Lowering trade and transit costs for landlocked countries could be as simple as signing one tried-and-tested UN convention, said Umberto de Pretto. Speaking at the Third UN Conference for Landlocked Developing Countries in Awaza, Turkmenistan, he called on governments to join the TIR Convention without delay.
For landlocked developing countries without direct access to the sea, geography poses not only a challenge but also a costly barrier to trade, connectivity and development. Lacking coastal ports, these countries depend on transit nations, which increases logistics costs and causes delays.
The Third UN Conference for Landlocked Developing Countries, a landmark once-a-decade event, brought together more than 20 heads of state and governments, over 3,000 representatives of international organisations, civil society, and businesses from around the world to mobilise international support for the 32 landlocked developing countries. The conference officially endorsed and launched a new ambitious decade ¨C through the Awaza Programme of Action 2024-2034 and its deliverables ¨C with a collective aim to fully unlock the development potential of landlocked developing countries.
Umberto de Pretto, IRU¡¯s Secretary General, spoke at a number of sessions and events, including the , the , the Transport and Transit Session of the Connectivity Track, and the Economic Cooperation Organization¡¯s (ECO¡¯s) ministerial side-event.
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵurged countries to take the essential first step of acceding to existing UN instruments, such as the TIR Convention, to facilitate and secure trade. Countries that have already done so should coordinate efforts to digitalise transit procedures with TIR, following the example of several nations in the region.
¡°It is not geography that defines destiny but mindset. The right policies can turn landlocked countries into landlinked trading nations,¡± said Umberto de Pretto. ¡°However, only 11 out of the world¡¯s 32 landlocked developing countries have ratified the TIR Convention, and none have joined the global TIR transit system in the previous decade of the Vienna Programme of Action 2014-2024.¡±
¡°At events like this, everyone talks about financing hard infrastructure, which costs billions, but no one mentions soft measures, which cost next to nothing yet deliver huge, immediate benefits,¡± he added.
TIR has proven to reduce border transit times by up to 92%, lower transport costs by up to 50%, and cut CO? emissions in border-crossing zones by up to 90%. With IRU¡¯s support, the TIR system can be implemented in 6-12 months. Uzbekistan, one of only two double-landlocked countries in the world, is the largest user of the TIR system.
¡°It is important to couple hard infrastructure investments with advanced cross-border facilitation, including the implementation of sophisticated digital customs and transit systems, and the development of express TIR Green Lanes at key border crossings,¡± said Umberto de Pretto. ¡°It is also important to allocate a certain amount of the financing for training on how to use road infrastructure, as the majority of road accidents (85%) are caused by human error.¡±
Cumbersome and redundant procedures increase transport costs exponentially. Reducing non-tariff barriers is key to bolstering economies. Central Asia¡¯s road freight volumes grew by 60%, and Europe¡¯s by 68%, following accession to TIR. Landlocked developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America must demonstrate the political will and follow suit.
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵmembers AIRCUZ, CEVA Logistics and HPF also spoke at the event, providing concrete examples of TIR and other UN instruments reducing transport costs and times while improving the security, transparency and reliability of door-to-door deliveries. Furthermore, they shared how TIR enables operationalisation of new corridors and routes, thus developing transport links with landlocked developing countries and helping them connect to global markets.
¡°The implementation of the international standards has helped ECO countries, particularly developing landlocked ones, to overcome border-crossing challenges,¡± said Umberto de Pretto at the ECO side event. ¡°To illustrate this, the ECO region is the largest user of the TIR system, accounting for more than 70% of all global TIR carnets.¡±
¡°The industry is ready to reap the benefits, but governments must act instead of just talking,¡± he added.
Adopting legislation for tools such as the UN¡¯s eTIR and e-CMR (the global digital consignment note standard) as well as e-permits and e-visas will enable transport operators, logistics companies and importers/exporters to use these systems.
