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OPENING STATEMENT OF
MR. KIM HAK-SU
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
OF
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA
AND THE PACIFIC

(Wednesday, 24 November 2004)

H.E. the Minister of Transport of the Royal Thai Government,
Excellencies, distinguished representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my privilege and pleasure to welcome all of you to the first session of the Subcommittee on Transport Infrastructure and Facilitation and Tourism.

I consider it a great honour and pleasure that His Excellency Mr. Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Minister of Transport of the Royal Thai Government, has spared time from his pressing duties of State to be among us this morning.  On behalf of everyone present here, I wish to express our deep gratitude and appreciation to Your Excellency for this honour.  As a leading country of the Asian and Pacific region and an important member of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Thailand has played a vital and constructive role in the work of the Commission.  It is my earnest hope that the friendly relations and close cooperation between us will be further strengthened through Your Excellency's participation in this Subcommittee session.

Excellencies, distinguished representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen,

This Subcommittee session is the first since the Commission adopted resolution 58/1 of 22 May 2002 on restructuring the conference structure of the Commission, whereby four subcommittees, including the Subcommittee on Transport Infrastructure and Facilitation and Tourism were established to assist the Committee on Managing Globalization in its work.  In that resolution, the Commission states that, while the Committee shall consider overall policy aspects of managing globalization, the subcommittees shall focus on specific sectoral aspects of the mandates given to the Committee under its terms of reference.

In this respect, globalization and increased competition have brought into focus the need for greater efficiency and integration of all transport modes to facilitate international trade and tourism throughout the Asian and Pacific region.  The work of this Subcommittee focuses on the realization of the vision of an integrated, international intermodal transport system as contained in the Seoul Declaration on Infrastructure Development in Asia and the Pacific, which was adopted within the framework of the New Delhi Action Plan on Infrastructure Development in Asia and the Pacific.  Importantly, you will also be reviewing progress in the implementation of the Plan of Action for Sustainable Tourism Development in the Asian and Pacific Region.

The Seoul Declaration adopted by the Ministerial Conference on Infrastructure, held in November 2001, provides a mandate for the secretariat in the form of the Regional Action Programme for the period 2002-2006.  This Programme identifies specific actions that are geared to promote regional cooperation and facilitate the smooth movement of goods and people within the region and with connections to other regions.  It also recognizes the crucial role of transport in poverty reduction strategies and the parallel need to protect the environment and human health, and address the needs of socially and economically disadvantaged groups.

Excellencies, distinguished representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Your agenda for this session is focused on a limited number of priority issues.  In each of the documents before you, the secretariat has made several proposals for your consideration. I ask you to consider each and every one of them carefully.  If you find that the analysis of the secretariat is appropriate and that the approaches suggested would support the needs of your Government and people, I trust that you will endorse the proposals contained in those documents.

Insofar as transport infrastructure development is concerned, the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway has been recognized as a major achievement.  During the sixtieth session of the Commission, held in Shanghai in April 2004, 26 countries signed that breakthrough Agreement, three of which did so definitively.  Since that time, one additional country has signed the Agreement, which will enter into force 90 days after ratification by at least eight countries.  At present, seven countries have ratified the Agreement, namely China, Japan, Myanmar, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.  Consequently, we are confident that the Agreement will enter into force in early 2005.

As an extension of this work, I am pleased to report that a set of road, rail and ferry routes between Europe and Asia were adopted at the ECE-ESCAP Second Expert Group Meeting on Developing Euro-Asian Transport Linkages, held in Odessa, Ukraine earlier this month.

The secretariat is now undertaking a study and convening a number of subregional meetings to promote investment in the Asian Highway.  Each meeting is expected to benefit from substantial participation by international financial institutions and other donors.

The secretariat is now working with member countries to develop an intergovernmental agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway.  I am pleased to report to you that the regional meeting for that purpose was held immediately prior to this Subcommittee session to consider and refine the draft.  The agreement is expected to play a catalytic role in the coordinated construction and upgrading of international railway lines in Asia.  In parallel with this undertaking, the secretariat is promoting the operationalization of the Trans-Asian Railway northern corridor through a series of demonstration runs of container block trains.  Already, four demonstration runs have been successfully completed through China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and the Russian Federation with connections to Europe.

Concerning transport facilitation, the secretariat is involved in several initiatives together with member countries to further the integration and facilitation of international transport in the region, reduce costs and improve efficiency.  This work includes (a) facilitation of international transport in the Greater Mekong Subregion; (b) facilitation of international road transport in the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; (c) integration and facilitation of international transport in North-East Asia; and (d) capacity-building and development of logistics skills through the development of interactive training materials and training of trainers for their delivery at the national level.

Insofar as road safety issues are concerned, I am pleased to report to you that the secretariat continues to provide policy makers in the member countries with assistance in analysing the road safety situation in their countries in comparison with other countries and promoting the sharing of information and experience.

Excellencies, distinguished representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen,

As the New Delhi Action Plan will draw to a close in 2006, the Commission at its sixtieth session, held in April this year, endorsed the convening of a ministerial conference on transport in 2006 to review the implementation of the New Delhi Action Plan and develop a strategy for the further development of a reliable and efficient international, integrated intermodal transport network that facilitates international trade and tourism as well as the economic integration process.

The secretariat has prepared for the consideration of this Subcommittee a number of headings that could form the basis for the agenda of the Ministerial Conference.  They can be further elaborated to capture the key regional issues and concerns and thereby assist the ministers in their deliberations.  Importantly, this Subcommittee will be invited to consider whether the suggested provisional agenda for the Conference could form the basis for a long-term strategy as long as 10 years for the further development of the transport sector.

Excellencies, distinguished representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The tourism industry is an important contributor to national income and foreign exchange earnings and is therefore given due recognition by Governments in the region.  This Subcommittee will be debating important tourism issues, particularly in relation to enhancing the role of tourism in economic and social development.  In this context, the Subcommittee will have the opportunity to review major initiatives of the secretariat related to the Plan of Action for Sustainable Tourism Development in the Asian and Pacific Region and the Network of Asia-Pacific Education and Training Institutes in Tourism.  The secretariat is also anticipating your guidance with respect to recent initiatives related to poverty alleviation through tourism development and plans for an intergovernmental meeting on sustainable tourism development in the Asian and Pacific region, to be held in Indonesia in November 2005.  Again, I invite each delegation to consider the proposals of the secretariat with respect to these activities and their relevance to your country.

In addition to the above, the Subcommittee will have the opportunity to review the implementation and effectiveness of the programme of work for the biennium 2002-2003, programme changes for 2004-2005 and priority areas for inclusion in the programme of work for 2006-2007. In this respect, I invite you to guide the secretariat in its efforts to streamline and improve the programme of work.

Excellencies, distinguished representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Without the constant and valuable support of donor Governments and agencies it would not have been possible for ESCAP to pursue its overall work programme in the transport and tourism sectors. Permit me, therefore, to take this opportunity to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude to the Governments of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea as well as ADB.  We look forward to their continued support and to working more closely with them in the years ahead.

The challenges we face appear more daunting than ever before.  During this session you will be considering some of the most critical issues affecting the development of transport and tourism in the region.  I hope that, in this process, the Subcommittee will engage in meaningful discussion on the priority needs of the countries of the region and the strategies that ESCAP can employ for maximum impact.

Let me assure you that ESCAP is firmly committed to working together with the member States and other agencies, both within and outside the United Nations system, in effectively managing opportunities and meeting challenges in the transport and tourism sectors.

I look forward to your contributions and wish you a most productive and rewarding session.

Thank you very much.