Transport Ministers meeting at the Ministerial Conference on Transport in Busan in the Republic of Korea on 11 November adopted two comprehensive declarations that will shape the future of the transportation in the Asia Pacific for the next 5 years.
The Busan Declaration on Transport Development in Asia and the Pacific and the Ministerial Declaration on Improving Road Safety in Asia and the Pacific was adopted by consensus by some 42 Ministerial-level delegates.
The Declaration provides a long-term strategy for regional transport in Asia and the Pacific and calls for the region to give investment priority to the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway networks, including inter-modal interfaces to link them with water and air transport networks. In the declaration Ministers also resolve to commit financial resources for the development, maintenance and operation of a comprehensive transport system including private sector partnerships.
Speaking at the conference UNESCAP Executive Secretary Kim Hak-Su told the Ministers that their mission was clear:
“It is to link our national infrastructure networks into a regional, integrated transport system which serves the needs of people and business with easy connections between different transport modes across our vast region.”
This he said would widen the travel options available to people, improve travel conditions and increase the competitiveness of the business sector through more efficient logistics services, thus creating more job opportunities.
By adopting the Declaration on Road Safety, the Transport Ministers pledged to save 600,000 lives and prevent a similar number of serious injuries on Asia-Pacific roads between 2007 and 2015. Currently, approximately one-half of all road traffic fatalities and injuries worldwide occur in the Asia-Pacific region. Most are vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, children and motorcyclists.
At the conference Ministers also decided to establish a regular forum of Asian ministers of transport to promote regional cooperation and policy leadership at the ministerial level.
Download a copy of the Declaration here >
For more information on the Ministerial Conference on Transport see:
www.unescap.org/ttdw/index.asp
www.mct2006.or.kr/00main/main.htm