Asia europe transport problems

Recent political and economical t individu eachyings at the global and regional levels countenance publicati geniusd in a more contributory education surroundings in the Asiatic and Pacific region and the opening-up of op user interfaceunities for external traffic and tourism issuegrowth for the developing countries of the region, including those which ar in trim down. Nevertheless, the privation of unrestrained entranceway to the sea plays transference be and time to global administer trans bodily sues. In addition, in belt down countries degreeula greater enchant risks and hazards than countries which demand draw a bead on access to nter field sea routes.The coupled Nations has intercommunicate the particular concerns of in res publica countries in a way out of documents. Among those which be directly cerebrate to sustain ar the adjacent worldwide Assembly heroism 50/97 of 20 December 1995 on particularised put throughs cerebrate to the p articular fates and fusss of in grease developing countries Global manakin for theodolite violate cooperation between upcountry and pilgrimage developing countries and the donor community (TD/B/LDC/AC. /6) Problem of visible alkali development of the bucklocked countries, ncluding economies in get overion (E/ESCAP/SREC(7)/3) and further report on measures de sign(a) to better the excursion be pay back environment in central Asia (A/ 51/288). With Just-in-time delivery fit al close to a prerequisite for efficacious externalistic trade, curiously in an increasely competitive market environment, adequate economic aid must be given to solving problems in post aras which argon alone- all-important(prenominal)(a) for the businesslike development of the global trade of in country countries.The inauguration in whitethorn 1996 of a new(a) coach atmosphere linking the Moslem exceptional Kwealth of Iran nd Turkmenistan, in that respectof completing a new silk condition route from China to atomic number 63 via the midland countries of Central Asia the priority attention of the Islamic cite of Iran to the development of the necessary physical pedestal, as good as zygomorphously symmetrical and multilateral contracts for supranational mail peculiarly to and from Central Asia the establishment in whitethorn 1996 of a forum for the comprehensive development of regions on the second Europe-Asia continental straddle which is of vastness to Mongolia and the inland countries of Central Asia the foremost of he connective of South easterly Asiatic Nations (ASEAN) on the development of a rail link from Singapore by dint of Malaysia, Thailand, Viet Nam or the Lao Peoples democratic majority rule and on to Kunming, China and the recently absolute say of the South Asiatic Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on cristal and go through needs, including those of Nepal and Bhutan, argon vivid illustrations of the c ommitment of the element countries of ESCAP to the development of a land hug drug network in Asia in The puzzle none highlights whatever of the issues and problems of physical and haywire nfrastructure in the principal(prenominal) modes of conveying (with focus on land outrage, inland piddleways and connections to seaports) which get along the landlocked countries in the region, namely Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Lao Peoples Democratic majority rule, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. l.MAJOR ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN THE TRANSPORT heavens To improve the might and competitiveness of transnationalististicist trade and tourism in the landlocked countries of the region, the following issues relating to major modes of pack need to be addressed (a) select of alternate track routes b) reduction of overfly costs and time along the take routes and (c) cooperation among the organizations implicated. A. e lection of alternative conveyance routes Although m whatever of the landlocked countries in the region have some(prenominal) electromotive force routes to seaports, most of them ar intemperately dependent on one main transit route beca uptake of limited resources and, in some cases, the limited options open to them in the past as a result of the political military position at that time.This show these countries vulnerable to disruption of transit service owing to national disasters, technical and operative breakdowns, labour disputes and conflicts. Moreover, in go out of regionalization and globalisation of economic development, divers(prenominal) access routes to different seaports whitethorn be required for expeditious transport of goods to trade partners located in different parts of the globe. Therefore, it is important for any landlocked kingdom to have a choice of transit land transport routes (and inland peeingways if applicable) to the main seaports in Asia, as well as a choice of give vent transport routes and connections to major subregional, regional and global destinations. In addition, in view of the development of trade within Asia, as well as betweenAsia and Europe, there is an increasing demand for authorized and efficient intra-Asia and Asia-Europe land bridges with connections to landlocked countries in the region. The landlocked countries need to be part of an combine approach to the development of an intra-Asia and Asia-Europe land transport network of supranational grandness. 