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<\/p>\nHarare, Zimbabwe | 5\u20136 November 2025<\/p>\n
Zimbabwe has taken a significant step toward strengthening trade competitiveness and regional connectivity after hosting a landmark United Nations workshop aimed at reducing the high trade and transport costs faced by landlocked developing countries (LLDCs).<\/p>\n
The two day national workshop, held in Harare from 5\u20136 November, was convened by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN OHRLLS), in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe, UNCTAD, and UNECA. It brought together 35 policymakers, technical experts, academics and private sector stakeholders to translate trade data into actionable national policies.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Opening the workshop, Mr. Abdoul Salam Bello, Chief, Office of the High Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, underscored the strategic importance of the initiative, noting that Zimbabwe was selected as one of only four pilot countries globally.<\/p>\n
\u201cZimbabwe was selected as one of only four pilot countries for this initiative\u2014an acknowledgment of its strategic role and commitment to advancing trade and transport connectivity in the region,\u201d Mr. Bello said.<\/p>\n
From Data to Policy<\/p>\n
The workshop forms part of the second phase of a broader UN OHRLLS project supported by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub Fund, and aligned with the Awaza Programme of Action for LLDCs 2024\u20132034, which calls for renewed efforts to reduce transport and trade costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese barriers stem not only from geography,\u201d Mr. Bello explained, \u201cbut also from infrastructure gaps, inefficient border procedures, and fragmented regulatory environments.\u201d<\/p>\n
Participants were trained in a hybrid set of cutting edge analytical tools, combining macro level methodologies\u2014such as gravity models and global trade cost databases\u2014with corridor specific instruments like the Time Cost Distance Model (TCDM) and Border Performance Index (BPI). According to Mr. Bello, this approach enables both broad policy insight and localized, practical reforms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis training is designed to apply capacity building through action and demonstration, ensuring the tools are not only understood but also internalized and applied,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Key Findings: Costs Beyond Infrastructure<\/p>\n
Discussions revealed that indirect costs\u2014such as regulatory delays, compliance burdens, border inefficiencies, and uncertainty\u2014often outweigh direct transport expenses but remain largely overlooked in policymaking.<\/p>\n
Participants identified major challenges affecting Zimbabwe\u2019s trade performance, including congestion at border posts, inadequate road and border infrastructure, limited transit coordination, and frequent regulatory changes that increase compliance costs for traders.<\/p>\n
Tools such as the ESCAP\u2013World Bank Trade Cost Database and the UNCTAD Trade and Transport Cost Dataset were highlighted as essential for benchmarking regional performance, while granular corridor level tools were seen as critical for operational reforms.<\/p>\n
Strong Call for Reform<\/p>\n
The workshop generated clear policy recommendations, including expanded infrastructure at major border crossings such as Forbes\/Machipanda, restoration of rail transport for heavy bulk cargo, and implementation of full One Stop Border Post operations at key entry points including Beitbridge.<\/p>\n
Participants also called for the establishment of a National Trade and Transport Observatory, bringing together the public and private sectors to share data, support evidence based decision making, and enhance long term planning.<\/p>\n
Voices from the Workshop<\/p>\n
Stakeholders praised the practical focus of the training and its relevance to real world challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis training workshop gave us an understanding of indirect costs which are important to factor in when calculating transport and trade costs,\u201d said Mr. Assan Mtembo, Chairperson of the Shipping and Forwarding Agency Association of Zimbabwe. \u201cThe data to policy approach reveals targeted areas for policy intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. Kudzai Magwenzi, Trade Intelligence Manager at Zimtrade, said the workshop would strengthen regional competitiveness analysis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are ready to use the ESCAP\u2013World Bank Trade Cost Database and the UNCTAD CIF FOB Database to track our competitiveness at both regional and international levels,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
From the public sector perspective, Mr. Martin Musengezi, Principal Officer at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, noted the value of stakeholder dialogue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe workshop helped us reflect on challenges in our border areas and close important information gaps across government, private sector and academia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Looking Ahead<\/p>\n
The findings from Harare will feed directly into a global level workshop scheduled for March 2026, where experts from all 32 landlocked developing countries will exchange experiences and demonstrate how these tools can be scaled nationally and regionally.<\/p>\n
Closing his remarks, Mr. Bello emphasized the broader development impact of the initiative.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy improving data systems, we aim to support evidence based policymaking in LLDCs, reducing trade transaction costs and strengthening integration into regional and global markets,\u201d he said. \u201cTogether, we can turn data into policy, and policy into progress.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Harare, Zimbabwe | 5\u20136 November 2025 Zimbabwe has taken a significant step toward strengthening trade competitiveness and regional…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11509,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[106],"class_list":{"0":"post-15030","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-zimbabwe","8":"tag-zimbabwe"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15030\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}