The Awaza Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 24 December 2024 under resolution A/RES/79/233. It was the outcome of “Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries”, hosted by Turkmenistan from 5 to 8 August 2025 in Awaza.
The document intends to mobilize support for the 32 landlocked developing countries across the globe, which includes 7 ECO Member States (Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) through addressing challenges emanating from lack of their direct access to the seas, including in trade facilitation, structural transformation, transport connectivity, technology, climate resilience, finance, etc. It draws on lessons learned from the implementation of the “Vienna Programme of Action 2014–2024”.
Given the importance of the topic for the ECO Member States and the ECO Region, high level delegations from the ECO landlocked and transit countries attended the third UN Conference in Awaza. Apart from their national agenda in the Conference, high level delegation of the ECO Member States participated in the sideline ECO gathering under the theme “ECO and implementation of the Awaza Programme of Action 2024–2034.”
The ECO Secretary General, Dr. Asad M. Khan also held a bilateral meeting with Ms. Rabab Fatima, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS), on the sidelines of the UN Conference in Awaza, where the both sides took the opportunity to discuss ways and means to work closely to address the unique challenges faced by landlocked developing countries, particularly the ECO landlocked countries.
The ECO Secretariat considers the Awaza Programme of Action as one of the main frameworks of cooperation and partnership inside the ECO Region and between ECO and its relevant and interested global and regional partners. It will organize meetings with the relevant stakeholders to discuss steps ahead.