1. Formalization of the internationalistic land transport network in Asia The deputation at its forty-eighth posing, held in Beijing in April 1992, endorsed comprising the Asian main highway the Trans-Asian railroad line and facilitation of land ransport, as a priority for build II (1992-1996) of the institutionalize and Communications Decade for Asia and the Pacific.The objective of the objectify is to take to heart in creating a land tran sport network in Asia to facilitate international trade and tourism. The route weft criteria include capital-to-capital links and connections to main industrial and agricultural centres, and connections to major seaports and river ports, as well as to major container terminals and depots. The network should besides abide interregional land transport linkages, particularly with the region of the Economic Commission for Europe. The confound enjoys support from 25 ESCAP shargons, including all the landlocked countries except Armenia, Azerbaijan and Bhutan which have yet to colligate the declargon oneself. Armenia and Azerbaijan, however, are participating in activities that are related to ALTID.With the successful execution of degree I (1994-1995) of the ALTID project, considerable progress has been achieved in the formulation of the international land transport network in Asia linking landlocked countries. The Asian path network (see figure l) has been rewrite in the south ern corridor connecting the Islamic Republic of Iran South Asia southeast Asia (which includes he landlocked countries of Afghanistan, Nepal and the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic), and a new network develop in the corridor South-East Asia China Mongolia. A instruct on the development of highway networks in the landlocked Asian republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) to place the potential Asian Highway routes in those countries was completed in 1996.The Trans-Asian railway system network includes the following land bridges between Asia and Europe Europe-Russian alliance and/or China-Korean peninsula Europe-Islamic Republic of Iran-Central Asia-China ( sunrise(prenominal) Silk Railway) Europe-Islamic Republic of Iran-South Asia-South-East Asia. With the finale during phase I ofa feasibility study on connecting the rail networks of China, Kazakstan, Mongolia, the Russian league and the Korean peninsula, and a projec t on the Trans-Asian Railway in the Indo-China and ASEAN subregions, the network has been formulated in the northern corridor of the Asia-Europe routes (see fgure II) which includes the landlocked countries of Kazakstan and Mongolia, and in the Indo-China and ASEAN subregions (see figure under the weather), the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic.A potential Trans- Asian Railway network in the southern corridor of the Asia-Europe routes (of importance to Afghanistan and Nepal) was also place (see fgure V) by a related feeler study. The Commission at its fifty-second session reiterated its wettight support for the ALTID project and emphasized the importance of its completion and of improving the operational efficiency of both the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway networks, including the Asia-Europe links, at the earliest possible date. The Commission adoptive resolution 52/9 of 24 April 1996 on Intra-Asia and Asia-Europe land bridges. rogramme of the invigorated Delhi Action computer program on cornerstone victimization in Asia and the Pacific.It also okay the plan of action for the implementation of phase II (1996-1997) of the ALTID project, which includes a detailed study on the southern corridor of the Trans-Asian Railway, and it decided that a study on the development of the Railway in the corridor connecting South-East and North-East Asia (including the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and Mongolia) should be underinterpreted and that analogous studies on the development of the Asian Highway and the Trans-Asian Railway in the corridor connecting northern Europe with the Russian Federation to the landlocked countries of Central Asia and the Islamic Republic of Iran should be include in the projected phase Ill (1998-1999) of the project. 13. When completed and full operational for the unit of measurement of Asia, the land transport network could result landlocked countries in the region with a choice of alternative land transport routes to majo r seaports in Asia, and land transport and land-cum-sea links to any new(prenominal) terra firma in Asia and Europe.However, to realize such a potential, the landlocked countries must have unhindered access to the network. . Unhindered access to the international land transport network in Asia The construction of the regional land transport network and all related infrastructure is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for reliable and efficient international transport. A legal modeling is also required to add the basis for unhindered access to the routes for efficient international trade and tourism. A matching plan for the development of international land transport routes and services based on agreed performance parameters and standards is also essential.This has been vividly demonstrated by the experience of Europe, where the ollowing quartette major all-European transport agreements have been adopted (a) The European reason on briny internationalist Traffic Arterie s (AGR Agreement) of 1975, which defines the major European roads and establishes uniform technical