Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)

The landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) group includes 32 countries, of which 15 are located in Africa, five in Asia and the Pacific, seven in CIS, two in Europe, and two in the Americas. LLDCs include some of the poorest countries in the world, including 16 LDCs.

Lack of territorial access to the sea, remoteness and isolation from world markets and high transit costs impose serious constraints on the overall socio-economic development of landlocked developing countries. Their sea borne trade unavoidably depends on transit through other countries.

In terms of telecommunication infrastructure, LLDCs depend on neighbouring and costal countries for access to undersea cables and international Internet connectivity. Often, costs for ICTs in LLDCs are higher than the global and regional averages, mainly due to their remoteness from and high costs of accessing submarine cable connectivity.

List of LLDCs

Committed to supporting meaningful connectivity in LLDCs

ITU has maintained a dedicated programme for LLDCs since 2003 and adopted special resolutions to support their ICT development and address their specific challenges.

ITU has mainstreamed the needs of LLDCs in its activities, programmes and projects to achieve its commitments under the Vienna Programme of Action 2014-2024, which was agreed by the UN General Assembly during the Second UN Conference on the LLDCs in November 2014. The main objective of this 10 year ( action plan is to fast-forward progress in achieving the sustainable development in the LLDCs. ICTs will play a critical role to achieve this objective.

ITU is committed to enhancing its support to LLDCs and the impact of its work on social and economic development across the board through ensuring meaningful connectivity and sustainable digital transformation. Importantly, ITU is actively engaged in the preparatory process for the upcoming Third UN Conference on LLDCs to be held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2024.

As part of ITU’s mandate, the ITU Development Bureau (BDT) provides technical assistance and customized support to LLDCs upon request. In addition, BDT is developing research and analysis on the development of telecommunications/ICTs and digital technologies in LDCs and their contribution to economic and social development and the achievement of SDGs.

Facts and Figures: Focus on Landlocked Developing Countries will be released on 16 March 2024. Stay tuned!