Leveraging the Potential of the Private Sector for Integration of Landlocked Developing Countries into Global and Regional Value Chains
The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly halted landlocked developing countries’ (LLDCs) progress broadly across all priority areas of the Vienna Programme of Action. Growth in real gross domestic product (GDP) has decreased from 4.3 per cent in 2019 to -2.4 per cent in 2020. Foreign direct investment (FDI) contracted by 31 per cent to $15 billion in 2020, the lowest aggregate level since 2007. Fiscal demands of the pandemic and falling revenues have exacerbated resource constraints in all LLDCs making the recovery even more challenging. Against this backdrop, leveraging the potential of the private sector to aid recovery in LLDCs and provide renewed impetus to the pursuit of the sustainable development agenda and the Vienna Programme of Action has become paramount.
Investment by and trade with multinational enterprises (MNEs) can help LLDCs integrate in global and regional value chains which can in turn lead to a host of positive externalities in the form of knowledge spillovers, human capital development and structural change. Integration into GVCs is especially important for LLDCs as it can provide impetus to structural transformation efforts, increase their trade linkages and facilitate spillovers of technology and innovative capacity.
In order to address these critical issues, UN-OHRLLS jointly with the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan is organizing a meeting on how integration into global and regional value chains can contribute to LLDCs’ development priorities and how the private sector can facilitate this. Based on data and statistics from LLDCs and real-world cases, this meeting will enable stakeholders to benefit from the expertise of a diverse panel representing international organizations, development finance institutions and the private sector.
Objectives
The specific objectives of this meeting include:
- Highlight the critical role of the private sector in aiding economic recovery in LLDCs in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, in promoting integration of LLDCs into global value chains and regional value chains as well as achieving the objectives of the sustainable development agenda and the Vienna Programme of Action
- Share findings from UN-OHRLLS’ report on Enhancing LLDCs’ participation in Global and Regional Value Chains
- Provide a platform to discuss policies and measures that could help harness the role of the private sector to achieve LLDCs’ development objectives and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
- Identify technical assistance and capacity building areas
Panel of Experts
Mr. Emiliano Duch, Lead Private Sector Specialist, World Bank [PDF]
Mr. Adnan Seric, Research Manager, UNIDO
Mr. Ashish Shah, Director of Country Programmes, ITC [PDF]
Ms. Gladys Mutangadura, Chief, Landlocked Developing Countries Unit, UN-OHRLLS
Ms. Johanna Silvander, Programme Management Officer, UNCTAD
Contact Persons
UN-OHRLLS - Arslan Chaudhary (chaudhary4@un.org)
Kazakhstan, Chair of LLDCs – Nurzhan Rakhmetov (nurzhandf@gmail.com)
Documents
Events
Upcoming Meetings
