WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/724 
28 May 2008 
 (08-2491) 
 Original:   English 
  
 
MINISTERIAL COMMUNIQUÉ 
OF LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 
22 April 2008, Accra, Ghana 
 
Communication from Paraguay
 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 23 May 200 8, has been received from the Delegation of 
Paraguay with the request that it be circulated to Members.  
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COMMUNIQUÉ 
 
 
 We, Ministers for Trade of Landlocked Deve loping Countries, having met on April 22, 2008 
in Accra on the sideline of UNCTAD XII, 
 
 Recalling the United Nations Millennium Declaration
1 in which the Heads of State and 
Government recognize the special needs and problems  of landlocked developi ng countries, and urging 
both bilateral and multilateral donors to increase financ ial and technical assistance to this group of 
countries to help them overcome the impediments of geography, 
 
 Recalling also the Almaty Programme of Action: Addressing the Special Needs of 
Landlocked Developing Countries within a Ne w Global Framework for Transit Transport 
Cooperation for Landlocked and Tr ansit Developing Countries, and the Almaty Ministerial 
Declaration endorsed by the UN General Assembly at its 58th session,2 
 
 Recalling further the outcome of the 2005 World Summit3 in which the special needs and 
challenges of landlocked developi ng countries were reaffirmed along with reiterated commitments of 
the world leaders to urgently address those cha llenges by effectively implementing the Almaty 
Programme of Action, 
 
 Recalling resolutions of the General Assembly 56/180, 57/242, 58/201, 59/245, 60/208, 
61/212, 62/204 on the specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked 
developing countries,  
 Recalling the Asunción Platform for the Doha Develo pment Round, adopted at the meeting of 
the LLDC Ministers responsible for trade, on August 10
th, 2005, in Asunción, 
 
                                                      
1 AG/RES/55/2. 
2 AG/RES/58/201. 
3 AG/RES/60/1. WT/L/724 
Page 2  
 
   Further recalling the Ulaanbaatar Declaration, adopted at  the Meeting of the LLDC Ministers 
responsible for trade, on August 29
th, 2007, in Ulaanbaatar, 
  Adopt the following Communiqué  
 We recognize the adverse developmental im pact of high transaction costs incurred by 
landlocked developing countries in international me rchandise trade due to geographical isolation and 
remoteness, lack of territorial access to the sea, a dditional and often cumbersome customs procedures, 
as well as other administrative burden re lated to transit transport operations. 
 
 We emphasize the need for particular attenti on to be given in the current WTO negotiations 
on market access for agricultural and non-agricultura l goods to products of special interests to 
landlocked developing countries, including cotton producers amongst them and the granting of special and differential treatment on account of these count ries' disadvantaged geographical location that 
undermines their international competitiveness. 
 
 We underline the importance of trade facilitati on measures for the growth and expansion of 
the external trade of landlocked developing coun tries and its positive impact on their economic 
development. As called for by the Doha Ministeria l Declaration of the WTO, high priority should be 
given to the landlocked developing countries in im plementing a technical assistance program in the 
area of trade facilitation. 
 
 We call on WTO member states to initiate the provi sion of assistance in the context of the Aid 
for Trade agenda as soon as possible and independe ntly from the final result of the ongoing round of 
negotiations. Priority areas of Aid for Trade assistance should include capacity building for the 
formulation of trade policies, participation in trade negotiations, implemen tation of international 
agreements, strengthening productive capacities and de velopment of transport and ICT infrastructure 
for competitive export products of  landlocked deve loping countries. 
  We call on WTO member states to take in to account specific needs and problems of 
landlocked developing countries in the process of WTO accession negotiations.  
 We note the contribution that FDI can make  to strengthen productive capacities and the 
private sector in landlocked developing countries, so as to enable these countries to make better use of 
trading opportunities, and call on UNCTAD to give speci al attention to their needs in its analytical 
work and technical assistance activities that help attr act FDI, including the coverage of all landlocked 
developing countries in UNCTAD investment polic y reviews, investment guides and FDI Blue 
Books. 
  We call for the full and effective implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action at international, regional and nationa l levels and welcome the forthc oming mid-term review of the 
implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action to  be held in October 2008, as an opportunity to 
take stock and to focus on the next steps. 
 
 We invite the United Nations System Organiza tions, particularly UNCTAD, the Office of the 
High Representative for the Least Developed Count ries, Landlocked Developi ng Countries and Small 
Island Developing States (OHRLLS), UNDP, the Re gional Commissions, and other international 
organizations, especially the World Bank, the Wo rld Trade Organization and the World Customs 
Organization, to strengthen their work within thei r respective mandates towards the implementation of 
the Almaty Programme of Action.   WT/L/724 
 Page 3 
 
 
   We call for the successful implementation of the Ulaanbaatar Declaration, adopted at the 
Trade Ministers Meeting of LLDCs, August, 2007, a nd request the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, in 
cooperation and consultation with the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed 
Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) and 
other relevant United Nations orga nizations and international agencies, to assist in setting up an 
international think tank, which will contribute to wards addressing the challenges of LLDCs and their 
integration into the international trading system.   We request the Secretary-General of the UN CTAD, in cooperation and consultation with the 
Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, La ndlocked Developing 
Countries and Small Island Developing States ( OHRLLS) and other relevant United Nations 
organizations and international agencies, to assi st landlocked developing countries in organizing a 
Meeting of Ministers of Trade of LLDCs in 2009.   We request the Secretary General of the Un ited Nations to undertake all necessary measures 
to strengthen the Office of the High Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS (OHRLLS). 
  We call upon the Secretary General of th e United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development to strengthen UNCTAD's instituti onal and operational capacity for addressing the 
complex and severe development challenges faced by LLDCs, in accordance with General Assembly 
Resolution 56/227 and other relevant resolutions. 
 
 We urge both bilateral and multilateral donors, in accordance with the UN Millennium 
Declaration, to increase financial and technical assist ance to the LLDCs to enab le them to meet their 
special development needs and overcome the impedime nts of geography with a view to assisting them 
to participate effectively in the multilateral trading system. 
 
 We express our sincere appreciation to th e continued efforts made by Paraguay as the 
coordinator of the Group of the Landlocked Deve loping Countries in Geneva, in close coordination 
with Mali as Chairman of the LLDCs Group in  New York, on matters related to trade and 
development.  
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