THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTED A RESOLUTION "STRENGTHENING THE LINKS BETWEEN ALL MODES OF TRANSPORT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT"

On December 20, 2017, at the 74th meeting of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, the resolution "Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development goals" submitted by Turkmenistan was unanimously adopted. The co-authors of the resolution were 74 states.

The resolution also reaffirmed the commitment to enhancing the role of sustainable transport and mobility in creating jobs, promoting mobility and improving the efficiency of logistics chains in terms of ensuring access of individuals and communities to work, schools and health services, and the organization of the supply to the rural and urban areas with goods and services, so that everyone had equal opportunity, and nobody was forgotten.

Additionally, the resolution encourages efforts to promote regional and interregional economic integration and cooperation, including through improved planning of transport infrastructure and increased mobility, strengthening transport links and facilitate trade and investment.

The resolution also contained recommendations to States to maximize synergies in the planning and development of transport corridors and infrastructure through the relevant international standards and actions aimed at the harmonization of rules and technical standards.

The adoption of the resolution is the next important step in the implementation of the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan, expressed at the 66th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2011, regarding the coordination of UN activities in the field of transport and the development of the UN Special Interregional Transport Development Program.

The Resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 20, 2017 (by the report of Second Committee (A/72/420)) 

Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 

The UN General Assembly 

Recalling the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation) and the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want”, 

Reaffirming its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which it adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, its commitment to working tirelessly for the full implementation of this Agenda by 2030, its recognition that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, its commitment to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions — economic, social and environmental — in a balanced and integrated manner, and to building upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seeking to address their unfinished business, 

Reaffirming also its resolution 69/313 of 27 July 2015 on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, supports and complements it, helps to contextualize its means of implementation targets with concrete policies and actions, and reaffirms the strong political commitment to address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and solidarity, 

Welcoming the Paris Agreement7 and its early entry into force, encouraging all its parties to fully implement the Agreement, and parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 8 that have not yet done so to deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, where appropriate, as soon as possible, 

Recalling its resolution 69/213 of 19 December 2014, entitled “Role of transport and transit corridors in ensuring international cooperation for sustainable development”, and its resolution 70/197 of 22 December 2015, entitled “Towards comprehensive cooperation among all modes of transport for promoting sustainable multimodal transit corridors”, 

Welcoming the efforts of the Government of Turkmenistan in hosting the first Global Sustainable Transport Conference, and noting with appreciation the Ashgabat Statement on Commitments and Policy Recommendations of the Conference, 

Taking note of the Ashgabat Declaration, adopted at the High-level International Conference on the Role of Transit Transport Corridors in Ensuring International Cooperation, Stability and Sustainable Development held in Ashgabat on 3 and 4 September 2014, in cooperation with the Economic Commission for Europe, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the International Road Transport Union, 

Noting the holding of the third session of the Ministerial Conference on Transport of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Moscow from 5 to 9 December 2016 and the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Transport Connectivity in Asia and the Pacific, as well as the holding of the ministerial meeting on the past and future of the Inland Transport Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva on 21 February 2017 and the adoption of the ministerial resolution entitled “Embracing the new era for sustainable inland transport and mobility”, 

Recalling its resolutions 55/215 of 21 December 2000, 56/76 of 11 December 2001, 58/129 of 19 December 2003, 60/215 of 22 December 2005, 62/211 of 19 December 2007, 64/223 of 21 December 2009, 66/223 of 22 December 2011, 68/234 of 20 December 2013 and 70/224 of 22 December 2015 on enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and all relevant partners, in particular the private sector, 

Recalling also its resolutions 57/309 of 22 May 2003, 58/9 of 5 November 2003, 58/289 of 14 April 2004, 60/5 of 26 October 2005, 62/244 of 31 March 2008, 64/255 of 2 March 2010, 66/260 of 19 April 2012, 68/269 of 10 April 2014 and 70/260 of 15 April 2016 on improving global road safety and the need to develop plans to improve road safety along international road transit corridors in line with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020, 

Recalling further the importance of international collaboration in furthering the work of the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization to enhance the sustainability of international shipping and aviation, 

Recalling, in this regard, the work of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Road Safety, 

Noting the global transport outlook report of the Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport, entitled “Mobilizing sustainable transport for development”, 

Recognizing that increasing investment in infrastructure is critical to integrate global economies, which will drive growth and help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, while the need for infrastructure is still enormous and pressing and will continue to grow, realizing that filling the huge gap in infrastructure financing will require public and private financing as well as technologies, knowhow and operational efficiencies, and in this regard affirming the need to enhance infrastructure investment and experience-sharing, 

Affirming the importance of the spirit of peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and shared benefit in promoting infrastructure connectivity and sustainable transport, as well as regional and interregional economic integration and cooperation, 

Emphasizing that all investments to facilitate international transport worldwide should seek ways to preserve natural and cultural heritage as well as promote quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all, and should be compatible with relevant intergovernmental agreements, 

Reiterating the importance of addressing the special needs of landlocked developing countries, inter alia, by establishing and promoting efficient transit transport systems that link them to international markets, and in this regard reaffirming that the Almaty Declaration, the Vienna Declaration and the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014– 2024 constitute a fundamental framework for genuine partnerships between landlocked and transit developing countries and their development partners at the national, bilateral, subregional, regional and global levels 

Stressing the importance of enhancing inter-island connectivity and linking the economies of small island developing States to regional markets and global supply chains, including by integrating them into existing and emerging maritime and multimodal transport and economic corridors, and encouraging sustainable transport initiatives in the context of the Small Island Developing States Partnership Framework, 

