A/RES/59/245 Recalling the Almaty Declaration 2 and the Almaty Programme of Action: Addressing the Special Needs of Landlocked Developing Countries within a New Global Framework for Transit Transport Cooperation for Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries, 3 Recalling also the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), 4 an initiative for accelerating regional economic cooperation and development as most landlocked and transit developing countries are located in Africa, Taking note of the ministerial communiqué adopted at the Fifth Annual Ministerial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries, held on 27 September 2004 at United Nations Headquarters, 5 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action; 6 2. Reaffirms the right of access of landlocked countries to and from the sea and freedom of transit through the territory of transit countries by all means of transport, in accordance with applicable rules of international law; Reaffirms also that transit countries, in the exercise of their full 3. sovereignty over their territory, have the right to take all measures necessary to ensure that the rights and facilities provided for landlocked countries in no way infringe upon their legitimate interests; Invites Member States, organizations of the United Nations system as 4. well as other relevant international, regional and subregional organizations and multilateral financial and development institutions to implement the specific actions in the five priorities agreed upon in the Almaty Programme of Action;3 5. Invites donor countries, the United Nations Development Programme and multilateral financial and development institutions to provide landlocked and transit developing countries with appropriate financial and technical assistance in the form of grants or concessional loans for the construction, maintenance and improvement of their transport, storage and other transit-related facilities, including alternative routes and improved communications, to promote subregional, regional and interregional projects and programmes, and, in this regard, to consider, inter alia, improving the availability and optimal use of different transport modes and intermodal efficiency along transport corridors; Recognizes that most transit countries are themselves developing 6. countries often of broadly similar economic structure and beset by similar scarcity of resources, including the lack of adequate transit transport infrastructure; Emphasizes that assistance for the improvement of transit transport 7. facilities and services should be integrated into the overall economic development strategies of the landlocked and transit developing countries and that donor _______________ 2 Report of the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and Donor Countries and International Financial and Development Institutions on Transit Transport Cooperation, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 28 and 29 August 2003 (A/CONF.202/3), annex II. 3 Ibid., annex I. 4 A/57/304, annex. 5 A/C.2/59/2. 6 A/59/208. 2