In order to develop its global positioning, UIC has, for the past two years, been carrying out a series of actions and activities through partnerships with worldwide financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). An MoU between UIC and the Asian Development Bank was signed in Manila on 16 April 2012 by Mr. WooChong Um, ADB Deputy Director General, Regional and Sustainable Development Department and Mr. Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director-General.
The ADB shares with UIC three major objectives, namely:
- Promotion of sustainable development;
- Cooperation with various regions;
- An inclusive approach to projects including transportation projects.
“In this line we strongly believe that this partnership will open the door to very pragmatic cooperation in order to develop the role of railways and of the railway projects in the Asian region through extended cooperation and thanks to the expertise of all our Members”, said Mr. Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director-General.
Thanks to this Memorandum of Understanding, UIC and ADB expect to exchange information related to their respective programs of international meetings, seminars, conferences and congress and coordinate when railway issues are included in the agenda, and to explore opportunities for UIC to provide experts to support ADB’s railway work.
UIC and the ADB expect to share with each other, on a biannual basis, their provisional calendar of events for the following period in order to:
- Identify any UIC activities that may overlap with ADB activities or have synergy with ADB activities;
- Assess the possible exchange of experts’ contributions to any such seminars.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Tyrrell Duncan, ADB Director for East Asia Transport Division and Practice Leader of the Transport Community of Practice, explained that under ADB’s Sustainable Transport Initiative, it’s seeing a large increase in lending support and a spread in its geographical focus of railway operations. In support of this, ADB has entered into a partnership with UIC to strengthen railway development in the Asia and Pacific region.
Mr. WooChong Um reiterated this message and stressed in his presentation on ADB’s railway operations that “development is achieved through connectivity; both the connectivity of physical travel and the connectivity of knowledge-sharing between organizations such as ADB and UIC”.
During this ceremony, Mr. Jean-Pierre Loubinoux also gave a keynote address on “UIC’s efforts in railway development in Asia” and more generally on the role, actions and development of UIC activities worldwide.
More about the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) with its head office in Manila is an international development finance institution established by the Agreement establishing the Asian Development Bank which came into force on 22 August 1966 and which is binding upon its member countries that are its shareholders (currently 67 members). ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty and its mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve living conditions and quality of life.
ADB focuses on inclusive growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration in pursuance of its vision and mission. ADB also focuses on capacity development, knowledge solutions and partnerships as drivers for change. ADB, under its Strategy 2020, aims to focus its operations on five core specializations – infrastructure, environment including climate change, regional cooperation and integration, financial sector development and education.
More information at: www.adb.org
