United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Transport and Tourism Division

Ministerial interest in ESCAP’s railway-related activities

From 2 to 5 October 2005, the railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran hosted in Tehran the 33rd Ministerial Meeting of countries that are members of the Organization for Railways Cooperation (OSJD). At the meeting, the ministers and senior officials present approved the joint activities being implemented by OSJD and UNESCAP. These activities aim to promote the development of rail infrastructure and services along rail linkages of international importance. In particular, between November 2003 and July 2004, under a joint project, the two organizations have implemented four demonstration runs of container block-trains along key segments of the Trans-Asian Railway Northern Corridor in close collaboration with the railways concerned.

The 3rd Steering Committee Meeting on project implementation held in Moscow in September 2005 noted with satisfaction that, through the project, railways have gained greater awareness of international trade patterns arising from globalization, and exercised new skills effectively to respond to the industry requirements for efficient transport and logistics services.

Other topics discussed at the 3rd Steering Committee Meeting included the development of OSJD transit corridors, the regulations relating to the transport of dangerous goods, a revision of the SMGS (the Agreement on International Goods Transport by Rail) rules to move towards greater harmonization with COTIF (Convention concerning international carriage by rail) and CIM (Uniform Rules concerning the Contract for International Carriage of Goods by Rail) regulations.

UNESCAP and OSJD collaborate within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 1999.