UNESCAP::Transport Division::ASIAN HIGHWAY AGREEMENT COMES INTO FORCE

ASIAN HIGHWAY AGREEMENT COMES INTO FORCE

The Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network came into force on 4 July 2005, giving new boost to the flow of international traffic in this region.

The agreement, which has so far been signed by 27 member states is stipulated to enter into force on the ninetieth day following the date on which the Governments of at least eight states have consented to be bound by the agreement. The approval of the Government of Cambodia in April satisfied this requirement. As of 30 June 2005, ten countries, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Japan, Myanmar, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam had ratified, accepted or approved the agreement.

Spanning 32 countries, the Asia Highway is a 140,000 kilometre network of approved roadways crisscrossing the Asian continent and with linkages to Europe. The agreement and its three annexes map out the road transportation network in Asia, setting down basic technical standards for the roads and their route signs.

A total of 26 members signed the agreement at a formal signing ceremony held in Shanghai, China in April 2004 during the 60th Commission Session of UNESCAP. It was then open for signature at the United Nations headquarter in New York from 1 May 2004 to 31 December 2005. So far, 27 out of the 32 participating member states have signed.