The Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan will host the 17th session of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Project Working Group on Transport and Border Crossing in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 6 to 7 June. The meeting will discuss a wide variety of issues of common interest to SPECA countries, including international transport conventions, national facilitation coordination mechanisms, road safety, unified railway law, public-private partnerships and the international transport of dangerous goods. The meeting will also review progress on joint activities and initiatives being implemented by the SPECA countries. SPECA is a joint programme launched by ESCAP and ECE in 1998 to strengthen subregional cooperation in Central Asia and its integration into the world economy. Its members are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

ESCAP, as the Secretariat to the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh and International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh, is organizing a National Seminar on the Business Implications of APTA for Bangladesh on 13 June in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Representatives of the private sector of Bangladesh as well as government officials from the Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh are participating in the Seminar. Representatives from the focal point ministries of select Participating States of APTA, including China, India and the Republic of Korea will present their respective national case. The seminar aims to raise awareness of Bangladesh business sector on benefits of APTA and encourage the business sector to utilize the Regional Trade Agreement under the auspice of ESCAP.

Despite progress in recent years, the costs of logistics in many Asia and Pacific countries remain high. To promote the sharing of experience and knowledge in this sector, ESCAP will organize annual regional meetings of freight forwarders, multimodal transport operators and logistic service providers. This year’s Regional Forum of Freight Forwarders, Multimodal Transport Operators and Logistics Service Providers and Meeting of CEOs of National Associations of Freight Forwarders, Multimodal Transport Operators and Logistics Service Providers will be held from 13 to 14 June in Bangkok. The meetings will address a range of issues, such as liability of freight, sustainable transport and logistics, and the development of training and capacity building programmes in the Asia Pacific region.

Building on the success of the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway network agreements, ESCAP is organizing an Ad hoc Intergovernmental Meeting on an Intergovernmental Agreement on Dry Ports from 20 to 22 June in Bangkok. Representatives from over 25 countries and from various authorities involved in intermodal transport, including roads, railways and customs, will review and consider a draft intergovernmental agreement on dry ports for adoption. It is anticipated that the proposed dry port agreement will promote the development of dry ports in hinterland areas and landlocked countries in the region, which in turn improve the efficiency of transport services and open new opportunities for international trade.

The Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT) and its partners in Kazakhstan will organize two workshops to help strengthen ICT capacity in the country and the Central-Asia subregion during the month of June. From 5 to 8 June, APCICT, ESCAP’s Subregional Office for North and Central Asia (SONCA), and the Central Asian Research and Education Network will co-organize a Subregional Training of Trainers workshop in Almaty for over 20 trainers and government officials from throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States, on the use of ICT for disaster risk management and climate change abatement.
From 5 to 7 June, APCICT and the Kazakh British Technical University, with the support of SONCA, will gather over 35 national resource persons from 8 universities in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to enhance ICTD education for youth in institutions of higher-learning. Participants will receive training on APCICT's Primer Series designed to help develop ICT skills and awareness in the region's future leaders.
On 16 June, APCICT will celebrate its 6th Anniversary as ESCAP’s hub for ICT human capacity development. In recognition of this milestone, APCICT will carry out a series of activities in support of the Centre’s digital platforms and knowledge sharing products such as publish a new version of the Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders programme curriculum, and launch the Knowledge Sharing Series, an online Communities of Practice, and APCICT’s Korean website.