Live from New York on the eve of a global event organised by UIC to promote the efforts and commitment of UIC members in developing a sustainable railway, Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, currently at the scene, will also be delivering the highlights of his organisation’s achievements over the last two years.

“The two UIC General Assemblies held in 2010 recalled one of our major aims related to the strengthening of UIC’s role and its status as an international association representing the railway sector, recognised and respected by all stakeholders. In this context UIC undertook various initiatives during 2010 to forge agreements for worldwide cooperation with international bodies and institutions, thus consolidating its position on the world stage.

Against this backdrop, significant results were achieved in 2010 by establishing cooperative ties – through MoUs and technical agreements – with several high-profile institutions in the economic, financial and technical sectors, including the United Nations (with the renewal of the agreement giving UIC representative NGO status to the UN on behalf of the railway sector), the World Bank, the African Union, etc.

Another important development has been the empowerment of the six UIC Regions and the decision to implement regional action plans and specific projects.

The globalisation of UIC’s activities is also mirrored in the host of major events aiming to promote rail transport around the globe which the association holds or supports. These international events held in 2010 were centred on Global Signalling and Control-Command (7-9 June 2010 in Tokyo), Sustainable Development (16-17 June 2010 in Madrid), Security (23-25 June 2010 in Istanbul), Safety (IRSC in Hong Kong), Global Rail Freight (6-7 July with RZD in Saint-Petersburg), Level Crossings (October 2010 in Tokyo) and the UIC Highspeed Congress organised together with the Chinese Ministry of Railways from 7-9 December 2010 in Beijing.

UIC, a global technical platform of increasing renown

By virtue of these cooperative and technical agreements, UIC is increasingly recognised for the calibre of its railway expertise and the impartiality of its technical stance. UIC’s role as a world platform enabling technical cooperation between players has also been confirmed, notably through the holding of international conferences on subjects such as High Speed, Freight Corridors, Safety, Security, Sustainable Development, Signalling and Train Control-Command, which have established themselves as world benchmarks.

One of UIC’s major future focuses is its wish to support the development of international railway standards. Indeed, debate of what UIC’s role should be from a technical perspective has been initiated within the standardisation group in which members from all regions of the world participate.

Achievements over the last two years

Following the adoption of new statutes and a thorough reorganisation of UIC’s tasks to better meet the new challenges of the railway sector in 2009, 2010 was characterised by the strengthening of UIC as an internationally-recognised technical platform in increasing demand from its partners, and by the growth of its activities at world level, as presented by members during General Assemblies.

Organisation/Management, particularly the day-to-day work carried out by UIC HQ and based on a strategy of hands-on management and efficiency under the new statutes.

A period of reflection assessed the key tasks on which UIC has to focus its actions and resources whilst maintaining the opt-in process for regular projects. Over the last two years, every effort has been made to adopt and organise management methods to meet the increasing demands of UIC as a technical platform, in accordance with the following watchwords:

• Transparency
• Visibility
• Stability

TRANSPARENCY is greatly appreciated by members, with UIC showing more transparency in its deliverables, work programmes, new project proposals, in schedules through the publication in 2010 of the Reference Document, thus giving members a clear overview of the aims, timescales and partnerships, and constituting a genuine global source of reference.

VISIBILITY:

• In some of the global activities managed within UIC such as Security, Safety, International Corridors, Signalling and to a certain extent High Speed
• In the running of the new Freight and Passenger Forums (whose first Steering Committee took place at the end of April 2011 to give more visibility and dynamism to their activities, and by admitting members from all regions of the world), Rail System Forum
• In the development of different web portals (for Freight, Research, Environment) giving members easier access to UIC dedicated information and data on these subjects
• In the development and the great success of communication tools such as the electronic newsletter “UIC eNews”, released each week to a worldwide audience (2500 readers, and growing each month), the latest developments and progress of UIC projects and activities, or the 65 000 visits per month to our corporate website (www.uic.org)
• Videoconferencing enabling swifter progress with projects, and communication with members and participants on various projects and activities
• Multi-regional projects: their global visibility and their initial and promising growth serving to form new links

STABILITY:

• In managing an extremely complex procedure to prepare projects with members, notably through Platforms and Forums
• In presenting these projects from a business-oriented perspective with a view to long-term stability, to give members a clearer understanding of the economic importance of technical projects
• In aiming to achieve standardisation, with actions launched within European cooperation bodies (for example the TecRec agreements signed with UNIFE) and the Global Standards Group
• In pursuing a long-term action plan to promote rail transport in a sustainable manner, particularly with actions coordinated with UNEP, and participation in various Conferences of the Parties (COP)
• In the context of growing international interest in an integrated approach to Safety, Security and High Speed, etc.
• Through encouraging other regions in the world to participate in the subject of stations for example (SMGG)
• Through the relaunching of IRRB, a high-level cooperation body dedicated to railway research, thus reflecting more far-reaching ambitions in this area
• Through an improved accounting system, enabling UIC’s financial situation to be stabalised, with notably a reduction in fees and better management of project budgets

In conclusion, I believe it is equally important for the UIC teams and representatives (which constitutes real team work with our members) who are preparing projects to not only monitor budgets, but also to monitor the preparation of statutory meetings and the running of UIC activities together with senior management, to continue working together in this excellent climate of cooperation, thereby enabling railways to be promoted and developed throughout the world.

I am totally convinced that this high-level event, whose purpose is to present this signature at the United Nations in the presence of its Under Secretary-General, Mr Sha Zukang, and several prominent personalities and Director-General of railways marks the restored credibility of UIC representing all the efforts made by all of its members worldwide to make the railways the sustainable contributor to mobility and modern economies. More information on this signature will be published in the next issue of UIC eNews this Thursday, following the event at the United Nations.

To conclude, I would like to express once again, on behalf of the worldwide railway community, and in the context of one of our fundamental values of solidarity, all our support towards our Japanese colleagues, and more particularly to the JR East staff who are doing their best to bring rail services back to normal as quickly as possible. A detailed account of this subject by the Director of JR East’s international department, Mr Mitsuo Higashi, will be published in the next UIC eNews."