1UNECE – Transport DivisionUNECE – Transport Division

Regional Dimension of Regional Dimension of Transit Transport Transit Transport

CooperationCooperationEva Molnar, Director, UNECE

3 October 2008, New York City

Mid-Term Review of the Implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries

2UNECE – Transport DivisionUNECE – Transport Division

A regional - and increasingly global – centre for international legal instruments

The UNECE

• 57 UNECE international conventions and agreements - Road, rail, inland waterways and intermodal transport

• 33 UNECE trade facilitation recommendations

3UNECE – Transport DivisionUNECE – Transport Division

Two “groups” of landlocked countries in the UNECE region

Landlocked countries:Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia and Switzerland

Landlocked “developing” countries:Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

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Being Landlocked - Blessing or Curse

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

Slovakia Switzerland

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5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

Kazakhstan Slovakia Tajikistan

GDP per Capita at Prices and PPPs of 2005, US$

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Free flow of transit transit freedom

S

driver vehicle

cargo infrastructure

B/C and transit proc.

business

Condi t ions

6UNECE – Transport DivisionUNECE – Transport Division

Minimum conditions for international mobility – D,V,D

• Driver– Entry – visa for professional drivers. Boatmasters…– Driving license (special for dangerous goods)– Mutual recognition of driving license– Driving time

• Vehicle– Entry– Vehicle construction standards and Technical inspection– Size and weight – and mutual recognition of weight certificate

• Driver and vehicle– Insurance – green card system

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Infrastructure: road, railway, combined transport (AGC, AGR, AGTC)

Legal frameworks for the development of coherent internationalinfrastructure networks

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Minimum conditions for international mobility - Cargo

• Consignment note, e.g. in roads CMR

– e-CMR

• Customs transit guarantee scheme, e.g. TIR

• Special cargo – dangerous goods, perishable foodstuff, live animals

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Border Crossing Facilitation (TIR Convention)

• International transport of goods by road without frontier checks

• Over 3 million TIR carnets used annually

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Business conditions for all – Better information flows and documentary controls

UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT)

• The only global standard for Electronic Data Interchange

• UNECE trade facilitation recommendations

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In summary: UNECE Legal Instruments

Total Number of Contracting Parties to UNECE Transport Legal Instruments

• Over 1,600 Contracting Parties, growing demand

• Almost one quarter from outside the UNECE region

• A solid foundation for any transport system – regional or global

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Conclusions

To reduce the economic distance of LLDCsTo reduce the economic distance of LLDCs

1.1. Quick fix solutions – joining the Quick fix solutions – joining the existing multi-lateral legal frameworksexisting multi-lateral legal frameworks

2.2. Short to Medium term solutionsShort to Medium term solutions

- B/C benchmarking- B/C benchmarking

- use regional transport planning- use regional transport planning

- implementation monitoring- implementation monitoring

3.3. UNECE is your strategic partner UNECE is your strategic partner

13UNECE – Transport DivisionUNECE – Transport Division

Thank you for your attention!

www.unece.org

United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe