one-stop border post initiatives between Kenya and Uganda at Malaba, between Zambia and Zimbabwe; between Zimbabwe and Mozambique; and in West Africa on borders of Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo and Mali. ��������� ���������
… which have borne remarkable fruit. • According to the Doing Business 2010 Report, Rwanda and Fundamental Transit Policy Issues Kyrgyzstan were among the top performers. • Landlocked and transit developing countries in all regions have continued to make substantial progress in facilitating transport and trade across borders: Percentage Required…. 2005 2009 Change � Number of Documents 14 10 -31% Import � Number of Days 60 52 -14% � Number of Documents 10 8 -17% Export � Number of Days 55 46 -16% Source: www.doingbusiness.org/Downloads ��������� ���������
Some key achievements… Infrastructure Development and Maintenance • Ethiopia has set up the Dry Port Services Administration and has started to construct of a dry port on the gateway to Djibouti. • Further dry ports are being constructed in Burkina Faso, serving Côte d’Ivoire and the Niger, as well as another on that will link Burkina Faso to seaports in Ghana by railways. • Railway integration has recently made progress in South America: in May 2010, Paraguay and Brazil formalized a project funded by the Brazilian Development Bank to link Paraguay’s railway system with the railroad linking Paranagua in Brazil and the Chilean city Antofagasta, in effect creating an inter-oceanic railway corridor. ��������� ���������
Some key achievements (contd.) Infrastructure Development and Maintenance • Establishment of road funds in 27 African countries. • Amendments to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network were adopted in September 2009, providing as a result road connectivity to all landlocked countries in the region. • Concerted efforts are under way by the ECA, AUC and UN- OHRLLS to elaborate and conclude an intergovernmental agreement on the Trans-African Highway. ��������� ���������
LLDCs’ share in world trade remains low • The impressive export growth witnessed in LDCs in this decade can be attributed to only a handful of them and driven largely by the surge International Trade and Trade Facilitation in commodity prices, which saw oil and mineral prices rising significantly. • While trade has expanded in LDCs, their share of the world’s overall trade remains below 1%. Exports and Imports of merchandise (millions of current US$) 2003 2007 2008 Landlocked developing countries 72 611 182 117 265 080 in % of world 0.5% 0.7% 0.8% Transit developing countries 1 813 518 4 244 545 4 830 429 in % of world 12.0% 15.3% 15.1% World 15 074 798 27 794 051 32 083 774 ��������� ���������
Vulnerability owing to heavy reliance on export of price-volatile commodities The recent global economic crisis has pointed out the structural International Trade and Trade Facilitation weaknesses of landlocked developing countries, in particular relating to their low productive capacities and heavy reliance on the export of few “low-value – high-bulk” commodities. Selected Commodity Prices (index: 2000=100) Agricultural Raw Material 500 Minerals, Ores and Metals 450 Crude Petroleum 400 350 Food 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Jan2005 Jul2005 Jan2006 Jul2006 Jan2007 Jul2007 Jan2008 Jul2008 Jan2009 Jul2009 Jan2010 Jul2010 ��������� ���������
Tariff preferences and their utilization in 2008 Utilization of tariff presences remains low, largely owing to International Trade and Trade Facilitation complicated Rules of Origin and Cumulation requirements. All in Million United States dollars Exports Utilization actually percentage entered rate Duty-free Exports under Utilization (excluding Exporting exports - Dutiable eligible for preferential percentage minerals and group Total exports MFN=0% exports preferences regime rate arms) Developing countries excluding BRIC 1 010 570 569 882 141 887 291 031 237 047 81.5 77.2 Least developed countries 74 305 27 590 6 230 40 375 35 930 89.0 81.0 Landlocked developing countries 65 973 48 906 4 800 12 010 9 262 77.1 69.9 Source : International Trade Centre. Note : BRIC stands for Brazil, Russian Federation, India and China. ��������� ���������
Trade Facilitation under the DOHA Round • One of the only areas in the currently ongoing negotiations that has International Trade and Trade Facilitation reported progress. • A draft consolidated negotiating text is available based on all members’ suggestions and proposals • Pledge by World Trade Organization members to provide extensive technical assistance to help developing countries to negotiate effectively in the negotiations and to assist with implementation. • The negotiating mandate states that if technical assistance is not forthcoming a member needing this assistance will not be required to implement. • Currently: 22 LLDCs are Members of the WTO and 8 are Observers ��������� ���������
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