In accordance with its Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure (shown below), THE PEP Steering Committee is the principal decision-making body for the implementation of THE PEP. It operates under the authority of the High-level Meeting on Transport, Environment and Health to promote, coordinate and monitor the implementation of workplan of THE PEP. It is responsible for giving guidance and strategic directions to THE PEP.
The Steering Committee reports to the Regional Committee of WHO/Europe annually and to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe biennially. It informs the UNECE Inland Transport Committee and the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy. The European Environment and Health Committee is also regularly informed of progress achieved.
THE PEP Steering Committee replaced the Joint Meeting on Transport and the Environment and the London Charter Steering Group established under the Vienna (1997) and London (1999) follow-up processes.
The official documents of the Steering Committee may be found in the United Nations Official Documents System. Documents have symbol ECE/AC.21/SC/ followed by the year of the meeting, for example ECE/AC.21/SC/2014. Documents, both official and informal, for meetings of the Steering Committee since 2021 are available under "Meetings and Events".
Terms of Reference
(adopted by the second High-level Meeting on Transport, Health and Environment, 5 July 2002)
The tripartite Steering Committee would constitute the principal decision-making body for the WHO-UNECE activities on transport, health and environment, and be responsible for giving guidance and strategic directions to the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP). In particular, the Steering Committee will:
- Promote and co-ordinate the implementation of THE PEP, ensuring co-ordination with other international activities and avoiding overlaps.
- Monitor progress of the implementation of THE PEP; prepare assessments/ reviews of progress made and propose new priorities/actions, if need be, for adoption by member States; identify issues and propose corrective measures, where appropriate.
- Liaise and cooperate closely with relevant UNECE principal subsidiary bodies (PSBs), WHO bodies, as well as intergovernmental organizations, such as UNEP, OECD, ECMT, EU, CEI and non-governmental organizations that are active in the fields of transport, environment and health.
- Facilitate cross-sectoral co-ordination and international co-operation of public and private institutions.
- Establish ad hoc working groups, task forces and other bodies as needed to implement the activities agreed under THE PEP.
- Initiate proposals to identify funds for expected products, ensure products are timely and respond to needs, in particular with respect to results.
- Review and approve new proposals for action to be carried out within the framework of THE PEP implementation.
- Report to the WHO Regional Committee for Europe and to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, unless decided otherwise.
- Provide guidance on the need for the possible further development of existing or new instruments promoting transport sustainable for health and the environment.
- Serve as a forum where activities implementing those items in the Charter Plan of Action and Vienna Programme of Joint Action that do not fall under the priorities established by THE PEP can be reported on and taken note of.
The Steering Committee will take decisions on a consensus basis.
Rules of Procedure
(adopted by the Steering Committee at its first session on 11 April 2003 and amended at its eleventh session on 28 November 2013)
Sessions
A session of the Steering Committee shall be convened by the UNECE and WHO/Europe secretariats (hereafter: the secretariat) on an annual basis following consultation with the Chairperson and the two Vice-Chairpersons of the Steering Committee. The sessions of the Steering Committee shall ordinarily be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).
Agenda
The provisional agenda for each session shall be drawn up by the secretariat in consultation with the Chairperson of the Steering Committee and its Bureau. The first item on the provisional agenda for each session shall be the adoption of the agenda.
Representation
Sessions of the Steering Committee are open for representatives of UNECE and WHO/Europe member States and organizations representing the transport, environment and health sectors.
Officers
The Steering Committee shall elect from among representatives a Chairperson as well as two Vice-chairpersons who shall, in principle, be the incoming and the outgoing Chairpersons. The chair will rotate between representatives of the transport, environment and health sectors, each sector taking one of the three posts. The chair shall be maintained between the sessions and shall represent the Steering Committee and the Bureau.
Bureau
The Steering Committee will be assisted by a tripartite Bureau consisting of nine to fifteen members elected by the Steering Committee. The members of the Bureau shall represent the transport, environment and health sectors as well as the different parts of the UNECE and WHO/Europe region on an equal footing. The Bureau is responsible for preparing the meetings of the Steering Committee and for following-up on its decisions. The Bureau will hold biannual meetings.
Secretariat
The Steering Committee, its Bureau and any ad hoc bodies established by the Steering Committee will be serviced by the secretariat which is to be supplemented with the appropriate staffing from the three sectors for this purpose. The secretariat shall be responsible for the necessary arrangements being made for meetings of the Steering Committee, its Bureau and of the ad hoc bodies established by the Steering Committee.
In particular, the secretariat shall provide the following services:
(a) Overall coordination of the implementation of THE PEP work plan and direct participation in the delivery of THE PEP in close consultation with the Steering Committee and its Bureau, involving:
- establishment and maintenance of contacts with member States, intergovernmental, non-governmental and other organizations
- organization of meetings
- preparation of background documents
- monitoring and reporting
- drafting of reports/publications
- planning, setting-up of ad hoc working groups/task forces, identification of experts
- organization and follow-up of activities to be carried out by ad hoc working groups/task forces.
(b) Participation in dissemination activities to be organized to implement the programme as well as in other intergovernmental fora and major scientific events.
(c) Participation in and contribution to fund raising activities.
Languages
English, French and Russian shall be the working languages of the Steering Committee and, to the extent possible, of its Bureau. Ad hoc working groups, task forces and other subsidiary bodies established by the Steering Committee will not be provided with secretariat interpretation facilities and translation of relevant documentation.
Reports
Before the end of each session, the Steering Committee will consider and adopt a list of decisions taken at the session based on the conclusions made by the Chairperson and a draft to be prepared by the secretariat. Following the session, a report will be prepared by the secretariat, including the adopted decisions, and will be transmitted to the participants of the session. Any comments on the report by participants will be taken into account by the secretariat in consultation with the Chairperson. The Steering Committee will report on an annual basis to the WHO Regional Committee for Europe and to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Relations with other organizations
The Steering Committee will liaise with, inform and cooperate closely with relevant UNECE principal subsidiary bodies, in particular with the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) and the Committee on Environmental Policy (CEP), the Human Settlements Committee, with WHO bodies, in particular the European Environment and Health Committee (EEHC), with intergovernmental, non-governmental and other organizations active in the fields of transport, environment and health as well as with international financial institutions.
Amendments and suspensions
Any of these rules of procedure may be amended or suspended by the Steering Committee provided that the proposed amendments and suspensions do not set aside the provisions contained thereon in the Terms of Reference of the Steering Committee laid down by the second High-level Meeting on Transport, Environment and Health (5 July 2002).
Other provisions
In the absence of other provisions in the Rules of Procedure of the Steering Committee, the rules of procedure of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and those of the WHO/Europe shall be applicable, unless the Steering Committee decides otherwise.