Permanent Mission of Turkmenistan to the UN Office at Geneva
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Programme (PDF)
Opening
13:15-13:20 - Opening remarks by H.E. Mr. Vepa Hajiyev, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to UNOG
13:20-13:25 - Opening remarks by H.E. Mr. Dmitry Mariyasin, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNECE
Panel discussion - Moderated by H.E. Mr. Vepa Hajiyev, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to UNOG
13:25-13:30 - H.E. Mr. Annadurdy Kosayev, Chairman of the agency “Turkmendenizderyayollary”
13:30-13:35 - H.E. Mr. Daryoush Amani, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Islamic Republic of Iran, President of the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization (RMTO)
13:35-13:40 - H.E. Ms. Saidmurodzoda Shoista, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Republic of Tajikistan
13:40-13:45 - H.E. Mr. Umberto de Pretto, Secretary General of the International Road Transport Union
13:45-13:50 - Mr. Yuwei Li, Director of the Sustainable Transport Division, UNECE
13:50-13:55 - H.E. Mrs. Lotte KNUDSEN, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of the EU Delegation to UNOG
13:55-14:05 - Q&A session
CONCEPT NOTE
I. Background
The role of transport in sustainable development was first recognized at the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit and enshrined in its outcome document, Agenda 21.
Subsequently, at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, the role of transport was reemphasized in the outcome document, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI), which provided many reference points for sustainable transport in the context of infrastructure, public transport systems, goods delivery networks, accessibility, efficiency and convenience of transport, as well as improving urban air quality, improving health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
At the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), world leaders unanimously recognized that transport and mobility are critical to sustainable development.
Later, the UN Secretary-General, in his Five-Year Action Agenda, identified transport as a core component of sustainable development. In this regard, in August 2014, the Secretary-General established and operationalized the High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport (HLAG-SST), representing all modes of transport, including road, rail, air, sea, ferry and urban public transport.
The policy recommendations made by the Advisory Group were presented to the Secretary-General in a report on global perspectives on sustainable transport entitled "Mobilizing Sustainable Transport for Development", released in November 2016 at the first Global Conference on Sustainable Transport, held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Recent decades have seen an exponential increase in the mobility of both people and goods. It is therefore only natural that the world's attention is increasingly focused on transportation issues.
Today it is impossible to imagine any aspect of everyday life without transportation. The transport sector is confidently entering the category of key, defining areas of global development in the long term, becoming the most important factor of the global geo-economy, designed to give it a new meaning and a powerful creative impetus.
Sustainable transportation systems contribute positively to the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of the communities they serve.
In this regard, the understanding of the necessity and alternativeness of cooperation in this area and the realization of the truly colossal opportunities that are opening for states, regions and entire continents are becoming clearer.
The creation of modern, integrated, balanced and high-tech transport infrastructure is an objective necessity of our time. The realization of this goal meets the strategic interests of the entire international community, can really contribute to the strengthening of world economic relations, stimulate investment activity, effectively contribute to the growth of economic and social indicators on a global, regional and national scale.
In order for transport systems to fully perform their multifaceted functions in creating an enabling environment for advancing sustainable development, all stakeholders need to work together to ensure the availability of safe, universally accessible, reliable, secure, affordable, fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly, low-carbon and climate-resilient transport services, systems, infrastructures and movements, paying due attention to local, national and regional conditions.
While the world is currently facing a variety of challenges related to the transportation, including safety issues, there are also tremendous opportunities to review current policies and to accelerate the incorporation of best practices into a new paradigm of sustainable transportation.
During the roundtable, the participating countries and international organizations are invited to present their experience, share best practices and practical measures in achieving sustainable development in the sphere of transportation.
II. Objectives
- Review the progress made by countries on sustainable transport and the related SDGs,
- Share knowledge, experiences and innovative approaches/solutions for infrastructure financing, delivery, and resilience, including the mobilization of financing for transport infrastructure development and maintenance in the face of challenges,
- Exchange of views on further activities for the practical implementation of international transport corridors,
- Identify recommendations and opportunities for: enhancing transport infrastructure development; scaling up international support on transport; and strengthening