On 25 July 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 6 August each year as the International Day of Awareness of the Special Development Needs and Challenges of Landlocked Developing Countries, with the first observance held that same year in Awaza, Turkmenistan. There are 32 landlocked developing countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, home to more than 600 million people. The day matters because these countries face compounded development obstacles from lacking direct access to the sea, leaving them dependent on transit neighbors to reach world markets. This raises transport costs and shipping times, with trade costs in landlocked countries running roughly 30% higher than in coastal ones, and exposes them to disruption from political or economic instability along transit routes. The day is marked through international conferences and policy discussions on solutions such as investing in transport infrastructure and regional trade corridors, strengthening cooperation between landlocked countries and their coastal neighbors, and supporting trade and innovation initiatives that help these nations overcome their geographic isolation.