Meeting between the SCO Secretary-General and the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe

On 25 February, 2020, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov met with Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Olga Algayerova on the sidelines of the 82nd session of the UNECE Inland Transport Committee (ITC). Mr Norov thanked Ms Algayerova for the invitation to visit Geneva and the assistance in organising a joint event of the SCO Secretariat and the UNECE. He noted that the SCO attaches great importance to teamwork with UN specialised agencies in accordance with the resolution of the 73rd General Assembly session on cooperation between the two organisations. The SCO and the UN maintain steady and productive cooperation in the sphere of transport as well as in the humanitarian and economic fields.

Mr Norov also emphasised that the SCO member countries are taking part in various UN transport and transit conventions that are monitored by the UNECE. Thus, India is participating in seven conventions and agreements, Kazakhstan in 18, China in three, Kyrgyzstan in 11, Pakistan in five, Russia in 33, Tajikistan in 10 and Uzbekistan in 15.

The Secretary-General is convinced that the SCO's cooperation with such specialised UN agencies as the UNECE and ESCATO will help reveal the SCO's transport potential, create new transport corridors, remove barriers and unify standards and customs tariffs throughout all of Eurasia. It is important to take into account the fact that the SCO member countries are also participants of the UNECE and ESCATO.

In turn, the Executive Secretary thanked the delegation of the SCO Secretariat for its participation in the ITC session. She pointed out it was a major step in building up the Eurasian transport potential as a foundation for reaching Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

She said the experience accumulated by the UNECE in implementing international economic treaties and agreements will be of great benefit for the SCO member states.

Mr Norov and Ms Algayerova also discussed the current transport agreements concerning the territory of the SCO and the UNECE.

Mr Norov said that the SCO is open to constructive dialogue with all regional associations in Eurasia with a view to forming a common transport space. He expressed the hope for the early signing of a memorandum of understanding by the SCO and the UNECE, which will provide an additional impetus for their multi-format cooperation in this area.