Abstract: The report reviews the recent activities of UNCTAD on behalf of land-locked developing countries and a summary of actions by individual countries and international organizations on behalf of landlocked developing countries. The report contains three sections. The first section reviews recent developments in key areas of transit transport policy. It underscores the dependence of landlocked developing countries on commodity exports and therefore their vulnerability to erratic international commodity prices and adverse weather conditions. It also highlights recent changes in trade and transit transport patterns and evaluates the impact of transit policy on transport costs and services. The second section takes a closer look at the magnitude and structure of transit costs and highlights the impact of procedures and documentation on such costs. The analysis of magnitude and cost structure is based on field research conducted by the United Nations on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 1999 in five subregions: north-east Asia; West Africa; Central Africa; Eastern Africa; and Southern Africa. The third section draws conclusions and makes proposals for future action. The section identifies a few priority areas for action. The point is made that while the primary responsibility by implementing the recommendations is that of landlocked countries and their neighbours, it is expected that strong support will be extended by the international donor community
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International Institute for Trade and Developement : UNCTAD Collection
