Representatives from the 10 countries of North, Central and East Asia are currently participating in this seminar organised jointly by UNESCAP and UIC. UIC is represented by Vincent Vu, Coordinator for the UIC Asia-Pacific region and by Sandra Géhénot, UIC Senior Freight Advisor.

The video message delivered by UIC Director General Jean-Pierre Loubinoux can be viewed here:

The aim of the seminar is to promote the establishment and best practice of developing Dry Ports in this region.

Initially defined by UNCTAD and subsequently by various stakeholders, Dry Ports play an important role as a crucial link in the transport chain. They have proven to have a positive effect on the efficiency of the total logistics chain. A well managed dry port helps to reduce transport costs and, in the case of a distant dry port location, save on the total transit time. Inland container traffic is fast growing in Asia which concentrated 17 out of the 30 largest cities of the world, the 10 largest container ports of the world, 56% of all containers traffic, experiencing + 21% growth of its urban population.

Transport development has shifted inland after a phase that focused on sea port development. Multimodal facilities in the hinterland have become an essential part of the whole transport system nowadays that has started involving railways represented by UIC and other modes. The emphasis has changed from purely operational to wide distribution and dry ports are emerging as a modern logistics centres located in an inland region.

The seminar was opened this morning by a speech given by Irfan Rahim, on behalf of Mr Dong-Woo Ha, Director of ESCAP Transport Division, focused on the ever-changing needs, social impact and the comparative situation of the different modes regarding cost and GHG impact. Directions of policies and financing were presented as a support (or missing elements) of these developments. The speakers insisted on complementarities between countries and modes, including railways, as well as the role of governments in their implementation. This first day finally consisted in a complete toolkit for designing those key links.

Dry Ports are now the subject of an international Treaty with UNESCAP that should be signed at the end of this year.

More information on this seminar will be available in the next edition of UIC eNews.