This 24 November marks the inaugural celebration of World Sustainable Transport Day
Transport touches every part of our lives even when we don’t realize it. From the trendy clothes we wear to the delicious food we savour; transport is responsible. It brings the raw materials to factories, stocks our favourite stores, and delivers fresh farm produce to our table. Access to jobs and commerce is also made possible through transport. There is no day when our life is not supported by transport. So, making transport as safe, accessible, and sustainable as possible is one of the keys to a brighter and more sustainable future.
Tentative Programme (in PDF here)
09:30 – 10:00 Registration
10:00 – 10:20 Welcome Remarks
Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Mr. Li Junhua, Under Secretary General UN DESA
Ms. Tatiana Molcean, Under Secretary General and Executive Secretary UNECE
Session 1: How transport supports our daily life
Moderator: Jerzy Kleniewski, Vice Chair, Inland Transport Committee, UNECE
10:20 – 11:00 Keynote speaker
Mr. Batyr Annayev, Deputy Director General (Deputy Minister) of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers, Turkmenistan
Interactive panel discussion on how transport underpins all our daily activities
Mr. J. Röthlisberger, Director, Swiss Federal Roads Office
Ms. R. Asariotis, Chief of Policy & Legislation Section, UNCTAD
Mr. S. Mahesh, Vice-Chair, UNECE Joint Meeting of the RID Committee of Experts and the Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP.15/AC.1)
Ms. E. de Wit, Chair, UNECE Working Party on Transport Trends and Economics (WP.5)
Mr. K. de Putter, Chair, UNECE Working Party on the Transport of Perishable Foodstuffs (WP.11)
High-level interventions from participants
11:00 – 11:15 Coffee Break
Session 2: How transport makes us safe
Moderator: Régis Farret, Vice Chair, Inland Transport Committee, UNECE
11:15 – 12:00 Keynote speaker
Mr. Takashi Naono, Vice Chair, UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29)
Interactive panel discussion on actions aimed at making transport safer
Mr. J. Todt, UNSG Special Envoy on Road Safety
Mr. Y. van der Straaten, Secretary General, International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA)
Ms. S. Zammataro, Director General, International Road Federation (IRF)
Mr. N. Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility, WHO
Ms. N. Henry, Head of the UN Road Safety Fund Secretariat
High-level interventions from participants
Session 3: How transport contributes to climate change agenda
Moderator: Ms. Hannie Meesters, Chair, Inland Transport Committee, UNECE
12:00 – 12:40 Keynote speaker
Mr. Umberto de Pretto, Secretary General, International Road Transport Union (IRU)
Interactive panel discussion on greening transport for a climate friendly future
Mr. F. Davenne, Director General, International Union of Railways (UIC)
Mr. M. Mezghani, Secretary General, International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
Ms. J. Warren, CEO, European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF)
Ms. B. Filipović Đušić, Chair, Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP)
Ms. J. Elsinger, Chair, UNECE Working Party on Intermodal Transport and Logistics (WP.24)
High-level interventions from participants
12:40 – 12:50 Promoting knowledge of sustainable transport solutions:
LearnITC - the UN eLearning Platform on Sustainable Inland Transport and Trade Connectivity