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Robert Nowak, Transport Division, UNECE
15 March 2011, Tallinn, Estonia15 March 2011, Tallinn, Estonia
Railway Safety Education ConferenceLET’S SAVE LIVES
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
2011-2020 Decade of Action for Road Safety
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
A regional - and increasingly global – centre for international legal instruments
• 57 UNECE international conventions and agreements - Road, rail, inland waterways and combined transport
• 5 environmental conventions
• Over 30 UNECE trade facilitation recommendations
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UNECE mission: Elaboration, administration and updating of international legal instruments that establish harmonized regulations and norms ensuring a high level of road safety
The 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (96)
The 1968 Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic and on Road Signals (69 and 58 Contracting Parties)
The 1998 Agreement on Global Technical Regulations for Vehicles (31)
The 1958 Agreement on Vehicle Regulations (46)
Consolidated Resolutions on Road traffic (R.E. 1) and on Road Sign and Signals (R.E. 2)
Recommendations on the transport of dangerous goods
The 1971 European Agreement supplementing the Vienna Conventions (33 and 30)
The 1973 Protocol on Road Markings (25)
The 1997 Agreement on Periodical Technical Inspections of Vehicles (11)
The European Agreement on main international Traffic Arteries (AGR) (37)
The European Agreement on the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) (46)
The European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) (49)
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Conclusions:Conclusions:
Governments: accede, ratify, implement UNECE road safety Governments: accede, ratify, implement UNECE road safety legal instrumentslegal instruments
If road safety rules not followedIf road safety rules not followed
Governments: use policy tools/measures to Governments: use policy tools/measures to change/influence behaviourchange/influence behaviour
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Conclusions:Conclusions:
Governments: accede, ratify, implement UNECE road safety Governments: accede, ratify, implement UNECE road safety legal instrumentslegal instruments
Cost/benefit approach rather than economic efficiencyCost/benefit approach rather than economic efficiency
If road safety rules not followedIf road safety rules not followed
Governments: use policy tools/measures to Governments: use policy tools/measures to change/influence behaviourchange/influence behaviour
Effective vs. ineffective rather than economic efficiencyEffective vs. ineffective rather than economic efficiency
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Conclusions:Conclusions:
Governments encouraged and invited: Governments encouraged and invited:
- to implement road safety activitiesto implement road safety activities
- to set national casualty targetsto set national casualty targets
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Conclusions:Conclusions:
Governments encouraged, urged and invited: Governments encouraged, urged and invited:
- to implement road safety activitiesto implement road safety activities
- to set national casualty targetsto set national casualty targets
- to accede/implement UN road safety legal instrumentsto accede/implement UN road safety legal instruments
- safety at level crossing an integral part of “road safety”safety at level crossing an integral part of “road safety”
- AGR (E-road) Agreement contains “safety provisions”AGR (E-road) Agreement contains “safety provisions”
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
On 4 March 2011, the Inland Transport Committee recommended:
Working Party on Road Traffic Safety (WP.1), Working Party on Road Transport (SC.1) and Working
Party on Rail Transport (SC.2) consider creating a joint Group of Experts of limited duration to work on
enhancing safety at level crossings…
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Next steps at the UNECE:
- WP.1 meets on 21-23 March 2011
- SC.1 meets on 17-19 October 2011
- SC.2 meets on 3-4 November 2011
Procedure:
- Develop EG Terms of Reference
- Seek approval of EXCOM
UNECE:
- international platform to discuss and increase road safety, including safety at level crossings