characteristics (b) The European Agreement on Main multinational Railway Lines (AGC Agreement) of 1985, which determines the major lines and infrastructure parameters of the European railway network (c) The European Agreement on Important International combine Transport Lines and Related Installations (AGTC Agreement) of 1991, which is the first European ultilateral treaty governing international unite road/rail container and piggyback transport (d)International infrastructure agreement concealment European inland waterways Oanuary 1996). recommended that a legal framework should be developed for Asia in the form of ESCAP agreements on the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway, victorious into consideration the related experience of the European Union. With such ESCAP agreements in place, all the countries in Asia, including the landlocked countries, would enjoy tolerant access t o road and rail transport routes of international importance. 3. Inland waterways of international importance to some of the landlocked countries in Asia Inland water transport derriere play an important fictional character for the regional or international trade of some landlocked countries.A number of rivers in these countries can potentially abide the cheapest means of communication with neighbouring countries, or fifty-fifty with them to other countries in the world. For instance, a number of tributaries of the Brahmaputra River flow out of Bhutan through India to Bangladesh the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic is adjoin or bisected by the Mekong River which flows through China, Myanmar, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam Mongolia gives rise to the Yenisey, the Angara and the Amur-Heilongjiang rivers which link the country to China and the Russian Federation and Nepal has one-third of the four largest tributaries of the Ganges River flowin g from India to Bangladesh.The receipts and development of inland water transport infrastructure and services would benefit all of these countries in various ways, including cost savings, environmental protection and energy savings. In addition, transit by water is more considerably accepted by operators of seaports located at river mouths and it is less prone o losings, pilferage and interruption than transit by road and rail. At the present time, however, the rivers are not fully utilized for sailplaning in most landlocked countries. Most of the rivers are remedy in a natural state without appropriate improvement and marking. Water levels in the rivers are not always unvarying or sufficient and the gradient is very much very steep. In some river sections, the waterways are full of rapids and shoals which endanger vessel seafaring or even interrupt it entirely.Some rivers are blocked with siltation, cables, pipelines, bridges, dams and other structures along or crossing them . Few help to piloting are nstalled to mark the navigable impart in the rivers. All these factors limit the free enforce of the rivers for transport. However, the potential of inland water transport for international trade should be evaluated. In order to promote the use of rivers for transport which would serve the needs of landlocked countries, ESCAP is implementing several projects under the regional action course of the New Delhi Action innovation on foundation developing, which was launched by the ministerial conference on Infrastructure in October 1996. adept of the projects is on the harmonisation of requirements relating to international mportance of habitual or well harmonized rules, and picture guidance with regard to navigation rules, aids to navigation, the carriage of dangerous goods, facilitation measures and waterway classifications for internationally navigable rivers. Another important project is on the development of inland water transport infrastructure and services. This project includes a regional strategic study for the development of inland water transport in the ESCAP region. An intensive investigation volition be carried out to identify the problems faced by the inland water transport sector. The station ill be compared with successful experiences in other parts of the world.This study should provide a distinct picture of the advantages and disadvantages of inland water transport in specific situations, identify opportunities for development and suggest regional actions and national policy options to expand the use of rivers for navigation in the ESCAP region. Expert assort and policy-level meetings will be held to discuss the findings and suggestions of the study. requisite follow-up actions will be taken at both the regional and national levels. With regard to some landlocked Asian republics, the same opportunity may outlive or transit transport through inland waterways. Specific studies need to be carried out to iden tify the potential for the grow use of inland waterways. 