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Consultations on the next steps in the operationalization of Euro-Asian transport corridors

26 November 2020

26 November 2020 – 10:00-13:30 CET
Zoom WebPlatform (English/ Russian)


INTRODUCTION

These virtual consultations take place under the auspices of the UNECE Working Party on Transport Trends and Economics (WP.5) which serves as the parent body to the UNECE`s work on Euro-Asian Transport operationalization. They are being held in cooperation with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) which from Phase II onwards, has been a loyal partner in this endeavour. Deliberations will build on the findings of the Euro-Asian Transport Links project Phase III report (English, Russian) which, inter alia, concludes that for trade flows between Asia and Europe, the inland transport sector can compete with the maritime sector in particular for high value and time-sensitive cargo and that the growing e-commerce between the two continents offers unprecedented opportunities to the region and to the sector. The report also notes that while many efforts have been made to address the physical and non-physical obstacles to international transport in the region, various inter-operability challenges remain which need to be tackled through collective, multi-stakeholder, corridor-based action supported by effective implementation of the available UN legal instruments, tools and standards.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The event will gather Government officials from the 38 EATL countries engaged in transport corridor management, including representatives of Ministries of transport, trade, customs and border management authorities as well as infrastructure managers and operators. Private sector practitioners determining and managing freight flows and independent corridor management experts, researchers and academia will also participate.

PURPOSE

In particular, the consultations which are co-organized by the Sustainable Transport Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA)/ OSCE Secretariat with the support of the Freight Division of the International Union of Railways (UIC) aim to:

  • Provide a platform for inter-governmental dialogue on remaining challenges for more effective Euro-Asian inland transport connectivity.
  • Take stock of the existing inter-governmental/ public-private sector stakeholder coordination mechanisms in the region and explore whether there is scope to improve/ expand/ strengthen those.
  • Explore whether at regional/ sub-regional levels Governments in the region are ready to strengthen corridor-based action and identify practical means to do so incl. through the setting up of appropriate, corridor-wide agreed interoperability priorities and operational targets, developing corridor work plans, creating conducive conditions for the attraction of additional cargo flows and specific commodity types etc.

 

REGISTRATION

Welcoming Remarks

  • Mrs. Els de Wit, Chair, Working Party on Transport Trends and Economics (WP.5), Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management, Netherlands
    PDF

Euro-Asian Transport Links Operationalization – Setting the scene

  • Mr. Roel Janssens, Secretary, Working Party on Transport Trends and Economics, UNECE Sustainable Transport Division
    PDF

Railway sector perspectives

  • Mrs. Sandra Gehenot, Director of Freight, International Union of Railways (UIC)
    PDF

Customs/ border management perspectives

  • Mrs. Satoko Kagawa, Technical Officer, Compliance and Facilitation Directorate, World Customs Organization (WCO)
    PDF

Supply chain/ transport operator perspectives

  • Mr. Kees Verweij, Partner, Buck Consultants International “Use of Euro-Asian Railway links for automotive and machinery supply chains”
    PDF
  • Mr. Alberto Grisone, Director of Development, Russia & CIS, HUPAC Intermodal
    PDF

Academic perspectives

  • Mrs. Elena Rovenskaya, Programme Director, Advanced Systems Analysis Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria
    PDF

Examples of succesful regional cooperation/ corridor coordination mechanisms

  • Mr. Kristoffer Refberg, DG MOVE, Trans-European Transport Network TEN-T/ European Commission
    PDF
  • Mrs. Natalia Stepanova, Deputy Secretary-General, Coordinating Council on Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT)
    PDF
  • Mr. Oscar Oliver, Director-General Centre for Transportation Studies for the Western Mediterranean (CETMO)
    PDF

Tour de table – National views from EATL countries

  • Mrs. Guanyu Li, Deputy Director-General, Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Transport of China
    PDF
  • Mr. Bolor-Erdene Baasanjav, Ministry of Road and Transport Development of Mongolia
    PDF
  • Mr. Hameed Akhtar, Chief, National Transport Research Centre, Ministry of Communications of Pakistan
    PDF
  • Mr. Ștefan Roșeanu, Adviser, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Infrastructure of Romania
    PDF
  • Mrs. Ina Irens, Head of International Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania
    PDF
  • Mrs. Małgorzata Kopczyńska, Chief Expert, International Cooperation Department, PKP Polish Railway Lines JSC, Poland
    PDF
  • Mr. Mehmet Altınsoy, Head of Freight Department of Directorate General of TCDD Taşımacılık A.Ş, Turkey
    PDF
  • Mr. Rashad Majidov, Head of the Business Development Department of the ADY Container LLC, Azerbaijan
    PDF
  • Mr. Askar Mirsaidov, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the UN Office in Geneva
    PDF

Closing remarks

  • Ms. Kamala Huseynli, Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UN Office and other International Organizations in Geneva
    PDF

Inputs received from academia and NGOs

  • Technical University of Dublin - School of Transport Engineering, Environment and Planning
    Written inputs PDF
  • Article by Zhang and Schramm, 2020 PDF

  • European Cyclists` Federation (ECF)/ EuroVelo
    Written inputs PDF

 

FINAL AGENDA

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

CONCEPT NOTE

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

 

Press release: UNECE supports countries to operationalize Euro-Asian inland transport corridors (published 26 November 2020)

Press release: UNECE supports countries to operationalize Euro-Asian inland transport corridors (published 23 December 2019)