At the UN headquarters in New York, the first meeting of the Senior Advisory Group on Sustainable Transportation under the Secretary General of the United Nations was held. From the Russian Federation, at the invitation of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the group was joined by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Viktor Kiryanov.

The Advisory Group was established in August 2014 for a term of three years and brings together representatives of governments, municipalities, heads of major international businesses, as well as leading international passenger transportation and freight associations.

At a meeting with members of the group, Ban Ki-moon confirmed the plans to increase the level of attention to transport issues in the work of the UN. The UN Secretary General plans to convene in December 2016 the first Global Conference on the Sustainable Transport.

In this connection, the group has been assigned with the task of preparing recommendations for the development of transport systems at the global, national, local and sectoral levels, in cooperation with governments, UN agencies, suppliers of transport services (air, sea, rail, road and urban transport), representatives of financial institutions and civil society.

In the years 2015-2017 the Advisory Group will hold six meetings during which there will be considered  the whole complex of social, economic and environmental aspects of transport, including the provision of free access to public transport, availability of transport infrastructure, including pricing, improvement of road safety, the impact of transport on the environment and climate.

In his speech at a meeting of the group, Victor Kiryanov focused on road safety as one of the most important conditions for the transport systems operation. The Russian representative emphasized that the deaths and injuries in road accidents are a serious threat and have a very negative impact on the socio-economic progress and sustainable development. The economic damage is estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Noting the leading role of Russia in the development of international cooperation in the area of road safety, Victor Kiryanov announced his readiness to act as the main coordinator in the consideration of this subject within the group.

In an interview with Viktor Kiryanov which took place after the group meeting, the UN Secretary-General fully shared the approach of the Russian Party, and stressed the need to make a special focus on road safety issues in the work group. In its turn, the Russian Party intends to increase its contribution to international cooperation in this area, which currently has gained significant momentum and brings together a wide range of participants representing governments, the UN system, international, non-governmental organizations and civil society.

Participation of a Russian representative  in the key thematic advisory body under the UN Secretary General will become a new step forward in consolidating the position of Russia in the international cooperation in the area of road safety.

Press-Service of the MIA General Administration for Traffic Safety