Malawi’s Vice President, Michael Bizwick Usi, addressing reporters during a press briefing at the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS
By Kizito Makoye
AWAZA, Turkmenistan , Aug 6 2025 – “The term ‘negotiation’ must be understood in ethical context… When an arsonist comes and burns down my house and then asks me to negotiate so I can rebuild my house, that becomes the paradox.”
With these searing words, Malawi’s Vice President Michael Bizwick Usi cut through the diplomatic pleasantries at a high-level conference of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), laying bare the deep frustration felt by many vulnerable nations battling climate change’s harshest impacts.
Farmers in southern Malawi are still nursing the wounds left by Cyclone Freddy, thousands of kilometres away from the glass-and-marble plenary halls in Awaza—Turkmenistan’s glitzy Caspian Sea resort where LLDC leaders are gathered this week. The 2023 storm, one of the worst in the region’s history, ravaged homes, washed away crops, and pushed an already fragile economy deeper into crisis.
Set against the shimmering backdrop of opulent hotels and air-conditioned meeting rooms, the conference has placed climate change high on the agenda. But Usi’s emotionally charged remarks served as a reminder that for many LLDCs, the climate emergency is not a theoretical threat—it is a lived reality, with each passing season bringing more destruction.
“Many times, we go as a bloc and ask for general assistance. Some of the packages are not really relevant to the causes in those specific areas,” Usi added, urging world leaders to recognise the moral dimensions of climate negotiations.
Usi’s comments came as African LLDCs, including Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Chad, Burundi and Burkina Faso, celebrated the historic establishment of the Group of LLDCs as a formal negotiating bloc under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This move is not just symbolic. It marks a long-overdue recognition of the specific vulnerabilities faced by these nations—and the need for tailored climate finance, adaptation support, and international cooperation.
Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs estimated that 2.2 million people had been affected by Cyclone Freddy, with at least 1,434 fatalities and about USD 1.53 billion in damages. Credit: Red Cross
A Turning Point for the Forgotten
The formation of the LLDC Group under the UNFCCC was described by Rabaab Fatima, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for LLDCs, as “a critical step toward ensuring that the specific vulnerabilities and unique challenges of the LLDCs are reflected in global climate decision-making.”
Fatima added, “This achievement reflects the power of unity, leadership and resilience. It sends a clear signal that LLDCs will play a greater role in global climate negotiations. This gives us the means to effectively articulate and address the unique climate challenge that we all face today.”
Despite representing only 7 percent of the global population, LLDCs accounted for 18 percent of the world’s population affected by droughts and landslides between 2012 and 2023. With 55 percent of their populations relying on agriculture—compared to the global average of 25 percent—these nations are on the frontline of climate impacts, yet they often sit on the periphery of climate financing and technology transfer mechanisms.
The Ethical Dimension of Negotiation
In an interview with IPS, Usi challenged the moral framing of climate negotiations: “Do Bhutan and Malawi have the same issues and problems? Are we negotiating on a fair platform?” His comments cut to the heart of a decades-long grievance. LLDCs are hit hard by disasters they did not cause and lack the resources to respond.
His call for an ethical rethinking of climate negotiations resonated with others on the panel. Dina Nath Dhungyel, Bhutan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and External trade emphasized, “If you really want to fight climate change, each and every country must take responsibility.”
Bhutan, which has over 70 percent of its land under forest cover and is constitutionally mandated to maintain at least 60 percent, has long been a beacon of sustainability.
Still, as Dhungyel pointed out, even countries with exemplary green records cannot shoulder the burden alone.
“It may not be possible for a small nation like Bhutan… to mitigate climate change throughout the world,” he warned.
Tailoring Support to the Vulnerable
Historically, LLDCs have been lumped together with other developing nations in broad climate categories. This has led to the under-representation of many of their unique concerns, including fragile transit routes, dependence on drought-prone hydropower, and desertification.
The newly formed LLDC Group will help correct this by pushing for:
- Dedicated climate finance
- Priority access to technology transfer
- Support for resilient infrastructure
- Recognition in loss and damage frameworks
- Targeted capacity building
In 2023, more than 51 percent of LLDC populations faced moderate or severe food insecurity. Hydropower, which provides 44 percent of their electricity, is increasingly threatened by erratic weather. These structural dependencies demand targeted solutions.
Climate Finance: A Shrinking Pie
The battle for climate finance remains fierce. Chairman Pacheco of the LLDC Group acknowledged the complexity.
“Everybody’s competing. The pie size is not getting bigger… One more additional group has now been added to be asking for a slice of the pie. It’s not gonna be easy.”
Yet, Fatima argued, the LLDCs’ distinct voice is not only legitimate but also necessary. Her office is working to gather evidence and advocate for their rightful claim to resources: “We’ll try to mobilise the UN system as a whole… so that your unique climate challenges are also reflected in their priorities and programmes.”
From Recognition to Action
This momentum builds on Article 4.8(i) of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, which recognise the special needs of LLDCs. Yet until now, these provisions lacked institutional muscle. The LLDC negotiating group aims to bridge that gap.
The recently adopted Awaza Programme of Action for 2024-2034 identifies climate change as a top priority and outlines support mechanisms in adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and resilient infrastructure. It calls for systematic partnerships and tailored responses.
The inclusion of LLDCs in the formal UNFCCC process not only amplifies their voice but also enables cross-regional solidarity. Many LLDCs belong simultaneously to the G77+China, the African Group, and the Least Developed Countries bloc. As Pacheco noted, the strategy is to build consensus and gain broader support for LLDC priorities through these interlinked networks.
Hope in the Rubble.
But news of the LLDC bloc reaching the negotiating table gives her a sliver of hope. “If the world can see us, maybe they will help,” she says. “We don’t want to live on handouts. We want to build again.”
For millions of farmers in Malawi and across Africa, the world must listen—and act.
As the world heads toward COP30, the LLDCs are no longer silent. They have a seat at the table—and they intend to use it.
IPS UN Bureau Report
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