Advancing Eye Health and Sustainable Development in Landlocked Developing Countries – LLDC3 Side Event Overview

Overview: 

On the margins of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), the UN Friends of Vision Group will aim to host the official side event, Vision for Everyone: Innovative Solutions and Partnerships for Advancing Eye Health and Accelerating Sustainable Development in Landlocked Developing Countries, to explore the rapidly growing social and economic impact of regional eye health challenges within LLDCs on sustainable development and the transformative power of innovative capacity-building as a means to advance access to eye care services, improve economic resilience and achieve a healthier and more equitable future for all. 

Confirmed Speakers:  

• H.E. Ms. Rabab Fatima, High Representative of the UN for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-ORHLLS). 

• H.E. Mr. Donal Cronin, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN  

• Mr. Deodat Maharaj, Director, UN Technology Bank 

• Dr. Aaron Thembinkosi Magava, Ophthalmologist and IAPB Co-Chair South Chair South Chair 

About LLDC3: 

The Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) will be held from 9-13 December 2024 in Gaborone, Botswana. The conference will explore innovative solutions to challenges faced by LLDCs and build strategic partnerships to unlock potential. The Conference will convene under the theme, ‘Driving Partnerships for Progress’. 

The Second UN Conference on LLDCs adopted a Programme of Action for LLDCs for the Decade 2014-2024 that focuses on six priorities: transit policy issues; infrastructure development and maintenance, including on transport, energy, and information and communications technology (ICT); international trade and trade facilitation; regional integration and cooperation; structural economic transformation; and means of implementation. 

 Outcomes: 

The event will hopefully result in several outcomes intended to further embed eye health as a critical development issue and increase access to services and garner member state support for the Global Summit. It will increase awareness of the linkages between eye health and sustainable development, and identify the concrete actions, commitments, and partnerships required to strengthen eye health care in LLDCs. This includes the integration of eye health into relevant policy discussions and frameworks at the national, regional and global levels. The establishment of mechanisms to facilitate the transfer of technologies and best practices in eye health from developed to developing countries to foster capacity building and knowledge exchange. And the mobilization of adequate financing from key stakeholders to improve infrastructure, human resources, and ensure sustainability and scalability of service delivery. 

IAPB Opportunity: 

• LLDC3 presents a strategic opportunity to not only advance national implementation of UN General Assembly resolution 75/310 Vision for Everyone within LLDCs, but also to highlight innovative and strategic examples of how the global community can respond to the challenges of avoidable blindness and vision loss in order to deliver on commitments through collaboration, enhance stability and economic prosperity.  

• It will provide a platform to promote the proposed 2026 Global Summit amongst government leaders, particularly those from regions disproportionately impacted by avoidable sight loss and lack of access to eye health care. 

• Taking into consideration the multifaceted and intersectional challenges faced by landlocked countries, the event will build off the recommendations and commitments from existing policies to set LLDCs on the path towards ending avoidable sight loss and accelerating progress towards sustainable development.