REAgenda Item 1 Intergovernmental Agreement on Asian Highway

1
ASIAMAR Final Conference Developing Intermodal
Freight Transport the European and Asian
Experience 27 October 2005, Bangkok
Critical Issues in Developing Intermodal Transport
Geetha Karandawala Transport and Tourism
Division UNESCAP
2
Rationale for Intermodal Transport
Market Access Access to market
Global market access
Semi finished goods
Multiple sourcing
Reduced tariff barriers
Intense competition
Effective export competitiveness
Productive capacity
Ability to bring goods to market
Demanding Buyers High quality Reliable delivery
3
Critical issues Development of Integrated
Transport Network
ICDs special Logistics zones
Asian Highway (AH)
Trans-Asian Railway (TAR)
4
Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development

• Networks should include
• Capital-to-capital links
• Connections to main industrial and agricultural
  centres
• Connections to major airports, seaports and river
  ports
• Connections to major inland container terminals
• Connections to major tourist attractions
• Make the maximum possible use of existing
  infrastructure

5
Formulation of Asian Highway
6
The Intergovernmental Agreement

• Adopted in November 2003 and opened for signature
  in Shanghai April 2004
• 27 member States signed the Agreement
• 26 signed at Shanghai in April 2004 and Malaysia
  signed at New York
• 3 definitive signatures and 10 ratifications or
  approvals
• The Agreement entered into force on 4 July 2005
• Obligation of Contracting Parties
• Adopt AH network
• Negotiating procedures
• Conform to AH design standards
• Display AH signs
• Working Group on the Asian Highway (14-15
  December 2005)
• Provides negotiating forum
• Proposals for revision of the Network-45 days

7
Physical status of the AH network

• 141,000 km, 32 countries
• Only 100 km is missing link (no road)
• Bangladesh (AH1 21 km bridge approach)
• Lao PDR (AH13 45 km)
• Tajikistan (AH66 33km)
• Conditions vary from Motorway/Expressway in
  China, Japan, Republic of Korea, mountainous road
  DPRK to improved earthen track in Mongolia,
  single lane in Myanmar, Lao PDR or poor condition
  road in Afghanistan
• Asian Highway Database/ESCAP Transport Dbase
  (GIS)
• Condition Poor, fair, good
• Standards-Primary, Class I, II and III
• Inter-country information

8
Conformity to Asian Highway Standard
Malaysia- Thai Border
9
Status of the Asian Highway
10
Trans-Asian Railway network
11
Intermodal interfaces Optimizing the Transport
Networks

• Making governments aware of need
• Review of intermodal facilities operational
  practices
• Improving intermodal interfaces
• Undertake analysis of economic benefit of
  intermodal interfaces border crossing
  facilities
• Take stock of intermodal facilities practices
  along selected corridors
• Policy recommendations
• Regional meeting
• National workshops

12
Critical issues smooth movement of goods on the
integrated transport networks

• Identifying isolating bottlenecks
• Security along transit routes
• Border crossings harmonizing legal regimes
• Institutional arrangements facilitation bodies
• Forums for networking exchange of best
  practices
• Application of ICT for trade transport
  facilitation
• Development of multimodal transport logistics

13
Identifying Isolating Bottlenecks
Sea transport
Wait at sea port
Transport to sea port
Border crossing
Transport to border
14
Application in South East Asia Lao to Thailand
-Cost
15
Application in South East Asia Lao to Thailand
-Time
16
(No Transcript)
17
Selected corridors for study
3
5
6
4
1
2
18
Demonstration runs on the TAR Northern corridor
Moscow
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific
19
Comparison 2002 2004
2002 15 days
2004 8 days 16 hrs
20
Border crossings Harmonizing legal regimes
21
Border crossings Harmonizing legal regimes

• Work with member countries and subregional
  organizations for improvement and facilitation of
  transport across borders
• ESCAP resolution 48/11
• Recommends 7 conventions related to transport
• Facilitation of International Land Transport in
  the Greater Mekong Subregion (with ADB)
• Study on transit charges in GMS subregion
• Shanghai Cooperation Organization Multilateral
  Agreement on International Road Transport
• Guidelines on harmonizing legal regimes
• Prospect of expanding scope of resolution 48/11

22
Developing Euro-Asian Transport Linkages Joint
activities with ECE

• Identifying the road rail routes
• Production of maps
• Facilitation measures along selected routes at
  border crossings
• Raising awareness of international legal regimes
• Establishment of co-ordination mechanisms
• Formulation of national action plans

23
Euro-Asian Rail Routes
Developing Euro-Asian Transport Linkages Rail
routes
24
Euro-Asian Road Routes
Developing Euro-Asian Transport Linkages Road
routes
25
Vision

• Integrated international intermodal transport
  system to facilitate international trade and
  tourism
• Integration of AH and TAR with intermodal
  connection to inland waterways and maritime
  transport
• Choice of alternative competing intermodal routes
  
• Trade partners in Asia and Europe
• Reduced transport costs and improved level of
  service

Access to markets
26

• Thank you for your attention
• For further information
• http//www.unescap.org/ttdw