Robert Nowak, UNECE, Transport Division

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Road infrastructure standards in the UNECE region High level expert group meeting to validate the report on harmonization of road norms and standards in Africa and the draft Intergovernmental Agreement Robert Nowak, UNECE, Transport Division Addis Ababa, 19 September 2011

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe A regional - and increasingly global – centre for international legal instruments • 57 UNECE international transport conventions and agreements • - Road, rail, inland waterways and combined transport • 5 environmental conventions • 35 UNECE trade facilitation recommendations

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNECE legal instruments applied on all continents Source: http://live.unece.org/trans/maps/number-of-un-transport-conventions-and-agreements-per-country.html

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Source: http://live.unece.org/trans/conventn/agreem_cp.html

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Inland transport infrastructure agreements at UNECE

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe ROAD RAIL COMBINED/INTERMODAL WATERWAYS

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Declaration - 27 Contracting Parties Source: http://live.unece.org/trans/maps/un-transport-agreements-and-conventions-01.html

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Predecessor of the 1975 AGR Agreement (Article 6.3)

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe AGR - 37 Contracting Parties Source: http://live.unece.org/trans/maps/un-transport-agreements-and-conventions-01.html

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Source: http://live.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/conventn/ECE-TRANS-SC1-384e.pdf

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe E-road network

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe West-East North-South

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Class-A roads

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Class-B roads

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe 1. Motorways 2. Express roads 3. Ordinary roads (X) Emphasis on safety and traffic flow conditions (min. congestion)

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe • - In accordance with the principles set out in international conventions and agreements • Non-literal messages to make them comprehensible to road users of any country • Latin characters to be used with other alphabets In accordance with the principles set out in international conventions and agreements

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe • Draft Annex III, TAH network: • In Africa, there are few Contracting Parties to the 1968 Convention • In Africa, there are also few Contracting Parties to the 1949 Protocol on Road Signs and Signals • Road sign, signals and road markings should be consistent along the TAH routes • Also, they should be consistent within a country • UNECE may provide capacity building concerning accession to relevant conventions and agreements to make TAH a success

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Source: http://live.unece.org/trans/maps/un-transport-agreements-and-conventions-09.html

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Source: http://live.unece.org/trans/maps/un-transport-agreements-and-conventions-10.html

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Tauern, 12 dead, 1999 Mont Blanc, 39 dead, 1999 St. Gotthard, 11 dead, 2001

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe • Process: • AGR Agreement deposited with the UN Secretary General (Article 17) • Amendments considered by the ECE’s Working Party on Road Transport (Articles 7, 8 and 9) • SC.1 meets typically once a year

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Process: • Need to periodically describe and monitor the AGR network • E-road census

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe E-road censuses

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Road infrastructure agreement alone is not enough: • A system/network approach • Need to develop/apply complementary – to road infrastructure - legal instruments • 1968 Conventions on Road Traffic and on Road Signs and Signals • Harmonization Convention/TIR – border crossing facilitation; ADR – transport of dangerous goods; CMR – legal liability; Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations; Periodic Inspections

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Source: http://live.unece.org/transport/resources/publications.html

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Borders are important in inter’l transport Declaration (1950) AGR (1975)

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe The unpredictability at borders and/or waiting for goods to be released/cleared may be very costly Bishkek – Warsaw route Min. border time: 0.4 day Max. border time: 4.5 days Min.: 5 Avg.: 11 Max.: 26 hrs Source: NELTI Final Report, www.iru.org

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Inefficient borders may nullify investment in road infrastructure

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe AGR (1975) Agreement - benefits?

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe • Road: • High and early interest in integrating and standardizing • The 1950 Declaration; substantive revision in 1975 (AGR Agreement) • High standards: comprehensive and technically demanding • Complemented by other “operational” legal instruments (road traffic, signs and signals, transport of dangerous goods, vehicle harmonization, border crossing facilitation) • Complemented by the legal liability regime (CMR Agreement) • Ongoing interest and amendments (road safety audits)

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe • Road: • Dominant and highly competitive transport mode in Europe (80-90% share in passenger/goods transport) • Dominant and growing share • Interest in Euro-Asian transport; est. 50% trips > 500km • New vehicle fleets; EURO environmental standards

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe • Rail: • AGC developed in 1985; “feasible” standards • Rail infrastructure and operations set up on a national basis • Gauge width, vehicle loading gauge, electric current differences • Different infrastructure, operational/performance and legal standards • Two legal (liability) regimes • Recently, infrastructure and operations separated

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe • Conclusions: • E-road network a successful and highly integrated international system - rail transport still fragmented, integration costly and challenging • Be ambitious and forward looking – do not set the lowest common denominator standards • To assist, avoid deadlines for implementation • Start early – the “window of opportunity” may not be available for long • Public and private sectors – excellent co-operation when working towards a common objective

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe www.unece.org

Robert Nowak, UNECE, Transport Division