4. Air transport It goes without saying that reliable and efficient air transport is crucial for the economic and accessible progress of landlocked countries.While the emphasis in this paper is on related aspects of land transport, inland waterways and marine linkages and transport, the following activities of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have been included in the regional action programme 1997-2001) of the New Delhi Action Plan on Infrastructure Development in Asia and the Pacific and endorsed by the Ministerial Conference on Infrastructure programme of enactment to the new civil aviation communications, navigation and surveillance and air traffic precaution system programme for economic remediate in civil aviation in Asia and the Pacific programme for the protection of the environment in the vicinity of airports improvement and harmonization of flight safety standards expansion of the UNDP-promo ted ICAO TRAINAIR programme and poverty alleviation through country-bred airfield development in to the lowest degree developed countries. These projects address major problem areas in air transport in the Asian and Pacific region, including in the landlocked countries. B.Reduction of transit time and costs along the transport routes of While the formulation of an international land transport network in Asia is in progress through the implementation of the ALTID project, there are already a provide the landlocked countries with access to seaports. These are reflected in table 1. 1. Reduction of transit time and costs at leeway crossings and ports Even when all necessary infrastructure is in place, the delay of vehicles at parade rossings can entail tremendous losses of resources and time. A connatural problem occurs when the waiting time is long for ships to be rigid and unloaded in seaports which serve landlocked countries. When international inland waterways are functional for use, delays of burden at cross-border points have similar economic effects. a) Facilitation of land transport at border-crossings (i)Commission resolution 48/11 on road and rail transport modes in relation to facilitation measures Recognizing that harmonized transport facilitation measures are a prerequisite for efficient international trade and transport along road and rail routes of nternational importance, the Page 1 1 Commission at its forty-eighth session adopted resolution 48/11 of 23 April 1992 on road and rail transport modes in relation to facilitation measures. By that resolution, it recommended that the countries in the region, if they had not already through with(p) so, consider the possibility of acceding to seven international dominions. The status of the inlet of the landlocked and neighbouring countries in Asia to the international conventions is shown in table 2.It is clear that in order to facilitate international and bilateral trade and tourism the plasti c cooperation of the ountries is required to create a lower limit legal basis for land transport cross-border traffic. In this respect ESCAP adopted a subregional approach to providing assistance to countries. A special seminar for the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) subregion (with the participation of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) on the implications and benefits of accession to the conventions was held in Tehran in November 1994. A similar seminar for the North-East Asian countries (including the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and Mongolia) was conducted in May 1996 in Bangkok.Another seminar for countries of the greater Mekong subregion (including the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic) was organized Jointly by ESCAP and the Asian Development Bank at It is very encouraging to note that Uzbekistan has acceded to sextet-spot conventions, and Kazakstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have each acceded to four. However, Afghanistan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are each party to only two Azerbaijan, to one and Bhutan, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Mongolia and Nepal to none at all. A similar situation of accession to few or no convention occurs in the neighbouring ountries of Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand and Viet Nam. Such a situation calls for the urgent implementation of Commission resolution 48/11 by all landlocked countries and their neighbouring countries. transportation facilitation skip over transport plays a particularly important affair in the development of landlocked countries.Two international conventions, namely the Convention and Statute on Freedom of Transit, Barcelona, 20 April 1921 (popularly referred to as the Barcelona Transit Convention), and the Convention on Transit Trade of Landlocked States, New York, 8 July 1965 (New York Transit Convention) assist in facilitating the transit transport of landlocked countries. However, only a few of t he Asian landlocked countries and their neighbouring countries are contracting parties of these conventions, as indicated in table 3. There is understandably great potential to improve transit transport in the region. It is recommended that the landlocked countries and the neighbouring countries should accede, if they have not already done so, to the Barcelona and New York transit conventions as soon as possible.The development of a subregional multilateral transit treaty/agreement also ppears to be a promising approach to transit facilitation. Preparation of such a adumbrate transit treaty for the ECO region, for example, could be carried out as part of the project on international transport development in the ECO region, which is being proposed Jointly by ESCAP, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and ECO for possible funding by the Islamic Development Bank. (iii) Multilateral and bilateral agreements on land transport facilitation Multilateral and bilateral ag reements which govern land transport at border crossings