DDG Zhang urges deeper digitalization of border crossing procedures to boost LLDC trade

The meeting, chaired by Ambassador Davasuren Gerelmaa of Mongolia, brought together ministers and senior officials from the 32 LLDCs, along with UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan, Under-Secretary-General Rabab Fatima of the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), and the heads of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) as well as other development partners.

The meeting provided a platform for LLDCs to articulate their shared priorities and to call for strengthened international partnerships to unlock trade and investment as drivers of structural transformation and resilient prosperity, in line with the newly adopted Awaza Programme of Action for LLDCs (2024-2034). Ministers also agreed on a new Ministerial Declaration setting out collective priorities for advancing trade, investment and connectivity.

Speaking on behalf of the WTO, DDG Zhang underlined the Organization's longstanding support for LLDCs' integration into the multilateral trading system. "Trade facilitation remains the most effective tool to address the higher trade costs, transit dependencies and connectivity constraints that LLDCs face," he said. He noted that LLDCs are achieving "shorter clearance times, improved border coordination and more predictable transit procedures" through implementation of the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

"Beyond national reforms, what we need are corridor-level governance institutions that can oversee harmonized rules, monitor performance and promote cooperation across borders," he added.

DDG Zhang also encouraged LLDCs to engage actively in ongoing WTO discussions on investment facilitation for development and e-commerce. "These initiatives demonstrate how the WTO can deliver meaningful, development-focused outcomes," he said. "They open pathways for LLDCs to deepen integration into global markets - fully aligned with the trade, investment and digital priorities of the Awaza Programme of Action."

In her opening statement, Under-Secretary-General Fatima commended the resilience and determination of LLDCs and underscored the need to "transform the structural constraints of geography into engines of growth and opportunity." She welcomed the adoption of the Awaza Programme of Action as "a comprehensive and action-oriented political commitment" and announced new initiatives, including a forthcoming High-Level Panel of the UN Secretary-General on Freedom of Transit and a feasibility study for an Infrastructure Investment Financing Facility for LLDCs.

The Ministerial Declaration adopted by LLDCs reaffirms their commitment to multilateralism and to a rules-based, inclusive and transparent trading system, with the WTO at its core. It calls for enhanced support to strengthen productive capacities, promote digital transformation, develop sustainable transport systems and increase Aid for Trade to LLDCs.

Ambassador Gerelmaa, speaking on behalf of the LLDC Group, expressed appreciation to the WTO and other partners for their continued support. "We deeply value the WTO's full support for trade facilitation and the integration of LLDCs into the multilateral trading system," she said, highlighting the importance of cooperation in implementing the Awaza Programme of Action.

In closing, DDG Zhang reaffirmed the WTO's readiness to assist LLDCs in translating the Awaza commitments into action. "As we move towards our next Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March 2026, it is vital that the voices and priorities of LLDCs remain central," he said. "Together, we can make trade a driver of development, resilience and economic transformation."