Technical Working Group Meeting on the Convening of Transport Stakeholders to Develop and Take Action on Recommendations for more Sustainable Transport Systems

In January 2012, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently indicated that the post-2015 framework for sustainable development will be an important priority in the Action Agenda for his second term. Transport was listed transport as one of six building blocks for sustainable development.The Action Agenda indicates that the Secretary General “plans to convene aviation, marine, ferry, rail, road and urban public transport providers, along with Governments and investors, to develop and take action on recommendations for more sustainable transport systems that can address rising congestion and pollution worldwide, particularly in urban areas”.

As a first step UN-DESA, which has been tasked with the preparation of convening the stakeholders, intends to establish a Working Group, which will make detailed suggestions on the scope of the consultations to be undertaken by the SG as well as who the participants could be in a high level dialog process under consideration to be convened by the SG. UN-DESA, which is also hosting the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) is coordinating closely with SLoCaT in the establishment of the WG and the preparation of the Action Plan on Sustainable Transport.

It is planned that the Working Group will have 2 meetings in 2012; one before the Rio+20 meeting and one in autumn after the Rio+20 meeting. Following the two meetings planned for 2012, it is expected that the Working Group can provide recommendations on:

a) Scope and duration of the UN Secretary’s General Panel on Sustainable Transport and its proposed     outcomes;
b) Structure and initial Membership of the UN Secretary’s General Panel on Sustainable Transport;
c) Linkages of the proposed UN Secretary’s General Panel on Sustainable Transport to the overall post-2015 framework for sustainable development as well as the to-be-established high level panel of eminent persons on the post-2015 way forward;
d) Technical support to be provided to the UN Secretary’s General Panel on Sustainable Transport and how this best be organized;
e) Role of the Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport in supporting the activities of the UN Secretary’s General Panel on Sustainable Transport;
f) Institutional arrangements for sustainable transport in the UN system as well as between the UN system and other developmental stakeholders.

For more details see Concept Note