Distinguished delegates,Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning.
Welcome to this high-level briefing on the second Global Sustainable Transport Conference, which will be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Beijing, China, on 5-7 May, 2020.
Sustainable transport is a critical enabler for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Transport allows for the mobility of people and goods, while enhancing economic growth, improving livelihoods and access to quality services, such as health, education and finance.
Transport reinforces connectivity at all levels. It facilitates the integration of economies, improving social equity, enhancing rural-urban linkages and building resilience. At the same time, nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions come from transport. And these emissions are projected to grow significantly in the years to come, further aggravating climate change.
Pollutants from transport, most obvious in urban centers, directly impact health. Casualties and deaths from traffic accidents are also rising. That is why we must accelerate the transition to sustainable transport.
Yet, while there is no standalone goal for transport in the 2030 Agenda, the issue is explicitly included in some SDG targets. It is also recognized as implicitly connected to many other SDGs.
After the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015, at the request of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General convened the first Global Sustainable Transport Conference in Turkmenistan 2016.
The General Assembly, in its resolution 72/212 of 20 December 2017, invited the Secretary-General to consider convening another Global Sustainable Transport Conference. From 2018 to early 2019, the Secretary-General consulted with some members, including China, and finally decided to convene the Conference in Beijing, from 5-7 May 2020.
I have been designated by Secretary-General Guterres as the Conference Secretary-General to lead preparations on behalf of the United Nations.
The objective of the Conference is to underscore the importance of sustainable transport for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The Conference will bring together key stakeholders from Governments, the UN system and other international organizations, the private sector, and civil society.
Both urban transport and rural transport will be covered.
All modes of transport—road, rail, aviation and waterborne—will be addressed, and recent scientific and technological advances and their input on transport will be deliberated.
Particular focus will be given to the concerns of vulnerable groups, such as women, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, and the poor. And concerns to developing countries, including least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, will be addressed.
In one word, sustainable transport will be focused.
Key transport objectives, such as access for all, green mobility, low carbon transition, efficiency and safety will be discussed.
Distinguished Delegates,
The Conference will be held over a period of three days, allowing for an opening and closing session, three plenary sessions, and a number of parallel thematic sessions.
Three forums, namely the Ministers’ Forum, the Business Forum and the Science, Engineering and Technology Forum, will also be held as part of the official programme. The official programme will be complemented by side events, and instructions for applications will be made available on the website.
The host country is also planning to organize social events in the evenings. And field visits for Conference participants will be organized on 8-9 May, after the conclusion of the official programme.
A UN system inter-agency report on sustainable transport is currently being prepared as substantive background for the Conference. In addition, other reports and papers by individual Member States, groups of Member States and other stakeholders, will also be made available. Individual sessions will be supported by brief background notes and other relevant materials.
The outcome of the Conference will not be a negotiated text, but rather a forward-looking, visionary statement calling for global action to further advance sustainable transport worldwide. This will be complemented by a summary report of the Conference. There will also be a compilation of partnerships, voluntary commitments and initiatives to support sustainable transport, which can be pre-registered prior to the Conference and announced during the Conference.
Also, we have established a dedicated website for the Conference. The website will serve as an information portal for the Conference. Further information regarding registration and other related guidance will be posted on the website in due course. A provisional programme and a concept note for the Conference have already been uploaded.
The UN Secretary-General will be issuing letters to all UN Member States, inviting high-level representation to the Conference.
Other Conference participants will include:
As Conference Secretary-General, I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Government of China for their generous offer to host this important Conference in 2020.
I would also reassure you that we will work together with all stakeholders to make sure that the second Global Sustainable Transport Conference is a success. And I am confident that the Conference will result in tangible, forward-looking and action-oriented outcomes.
Let us use this unique opportunity to find concrete solutions to the challenges we face. Let us, together, enhance sustainable transport worldwide as a crucial enabler of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
We hope to see many of you in Beijing next May.
Good morning.
Welcome to this high-level briefing on the second Global Sustainable Transport Conference, which will be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Beijing, China, on 5-7 May, 2020.
