Zambia says LLDCs need support on Sustainable Development Goals

The Zambian government has called for global support to Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) to strengthen their capacities for monitoring and reporting on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a senior official said on Wednesday.

Permanent Secretary in charge of Policy Analysis and Coordination at Cabinet Office Bernard Kampasa said LLDCs and Small Island Developing States deserve special attention from the international community in their pursuit of sustainable development.

The official was speaking when he spoke on behalf of the 32 LLDCs at the ongoing ministerial segment of the high-level political forum sessions on countries in special situations under the theme "Ensuring that no one is left behind" at the United Nations (UN) in New York, according to a statement released by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at Zambia's Permanent Mission at the UN, Chibaula Silwamba.

According to him, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the LLDCs could not be attained without enhanced global partnerships for development.

"The LLDCs Group reiterates the need to assist the most vulnerable countries, including landlocked developing countries, in building and strengthening our national capacities for data collection and analysis," he said.

"The LLDCs suffer unique geographical disadvantages, combined with other new and emerging challenges, which have ultimately impaired our capacities to deliver sufficient economic and social development," he added.

LLDCs, he said, face constraints in accessing sea routes, isolation from world markets, border and transit procedures, inefficient logistics systems and inadequate infrastructure as well as disproportionately high trade and transport costs.

The challenges were further compounded by emerging challenges such as climate change, commodity price volatility, disasters and other external shocks, he added. Endit