Reiterating the importance of actively supporting private sector investment, including through public-private partnerships and grant/loans blending, for infrastructure development and maintenance in communications and in multimodal transport such as railways, roads, waterways, warehouses and port facilities in the least developed countries, and in this regard recalling that the Istanbul Declaration and Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011 – 2020 12 highlights the need to build the infrastructure of the least developed countries as a priority area for action, 

Recognizing the important role of sustainable transport in promoting policy synergies, trade facilitation, infrastructure connectivity, financial cooperation and people-to-people exchange at the subregional, regional and global levels, which are some key areas in achieving sustainable development, 

Emphasizing the need to promote harmonization, simplification and standardization of rules and documentation, including the full and effective implementation of international conventions on transport and transit as well as bilateral, subregional and regional agreements for parties thereto, 

Noting that, in developing multimodal transport systems, it is necessary to take into account street, road, including public transport systems, rail, maritime, inland shipping, ferry and air transport, as well as non-motorized transport such as cycling and walking, and emphasis should be placed on low-carbon-based and energy efficient modes of transport and an increased reliance on interconnected transport networks, including public transport systems, for seamless and “door-to-door” mobility and connectivity of people and goods, 

Noting the importance of cooperation in enhancing transport connectivity through an integrated intermodal transport system by exchanging best practices to optimize the development of interconnected highways, roads, streets, railways, waterways, areas of modal transfer and ports, and by encouraging transport infrastructure construction and operations to minimize consumption of energy, land and other resources, generate lower emissions of greenhouse gases, ozone-depleting substances and other pollutants and ensure a positive social impact, 

Noting also the importance of supporting efforts to provide communities in rural areas, especially in developing countries, with access to major roads, streets, rail lines and public and non-motorized transport options and areas of modal transfer that enable access to economic and social activities and opportunities in cities and towns and that unleash the productivity and competitiveness of rural entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers, which will be important steps needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its promise to “leave no one behind”, 

Stressing the necessity of promoting the integration of science, technology and innovation into sustainable, integrated, multimodal and intermodal transport systems by tapping into technological opportunities in the decades to come to bring about fundamental, transformative changes to transport systems, including energy efficiency technologies, renewable energy and low-carbon fuel technologies as well as information and communications technologies, and to strengthen capacity building support to developing countries, 

Reiterating the importance of transport and transit corridors in facilitating transport linkages on domestic routes and promoting urban-rural connectivity in order to boost economic growth at the local and regional levels, promote interconnections between cities, peoples and resources and facilitate intraregional and interregional trade, 

Reiterating also that international transport corridors should be identified, designed and developed, keeping in mind the safety and protection of transport users and the competitive advantages of each mode of transport and addressing infrastructure needs and the regulatory and institutional framework for the services that those corridors provide, including the promotion of social dialogue, safety and health in the workplace and gender balance in the workforce to improve the quality of life, 

Reaffirming its commitment to promote access for all to safe, age- and gender responsive, affordable, accessible and sustainable urban mobility and land and sea transport systems, enabling meaningful participation in social and economic activities in cities and human settlements, by integrating transport and mobility plans into overall urban and territorial plans and promoting a wide range of transport and mobility options, 

Welcoming the efforts of the relevant organizations of the United Nations system, other international, regional and subregional organizations, in particular the World Bank, the regional development banks, the World Customs Organization, the World Trade Organization, the International Road Transport Union, the International Union of Railways and the International Transport Forum, within their respective mandates, to develop and operationalize international and regional transport and transit corridors, 

Reiterating the need for continued international cooperation to address the issues relating to transport and transit corridors as an important element of sustainable development, 

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the role of transport and transit corridors in ensuring international cooperation for sustainable development, 

Underscoring the need to mobilize, as appropriate, additional financial resources for the development of transport and mobility infrastructure and services, including through the promotion of public-private partnerships, where conceivable and practicable, so as to achieve inclusive and sustainable development, 

1. Commits to enhancing the role of sustainable transport and mobility in job creation, mobility facilitation and improvement of the efficiency of logistics chains in connecting people and communities to jobs, schools and health care and in the delivery of goods and services to rural and urban communities, thus providing all with equal opportunities and leaving no one behind; 

2. Invites the Secretary-General to consider convening another Global Sustainable Transport Conference, for ensuring the implementation of the objectives of the first Conference, and notes that such a conference would be funded through extrabudgetary resources; 

3. Encourages Member States to indicate their interest in hosting the next Global Sustainable Transport Conference; 

4. Emphasizes the contribution of sustainable, low-carbon and energy efficient modes of transport to climate change mitigation and adaptation and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the importance of long-term strategies and multi-stakeholder partnerships in delivering such sustainable modes of transport; 

5. Calls for efforts to promote regional and interregional economic integration and cooperation, including by improving the planning of transportation infrastructure and mobility, enhancing connectivity and facilitating trade and investment; 

6. Invites all States that have not yet done so to consider signing, ratifying or acceding to the United Nations conventions and agreements on transport and transit facilitation, including the International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Control of Goods and the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention); 

7. Encourages States to maximize synergies in transport corridors and infrastructure planning and development by taking into account relevant international standards and by aiming to harmonize rules and technological standards, as applicable; 

8. Encourages the organizations of the United Nations system and other international organizations, relevant international financing institutions, multilateral and bilateral donors and the private sector to further coordinate their efforts and to collaborate in mobilizing financial and technical assistance to countries for strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The 74th Plenary Session, 20 December 2017