Geneva, 4 February 2025
Since 1947 UNECE’s Inland Transport Committee (ITC) has provided an intergovernmental forum where UN Member States come together to help efficiently address global and regional needs in inland transport. With the role comparable that of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for maritime transport and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for aviation, and with 61 legal instruments under its purview, ITC has provided an internationally harmonized regulatory framework for safe, efficient and sustainable transport.
At its upcoming 87th annual session (11-14 February 2025), ITC will take stock of the implementation of its 2030 strategy and deliberate on the future of sustainable transport, against the backdrop of ongoing challenges, such as escalating climate extremes, rapid technological advances, and geopolitical tensions.
The ITC 2030 strategy was adopted to serve as the comprehensive framework to guide the Committee’s work in addressing the evolving needs of global and regional inland transport systems across three core clusters of its work: connectivity/transport facilitation; safety, especially road safety; and climate action and environmental performance.
Following the adoption of ITC’s ambitious decarbonization strategy, which aims to achieve net-zero GHG emissions from inland transport by 2050, opportunities for climate action in the transport sector will be in the focus of the high-level segment of the 87th session on 11 February, as well as promotion of sustainable regional and interregional inland transport connectivity.
To underscore concrete commitments and initiatives of support for the implementation of the actions under the three ITC clusters of work, high-level pledges and initiatives will be presented by Ministers and Heads of delegation during the high-level segment on 11 February. Pledges will range from political commitments to thematic and financial pledges supporting ITC’s continued work.
As part of session, ITC will also hold the regional consultation on the development of the implementation plan for the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026-2035. The first-ever UN Decade of Sustainable Transport underscores the growing recognition of transport’s vital role in advancing sustainable development. While there is no single dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for transport, it is deeply interwoven into multiple SDG targets and serves as a critical enabler of progress across a broad spectrum of global challenges: from building resilient infrastructure to promoting health and well-being to tackling climate change and making cities safer, more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
The full programme and session details are available here.
Source – UNECE