Read the full text here as it was delivered at the High-level luncheon:
The welcoming remarks of H.E. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States at the High-Level Luncheon on the occasion of the entry into force of the Multilateral Agreement for the Establishment of an International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries at the United Nations Headquarter, in New York, USA.
6 October 2017
Your Excellency Mr. Sukhee Sukhbold, Ambassador of Mongolia to the UN,
Your Excellency Mr. Lazarous Kapambwe, Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia to the UN and the Chair of the LLDCs,
Your Excellency, Mr. Odbayar Erdenetsogt, Ambassador at-Large and Interim Director of the Think Tank for LLDCs,
Excellencies and distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to this luncheon on the Occasion of Entry into Force of the Multilateral Agreement for the Establishment of the International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries, organized by my UN-OHRLLS and the Interim Secretariat of the Think Tank.
The entry into force of the agreement represents a milestone achievement by the LLDCs. I wish to congratulate the LLDC Group and the Think Tank for reaching this crucial step. It represents the establishment of the first ever intergovernmental body of the Group.
I am sure that with its full operationalization, the Think Tank will contribute to solidifying the united voice of the landlocked developing countries and reinforce global efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals as well as complement the work of the United Nations in supporting the landlocked developing countries.
I wish to commend the Government of Mongolia for hosting the Think Tank and supporting the interim management. The Think Tank would not have been able to get off the ground without your support.
From the inception of the idea of the Think Tank, the United Nations has supported its establishment, from General Assembly resolutions to supporting the development of the Agreement itself. OHRLLS has also been working closely with the Interim Management of the Think Tank and we have organized together a number of events already, such as on national mainstreaming of the Vienna Programme of Action and trade facilitation for LLDCs.
I know that on top of the ten required ratifications, several of your Governments are also undertaking the domestic process of ratification. I would like to urge other LLDCs to follow suit. This is very important in order to enhance the collective of the Think Tank and have a voice on the Board of the Think Tank.
The Think Tank will provide a centre of excellence for high quality research and policy advice on the priority areas of the Vienna Programme of Action and issues of importance to the LLDCs.
Through research, information sharing and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned, the Think Tank will support LLDCs in formulating common positions on key issues and contribute to further strengthening of their analytical capacities.
Under its Interim Management, the Think Tank has already started its work. But now that the process of full operationalization begins, it is my hope that its potential benefits can be turned into reality.
Moving forward, I would like to assure you of the commitment of my Office to support the process of formalization of the Think Tank. OHRLLS stands ready to participate as an observer on the Board of Governors.
We will also continue to work closely with the Think Tank to undertake joint activities to address the special needs of the LLDCs.
OHRLLS has a mandate to mobilize the UN system and ensure coordinated follow-up on the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action. We will leverage this role to mobilize UN system capacities to support and promote the work of the Think Tank.
Thank you for your attention.