The IRU Academy is pleased to announce the accreditation of Hi-Tech Projects in the Sultanate of Oman to the IRU Academy CPC Manager Middle East Programme. This initiative, supported by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Arab Union of Land Transport (AULT), falls under a regional project for League of Arab States (LAS) countries aimed at improving road safety and road transport efficiency in the Arab world.

Learn more about

• IRU Academy Programmes
• IDB-AULT-IRU joint project on the facilitation of road transport in the pan-Arab region

• Read the Joint Statement
• IRU Secretary General welcome address
• IRU Under-Secretary General and General Delegate for Eurasia (in Russian)
• Read press release: EN ¦ RU

The IRU Academy is pleased to announce the accreditation of the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association’s (LINAVA) training centre for both the IRU Academy Safe Loading & Cargo Securing and Tachograph Programmes. With these new accreditations, IRU Academy programmes can now be delivered through LINAVA to road transport professionals in Lithuania, thus improving road safety and transport efficiency, which ultimately benefits the economy and society as a whole.

• Learn more about IRU Academy Programmes

The IRU, together with the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the Association of International Road Carriers of Belarus (BAMAP), co-organised a Seminar today on the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) Multilateral Quota System, for some 50 high level officials, transport operators and members of specialised press, to discuss the further facilitation of trade and international road transport in Belarus and the CIS region.

Participants were briefed on joint IRU-ITF initiatives including ECMT Guides, which contribute to safe, secure and efficient international road transport, and learned more on ECMT Quality Charter requirements, the scope and operational limits of foreign permits and ECMT best practices concerning log books and reporting.

• Read more on IRU-ITF ECMT Guides

The IRU showcased the benefits of its TIR Electronic Pre-Declarations (IRU TIR-EPD) web-based application to some 30 Armenian Customs officials and transport operators at a Seminar today co-organised with the IRU’s Armenian Member Association, AIRCA. This comes following the signing of a MoU between the Customs Administration of the Republic of Armenia, AIRCA and the IRU, regarding the use of IT TIR Risk Management tools.

Participants greatly appreciated the benefits of IRU TIR-EPD, including reduced costs to transport operators, who will be able to bypass third parties and send advance cargo information directly to Customs. TIR-EPD is particularly important in Armenia, because 80% of transport operations involve import to Russia, where advance information is mandatory.

Immediately following the Seminar, several transport operators registered with IRU TIR-EPD to start taking advantage of the benefits offered by this free-of-charge TIR Risk Management tool.

• See more on IRU TIR-EPD

The IRU is pleased to announce the update of its practical brochure outlining “How to fill in a TIR Carnet”. The new and more reader-friendly design includes the latest legislative developments, as well as best practices and recommendations on the use of TIR Carnets. The sample transport journey has been modified to better reflect TIR operational realities and traffic flows, and useful contact details have been added for TIR-Electronic Pre-Declaration (TIR-EPD) support. 

The “How to fill in a TIR Carnet” brochure has been updated in English, French, German, Romanian and Russian, with updated Polish, Spanish and Turkish versions coming soon. 

• Download the updated brochure “How to fill in a TIR Carnet”
• More on the TIR System
• More on TIR-EPD

Following the Conference yesterday for the Final Regional Review on the Almaty Programme of Action, in the framework of a meeting organised by the IRU with support from Associations of international road transport carriers from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, UN Under Secretary General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), H.E. Mr Gyan Chandra Acharya, expressed his gratitude to the IRU for its contributions in implementing the Almaty Programme of Action, as well as IRU initiatives to facilitate trade, international road transport and tourism in Eurasia.

Participants later adopted recommendations to facilitate and develop trade, tourism and international road transport in the region, including the modernisation of border crossing points, creation of separate lanes for trucks, buses and passenger cars, as well as TIR-EPD Green Lanes, and the further implementation of key UN facilitation and security instruments, such as the TIR Convention, as proposals to be included in the new Almaty Programme of Action.

• Read the Recommendations

Learn more about

• TIR-EPD Green Lanes
• TIR System

The IRU Academy conducted briefing sessions today on its CPC Manager and CPC Driver International Programmes for the IRU’s Ukrainian Member, AsMAP UA, its Accredited Training Institute, TCC-AIRCU, as well as transport operators from leading Ukrainian companies and representatives of the Ministry of Transport.

These interactive sessions focused on transferring key relevant content, presenting training material and sharing best practices through presentations and group exercises, to help equip instructors and specialists with the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver high quality training to professional managers and drivers, which contributes to improving road safety, transport efficiency and ultimately benefits the economy and society as a whole.

Learn more about

• IRU Academy
• IRU Academy Programmes

An IRU Delegation headed by Under Secretary General, Igor Rounov, presented IRU activities to facilitate trade and international road transport along Eurasian transport links, including the New Eurasian Land Transport Initiative (NELTI) and Model Highway Initiative (MHI), at the Final Regional Review of the Almaty Programme of Action for Landlocked and Developing Countries, organised by UNESCAP, UNECE, UN OHRLLS and the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Presenting NELTI results, Mr Rounov indicated that 40% of transport time is lost at border crossings, with illicit payments accounting for more than 30% of additional costs. He then showcased the benefits of the IRU MHI, which aims to create ancillary infrastructure such as secure parking areas, hotels and fuel stations along Eurasian highways, thus improving social conditions for drivers, and put forward a number of proposals to be included in the Almaty Programme of Action, which is currently being updated for the second decade.

Learn more about the IRU’s

• New Eurasian Land Transport Initiative (NELTI)
• Model Highway Initiative (MHI)

The IRU tonight held its traditional Spring Cocktail, which brought together over 300 leading transport and travel representatives from the EU’s political, business and industry spheres, including MEPs, EU Commission officials, trade associations, manufacturers, transport operators, NGOs, as well as IRU Member Associations.

• See the photo gallery