Facilitation of International Road Transport in Asia

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

2. Need to identify – isolate – address bottlenecks Methodology for international route analysis Time/ cost Distance UNESCAP Time/Cost-Distance Methodology Sea transport Wait at sea port Transport to sea port Border crossing Transport to border

3. Findings from Application in Central Asia Average time spent to clear a border crossing (in hour) Source: CAREC Corridor Performance Measurement and Monitoring Reports

4. Promoting International Conventions (1) • UNESCAP Resolution 48/11 • Adopted: April 1992 • Recommend to accede to 7 core conventions: • Convention on road traffic • Convention on road signs & signals • TIR • Customs convention on temporary importation of commercial road vehicles • Customs convention on containers • Int’l convention on harmonization of frontier control of goods • CMR

5. Promoting International Conventions (2) • Regional/subregional/national seminars/workshops with ECE& IRU • In particular for TIR • Advisory services • Regional study • Integrated with subregional agreements • Promotion of TIR for inter-modal transport • Review of progress in inter-governmental meetings • Key modality in Regional Strategic Framework for Facilitation of International Road Transport • Through regional network of legal/technical experts

6. Regional Harmonization of Road Transport Permit • Target 1 in Regional Strategic Framework for Facilitation of International Road Transport • Road transport permits • Target: • Wider application of multiple-entry transport permit valid for one year and multiple routes or road networks issued to a carrier for any compliant vehicle in its fleet • Wider application of multilateral transport permit • Process: • Gradually adopt when member countries formulate or renew their bilateral and multilateral agreements on international road transport or hold consultations on the implementation of the agreements • Action: • Implementation of RSF • Regional network of legal/technical network • Integrated in assistance for subregional agreements and transport facilitation projects

7. Professional Training for Managers and Drivers • Key modality in Regional Strategic Framework for Facilitation of International Road Transport • Establish national training institutions for managers and drivers undertaking international road transport • In South Asia and Southeast Asia, subregional training institutions focusing on courses on subregional operations • In Central Asia and West Asia, with closer links to Europe, training for subregional operations in parallel with courses for inter-regional operations • Assistance from UNESCAP: defining main subjects in curricula of training institutions to promote setting of common standards

8. Euro-Asia Transport Links (1) Source: UNESCAP Statistical Yearbook for Asia & the Pacific; Database of ADB Asian Regional Integration Centre.

9. Euro-Asia Transport Links (2) • Increase intra-subregional trade for Central Asian countries • Land-bridge between Europe and Asia • Connect two major markets • Connect Central Asia with two major markets • Enhance trade and economic relationship between Europe and Asia • Reduce transport cost to improve people’s welfare and attract more foreign investments

10. Thank you!