United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on 9 August 2014 the setting-up of a High-level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport to advise him and provide recommendations on sustainable transport actionable at global, national, local and sector levels. Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director General, is among the 12 personalities appointed, from Government, Civil Society and the Private Sector (the list of personalities appointed is available on the U.N website: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2014/sga1493.doc.htm).
The Advisory Group, established for a period of three years and expected to meet twice yearly, aims to “promote accelerated implementation of sustainable transport, aligned closely with the objectives of inclusive and equitable growth, social development, protection of the global environment and ecosystems, and addressing climate change”. The establishment of the Advisory Group is also a concrete response to the call by stakeholders across a broad array of fields for a more strategic approach to transport- and infrastructure-related issues. The Group will hold its first meeting in the fall of this year and is expected to submit a progress report to the Secretary-General in the second half of 2015.
In a letter sent to Mr Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, U.N Secretary General said:
Specifically on sustainable transport, I have decided to convene aviation, marine, ferry, rail, road and urban public transport providers, along with Governments and investors, to develop and take action on recommendations for more sustainable transport systems that can address rising congestion and pollution worldwide, particularly in urban areas ...I look forward to working together with you to help fight against poverty and climate change and contribute to future sustainable developments goals by advancing sustainable transport across the world”.
This initiative represents one more step by the Secretary-General in advancing climate action and in implementing his Five-Year Action Agenda in which the Secretary-General pledged to forge consensus around a post-2015 sustainable development agenda and implement it.
On behalf of UIC Members and for the entire benefit of the Railway community, I’m particularly proud to have been designated by the United Nations to participate in the High-Level Advisory Group for Sustainable Transport to represent the railway sector. By this nomination, UIC is recognized for its legitimacy to represent the entire railway community and for its technical expertise on subjects such as climate change but also on other transversal issues of the railway system brought together at the benefit of civil society”
said Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director General.
