In a meeting last night by video conference as part of the 75th UN General Assembly, foreign ministers from more than 30 landlocked developing countries backed TIR to accelerate trade and boost development.
The ministers commended countries already using TIR and encouraged those that have not ratified the UN TIR Convention to do so and implement it to make full use of its facilitation and security benefits.
Ministers also endorsed a new global roadmap for the UN’s Vienna Programme of Action for landlocked developing countries, focusing on further accelerating economic development and helping these nations become land-linked.
IRU has worked in partnership with the UN and other international and regional bodies to advance the Vienna Programme for the past five years, helping countries implement TIR and related digital tools such as electronic customs pre-declarations.
IRU was also instrumental in ensuring the inclusion of eCMR, the digital protocol to the UN’s CMR convention, in the new roadmap, as well as other trade facilitation measures such as streamlining visa issuance for professional drivers.
Focus now turns to delivering the roadmap for landlocked nations and driving development and prosperity for their citizens through faster and more efficient trade.