Govt Calls for Bold Global Support to Implement Aw...

Govt Calls for Bold Global Support to Implement Awaza Programme

Oscar J Jeke- Zim Now Reporter

Zimbabwe has called for urgent and sustained international support to implement the newly adopted Awaza Programme of Action, a critical framework aimed at addressing the persistent development challenges faced by landlocked developing countries.

Delivering Zimbabwe’s national statement at the 3rd United Nations Conference on LLDCs, the country’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joshua Sacco, warned that without practical action and adequate financing, the APoA risks becoming “yet another unfulfilled commitment.”

Sacco outlined the stark realities confronting LLDCs like Zimbabwe, including crippling trade costs, inadequate and outdated infrastructure, and economic vulnerability to external shocks.

These conditions, he said, continue to stifle development, deepen inequality, and marginalise landlocked nations in global trade systems.

While praising the APoA as a timely and well-structured framework, the Deputy Minister stressed that its success depends on more than diplomatic endorsement.

“Implementation must be backed by strong political will, adequate resources, technology transfer, and genuine partnerships,” he said.

Sacco reiterated Zimbabwe’s commitment to overcoming its landlocked status through strategic investment and regional integration. Under the National Development Strategy, the country is working to become a land-linked nation by rolling out climate-resilient infrastructure, expanding renewable energy systems, modernising transport corridors, improving digital connectivity, and deepening economic ties across the region.

The Deputy Minister made a strong appeal to development partners, urging them to scale up technical cooperation, support innovation, and provide sustained investment to help LLDCs implement climate-smart and inclusive development pathways.

Sacco also highlighted the disproportionate burden of climate change borne by LLDCs, despite their minimal contribution to global emissions.

He challenged developed countries to honour their climate finance commitments, emphasising that access to predictable and adequate funding is essential for resilience-building and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Zimbabwean delegation welcomed the outcomes of the recent Seville Conference on Financing for Development, particularly its recognition of the special needs of LLDCs in global financial reform debates.

Sacco added that Zimbabwe supports calls to restructure the global financial architecture to make it more inclusive, responsive, and equitable for vulnerable economies.

The LLDC3 Conference, held under the theme "Driving Progress through Connectivity", brought together governments, UN agencies, development banks, and civil society to chart a transformative agenda for the world’s 32 landlocked developing countries over the next decade.