ITF connectivity work showcased at OSJD
ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim brought insights from ITF's work on connectivity to the Ministerial Conference of the Organisation for Co-operation between Railways (OSJD) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 6 June 2019 (photo). Mr Kim addressed the OSJD's 47th Session following high-level meetings with officials from Uzbekistan's Ministry of Transport.
Following an overview of the ITF structure and membership - ITF and OSJD have 19 member countries in common - Mr Kim highlighted the results of recent ITF work on connectivity. Secretary-General Kim focused on ITF work on enhancing connectivity and freight in Central Asia, citing regional and country-specific policy recommendations. Mr Kim described the new Vietnam logistics statistical system project which aims to identify policies and data needs for the South-East Asian nation. The potential disruptions to transport as studied in the ITF Transport Outlook provided Mr Kim an opportunity to propose transport policy reviews to OSJD members.
Secretary-General Kim highlighted the importance of discussion and research to advance better transport policies. The need for common rule-making to allow compatibility of national legislation with international standards was underlined. Funding for such a holistic approach would be crucial to its success, said Mr Kim, citing the example of the European Union's "Horizontal Europe" scheme which provides 100 billion euros for research and innovation between 2021 and 2027. Nine OSLD member countries lie within the EU.