UNESCAP and Facilitation of International Road Transport

1. 7th IRU Euro-Asian Road Transport Conference Amman, Jordan, 12-13 June 2013 UNESCAP and Facilitation of International Road Transport Mr. Li Yuwei, Chief Transport Facilitation and Logistics Section Transport Division

2. Overview of Int’l Road Transport in Asia • Extensive routes or no route limit No permit or more liberalized permit • Part of Central Asia-South Caucasus-North Asia, Lao PDR-Thailand, Lao PDR-Viet Nam • Limited designated routes Subject to permit • Northeast Asia, Part of Northeast Asia-Part of Southeast Asia, Part of Northeast Asia-Central Asia, Central Asia-Part of South Asia, Part of South Asia • Trans-loading at border crossings • Most part of South Asia, Part of Southeast Asia, Part of Northeast Asia-Part of Southeast Asia • Lack of operational connectivity • Northeast-South Asia, Southeast Asia-South Asia

3. International Road Transport in Central & Northeast Asia

4. International Road Transport in South & Southeast Asia

5. Major Challenges in Int’l Road Transport • Limited geographical scope for international road transport • Many trans-loading activities at/near border crossings • Large use of single-trip transport permit • Difficulties in arrangements for temporary importation and insurance of vehicles • Difficulties for drivers to obtain visas • Less harmonized documentation, standards, formalities and procedures • Complicated formalities and procedures for crossing borders • Insufficient facilities and equipment at border crossings • Shortage of skilled professional drivers

6. Addressing Challenges by Countriesand Development Partners • Acceding to key international conventions relating to international road transport (UNESCAP resolution 48/11) • Signed 42 subregional agreements and hundred+ bilateral agreements relating to international road transport • Opening more routes for international road transport • Implementing joint Customs controls and harmonization in Central and Northeast Asia • Harmonization of vehicle standards by ASEAN, CIS and ECO • Single window/single stop inspection at border crossings in Greater Mekong Subregion • Improving facilities and equipment of border crossings

7. Implementation of APoA in Asia • Acceding to key international conventions relating to international road transport (UNESCAP resolution 48/11) • Large progress in Central Asia and South Caucasus • Some progress in other subregions (Lao PDR and Mongolia) • Subregional agreements relating to international road transport • Partial implementation • Corridor development • Ongoing • Simplification of formalities and procedures • Ongoing

8. UNESCAP System for Road Transport Facilitation Regional Strategic Framework for the Facilitation of International Road Transport • Facilitation tools • ECBT Model • SCBT Model • IBCM Model • T/C-D Model • Guidelines • National coordination • Coordination at BC • Policy • Legal issues • Implementation plan • Indicators • Status report • Regional Network of Legal and • Technical Experts for Transport • Facilitation • Regional legal regime • - Int’l conventions • - Subregional agreements • - Bilateral agreements • - Rules/regulations • Technologies Capacity Building Technical Assistance Policy Support

9. Regional Strategic Framework • Common targets/strategies for essential issues 1. Road transport permits & traffic rights 2. Visas for professional drivers & crew 3. Temporary importation of road vehicles 4. Insurance of vehicles 5. Vehicle weights & dimensions 6. Vehicle registration & inspection certificates • Common approaches for key modalities for facilitation 1. Building an effective legal regime 2. Wider application of new technologies 3. Development of professional training 4. Establishment/strengthening of national coordination mechanisms 5. Promotion of joint control at border crossings 6. Promotion of economic zones at border crossings, dry ports and logistics centres 7. Further application of facilitation tools

10. UNESCAP Transport Facilitation Tools • Four mutually complementary models • Secure Cross-border Transport Model: providing real time monitoring en-route • Model on Integrated Controls at Border Crossings: simplified and streamlined procedures at border crossings • Efficient Cross-border Transport Model: more efficient transport arrangement across borders • Time/Cost-Distance Methodology: identifying barriers and monitoring performance • Features • Provide more flexible, secure, efficient and reliable options for cross-border transport • Applications to corridors or countries

11. Regional Network of Legal and Technical Experts for Transport Facilitation • Objectives: • Exchange information • Share experience • Suggest ways to accelerate accession to conventions • Identify areas of legal conflicts between different legal instruments and suggest solutions • Suggest ways to connect different subregions • Suggest ways to manage large number of agreements • Provide legal and technical support • Activities: • Information and experience sharing, seminars, expert meetings, professional training, group studies and individual studies, legal/technical support • Open for application (http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/ common/TFS/LegalNetwork/Legal-Network.asp)

12. Thank you!