On April 27, 2021, TRACECA participated in the 77th Annual Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

The high level and significance of the event is evidenced by the participation of the heads of states and governments of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

In the Agenda, the participants of the Session exchanged views on the challenges of regional cooperation and connectivity in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the socio-economic consequences, as well as the ways to increase resilience to crises and accelerate post-pandemic recovery in the countries of Asia and the Pacific.

In the framework of the Session Agenda, a segment under the theme “Building back better from crises through regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific” was organized for speakers of international structures and organizations, including TRACECA.

Mr. Asset Assavbayev, Secretary General of the PS IGC TRACECA, noted the impact of the pandemic on the transport sector. Particularly, the restrictive measures adopted at the national level are characterized by a low level of harmonization with the measures adopted in neighbouring states. In some countries, transport was idle for a long time at the border, which led to delays in the delivery of goods and disruption of contracts due to violations of the supply chain integrity.

"The development of a single guide for border crossing points would allow avoiding a repeat of the last year's kilometre-long congestion of vehicles. Digitalization of transportation and border crossing processes is an important step towards ensuring sustainable transport links, which has also been repeatedly voiced at various international platforms, including the UN," - the Secretary General pointed out.

The results of the session and information on the Annual Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will be published on the UNESCAP official website - https://www.unescap.org/commission/77

The Annual Session will continue its work until April 29, 2021.

For reference: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the largest of the UN regional commissions in terms of geographical coverage and population, is designed to promote the socio-economic development of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region by increasing regional and subregional cooperation. The Commission is composed of 53 countries and 9 territories with the status of associate members.