Political Declaration of the High-level Midterm Review on the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024 A/RES/74/15 9. We recognize the progress that has been made by landlocked developing countries and transit developing countries in ratifying the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Facilitation, the revised Kyoto Convention, 9 the TIR Convention 10 and other relevant international conventions. We note, however, that there is a need for landlocked developing countries and transit countries to effectively implement their obligations under these conventions and agreements. 10. We welcome the recent developments among landlocked develop ing countries and their transit neighbours in building transit transport and economic corridors. Progress has been made in reducing travel time and corresponding costs along corridors, significantly reducing the time spent at borders and at intermodal poin ts. 11. Progress has been made in landlocked developing countries and transit developing countries towards the expansion and upgrading of railways, roads, ports, air transport and inland waterways. Some missing links have been closed , and regional integration has been strengthened, but limited connectivity of landlocked developing countries remains one of the main obstacles to their enhanced trade integration. 12. We note that infrastructure in landlocked developing countries for the production, supply, transmission and distribution of modern and renewable energy services has been expanded and upgraded. However, more than 40 per cent of the population of landlocked developing countries still does not have access to electricity, and the rural-urban gap remains significant. The pace of completion of power projects is too slow. 13. We recognize that access to information and communications technologies in landlocked developing countries has increased. However, we note that landlocked developing countries continue to face major constraints that include infrastructural gaps and the relatively high cost of information and communications technology services, in particular accessing submarine cables. 14. The major challenges in infrastructure development include limited financial resources to close the significant infrastructure financing gaps, lack of capacity to develop bankable infrastructure projects, limited technologies and lack of resilient infrastructure. 15. We welcome efforts made by landlocked developing countries to enhance their participation in global trade, including through mainstreaming trade into their national strategies and updating their trade-related policies. However, we note that landlocked developing countries continue to face greater difficulties than coastal countries in expanding international trade. The competitiveness of landlocked developing countries remains limited owing to the high cost of trade, which is double that of transit developing countries. In that regard, we note with concern that the share of landlocked developing countries in global trade has declined and their share of global merchandise exports has decreased, while the total value of merchandise imports has increased. 16. We are concerned that most of the exports of landlo cked developing countries remain highly concentrated on a few primary commodities and that service exports are still dominated by the tourism sector. The lack of diversification of exports of landlocked developing countries exacerbates their vulnerability to excessive price volatility and exogenous economic and environmental shocks. __________________ 9 10 19-20986 Protocol of Amendment to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2370, No. 13561). Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Car nets (United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1079, No. 16510). 3/9