Sustainable transport is a critical enabler for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Transport allows for the mobility of people and goods, while enhancing economic growth, improving livelihoods and access to quality services, such as health, education and finance.
Transport reinforces connectivity at all levels. It facilitates the integration of economies, improving social equity, enhancing rural-urban linkages and building resilience. At the same time, nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions come from transport. And these emissions are projected to grow significantly in the years to come, further aggravating climate change.
Pollutants from transport, most obvious in urban centers, directly impact health. Casualties and deaths from traffic accidents are also rising. That is why we must accelerate the transition to sustainable transport.
Yet, while there is no standalone goal for transport in the 2030 Agenda, the issue is explicitly included in some SDG targets. It is also recognized as implicitly connected to many other SDGs.
After the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015, at the request of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General convened the first Global Sustainable Transport Conference in Turkmenistan 2016.
The General Assembly, in its resolution 72/212 of 20 December 2017, invited the Secretary-General to consider convening another Global Sustainable Transport Conference. From 2018 to early 2019, the Secretary-General consulted with some members, including China, and finally decided to convene the Conference in Beijing, from 5-7 May 2020.
I have been designated by Secretary-General Guterres as the Conference Secretary-General to lead preparations on behalf of the United Nations.
The objective of the Conference is to underscore the importance of sustainable transport for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The Conference will bring together key stakeholders from Governments, the UN system and other international organizations, the private sector, and civil society.
Both urban transport and rural transport will be covered.
All modes of transport—road, rail, aviation and waterborne—will be addressed, and recent scientific and technological advances and their input on transport will be deliberated.
Particular focus will be given to the concerns of vulnerable groups, such as women, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, and the poor. And concerns to developing countries, including least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, will be addressed.
In one word, sustainable transport will be focused.
Key transport objectives, such as access for all, green mobility, low carbon transition, efficiency and safety will be discussed.
Distinguished Delegates,
The Conference will be held over a period of three days, allowing for an opening and closing session, three plenary sessions, and a number of parallel thematic sessions.
Three forums, namely the Ministers’ Forum, the Business Forum and the Science, Engineering and Technology Forum, will also be held as part of the official programme. The official programme will be complemented by side events, and instructions for applications will be made available on the website.
The host country is also planning to organize social events in the evenings. And field visits for Conference participants will be organized on 8-9 May, after the conclusion of the official programme.
A UN system inter-agency report on sustainable transport is currently being prepared as substantive background for the Conference. In addition, other reports and papers by individual Member States, groups of Member States and other stakeholders, will also be made available. Individual sessions will be supported by brief background notes and other relevant materials.
The outcome of the Conference will not be a negotiated text, but rather a forward-looking, visionary statement calling for global action to further advance sustainable transport worldwide. This will be complemented by a summary report of the Conference. There will also be a compilation of partnerships, voluntary commitments and initiatives to support sustainable transport, which can be pre-registered prior to the Conference and announced during the Conference.
Also, we have established a dedicated website for the Conference. The website will serve as an information portal for the Conference. Further information regarding registration and other related guidance will be posted on the website in due course. A provisional programme and a concept note for the Conference have already been uploaded.
The UN Secretary-General will be issuing letters to all UN Member States, inviting high-level representation to the Conference.
Other Conference participants will include:
- General Assembly observers;
- representatives of UN specialized agencies, funds and programmes;
- IGOs;
- NGOs,
- private sector and the scientific and technological community;
- and the media.
As Conference Secretary-General, I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Government of China for their generous offer to host this important Conference in 2020.
I would also reassure you that we will work together with all stakeholders to make sure that the second Global Sustainable Transport Conference is a success. And I am confident that the Conference will result in tangible, forward-looking and action-oriented outcomes.
Let us use this unique opportunity to find concrete solutions to the challenges we face. Let us, together, enhance sustainable transport worldwide as a crucial enabler of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
We hope to see many of you in Beijing next May.
File date:
Tuesday, December 10, 2019