are of great importance to the landlocked countries in Asia.Given the intent f the agreements in promoting international traffic, a database assureing mainland Asia is being established at ESCAP as part of the ALTID project. As indicated above, there are several main rivers in Asia which may be used by landlocked countries for international transport. To facilitate navigation and river toilet development activities, a draft agreement on commercial navigation on the Lancang Jiang Mekong River (upper reaches of the Mekong River) between the Governments of China, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Thailand has been raddled up and it is expected that this agreement will be signed in the tightfitting uture.The Agreement on Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin was signed on 5 April 1995 between the countries of the Lower Mekong River basin (Cambodia, the Lao Peoples Democratic Rep ublic, Thailand and Viet Nam). The Mekong River Commission is the institutional framework through which the Agreement will be implemented. The bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and India, which is signed on a biennial basis, could also be of practical interest to landlocked countries. Similar arrangements which take into account the related experience in other regions could e of great practical value in facilitating international inland water transport in Asia, including in landlocked countries. c) Facilitation of maritime traffic In addition to facilitation for land transport and transport on inland waterways, facilitation of maritime traffic plays an important role in improving the efficiency of the international land-cum-sea transport systems which serve the landlocked In an era of large ships with efficient cargo operations resulting in very slight stays in port, the delays caused by objective red tape result in extra costs and time. To improve the situation, countries in the region having seaports (including those suffice landlocked countries) are adopting the Convention on Facilitation of International ocean Traffic, 1965 (FAL Convention) as amended. The objective of the FAL Convention is to alter the procedures for the inward clearance of ships, cargoes, passengers and crew on arrival in a port.This can be achieved by the utilization of six standard declaration forms and the credence of common standards for processing documentation. However, among the ESCAP members and associate members, only Australia, China, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Fiji, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the marshall Islands, New Zealand, the Russian Federation, United States of the States and Vanuatu are party (as of January 1997) to the FAL Convention. It is clear that there is potential to improve the efficiency of the land- cum-sea routes serving landlocked countries if all the coastal countries concerned accede to the FAL Convention.To assist the countries in the process of acceding to the Convention, ESCAP, in cooperation with the International Maritime Organization, ommenced in 1993 a four-year programme of country-level workshops and subregional seminars to promote the adoption of the FAL Convention and the implementation of its provisions. (d) Corridor studies To assist member countries in Asia, including landlocked countries, in the facilitation of cross-border traffic, ESCAP undertakes corridor studies to identify non- physical impediments to the flow of goods which cause delays and add unnecessary costs to the transport process. One such study, for example, was completed in 1994 in the corridor Singapore Malaysia Thailand the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Viet Nam. The study was extended in 1995 to cover Cambodia and in 1996 to include Myanmar.The study revealed the following impediments restrictions on the movement of vehicles and drivers across borders restrictions on the movement of cargo between t he port and inland origin/destination without custom inspection in the port restrictions on the movement of third country or transit cargo limitations on the telling use of multimodal transport and failure to agnize use of available technology and training to plan port and cargo-handling operations. The reports lso provided recommendations for dealing with these impediments. A study carried out by ADB on regional technical assistance to the Greater Mekong subregion for mitigation of non-physical barriers to cross-border movement of goods and people (completed in October 1996) should also be mentioned in this context.Similar studies are to be carried out as recommended by the Ministerial Conference on Infrastructure along the major intra-Asia and Asia-Europe land bridges, with the attached ESCAP study planned for the corridor Port of Bandar Abbas (Islamic Republic of Iran) landlocked countries of Central Asia China. One other impediment frequently found in the landlocked countr ies in Asia is a lack of a proper coordinating implement at the national level among the ministries and agencies knobbed in cross-border procedures and formalities. 2. Improvement of transport logistics Multimodal transport, committal forwarding and electronic data discussion (ED) play an increasingly important role in the development of international trade. Just- in-time delivery, which is sightly a prerequisite for competitive international trade, increases the need for a highly efficient integrated system of despatch, transport and