Presentation of activities on implementation of TTFA and promotion of accession to/implementation of international legal instruments facilitating transit

transport (18, 20, 22 August 2014, Pakistan)

ECONOMIC COOPERATION ORGANIZATION (ECO)

Zukhra Abisheva,Programme Officer,

Directorate of Transport and Communications

Potential of the ECO region

Consisting of ten member countries of the central and western Asia:, the ECO region occupies 5.3% of total world land area and with 430 million population (2011), enjoys 6.2 % of total world population, has the high potential of mass movement of cargo/passeng.er. The region lies at the heart of the main North-South and East-West corridors. Length of asphalted roads is exceeding 550,000 km. Length of railways is exceeding 52,000 km).

ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)

OBJECTIVES:

• Facilitation of movement of goods and passengers

• Ensuring the safety of goods and passengers and avoiding unnecessary delays during the transit traffic

• Cooperation and coordination of the efforts to avoid the incidence of customs frauds and tax evasion

• Harmonizing necessary administrative affairs dealing with transit traffic

TTFA is ECO’s the basic document in the transport sector, providing backgrounds for a historical movement toward reduction of cost and acceleration of the transport services through harmonization and modernization of transit transport in the region

TTFA is in force since 2006 with the ratification of the Parliaments of eight Member States: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkey

ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)

A special mechanism and a FUND has been established to coordinate, support and monitor

the implementation of the TTFA

TTCCCustoms Transit

Committee

Insurance Committee

Road Committee

Railway Committee

TRANSIT TRANSPORT COORDINATION COUNCIL

ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)

Implementation of road and customs provisions of the TTFA being administered y Road and Customs Transit Committees

of TTCC:

Article 5: Customs Duties, Taxes and other Levies and Charges Article 9: Measures designed to expedite clearance of Transit Traffic Article 10 Safety of Transit Traffic Article 14 Traffic Regulations Article 15 Road Transport Permits Article 17: Temporary Admission of Means of Transport Article 20 Mutual Recognition of Driving Licenses  Article 21 Mutual Recognition of Certificate of Road Worthiness Article 24: Transit Services Article 28: Setting up Customs Transit System Article 29: Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures Article 30: Consolidation and Alignment of Documentation Article 31: Notification of Change in Documentation and Procedures Article 32: Basic Documentation and Procedures Article 34: Domestic Legislation Article 35: International Conventions

ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)

ANNEXES to the TTFA :

ANNEX-I Prescribed road, rail and inland waterway transit routes

ANNEX-II Minimum technical characteristics of transit roads

ANNEX-III Minimum technical characteristics of railway transit transport

ANNEX-IV Technical requirements of road vehicles

ANNEX-V Motor Vehicles Third Party Insurance

ANNEX-VI Rules of Carriage by Road Transport

ANNEX-VII Customs Control

ECO/IDB Joint Project on implementation of TTFA

Technical Assistance Agreement (Grant) was signed between ECO and IDB (2009 ) to prepare a Regional Program for the implementation of TTFA with the total amount US$512,000.

The Project anticipated assisting ECO to make plans for the implementation of TTFA where eight out of ten member states are the Contracting Parties to TTFA.

The scope of the Project includes three subcomponents: a)providing consultancy services to produce analytical reports, a priority investment plan etc.; b)organizing training workshops c)establishing Project Management Unit (PMU).

Studies on road, rail and insurance provisions of the TTFA under the subcomponent “consultancy services” have been successfully completed and resulted in preparing:1. ECO Railway Network Development Plan 2. ECO Road Network Development Plan 3. Report on the status of Motor Vehicle Third Party Liability (MVTPL) insurance scheme.

ECO/IDB Joint Project on implementation of TTFA

ECO is mandated to organize Regional Partnership Forum with participation of national, regional and international organizations and funding institutions to implement projects envisaged in the ECO Road and Rail Network Development Plans..

The study on the customs provisions of the TTFA is the remaining component to be implemented at the second phase of the Project with technical support of UNECE and UNCTAD.

The ECO Railway Network Development Plan identifies 40 regionally important projects for priority development with a total length of 12,298 km railway lines and with estimated cost $43,4billion.

The ECO Road Network Development Plan outlines 47 regionally important infrastructure projects on road for priority development with a total length of approximately 11,450 km and estimated cost $21 billion.

The report on the insurance component represents the comprehensive information on the status of MVTPL insurance scheme in the member states, including information and recommendations for implementation of the White Card Scheme.

ECO/IDB Joint Project on implementation of TTFA

Under the Subcomponent ”organizing training workshops” ECO is designing and organizing capacity building programmes on transport in partnership with relevant international organizations and institutions.

Capacity building workshops/training workshops, held in 2012-2013:

The ECO/UNECE Workshop on Unified Railway Law (Ankara, June 2012)The Regional Training Course on Third Party Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance (ECO White Cart), Tehran, November 2012, in partnership with the International Green Card Council of BureauxThe 2nd ECO/IRU Regional Conference on Transit Transport and the TIR System, Istanbul June- July 2012.Training Course on TIR for Afghanistan, (Mashhad, June 2012).Training Course on TIR for Afghanistan (Ankara, 2012).Training Course on TIR for Pakistan (Ankara, May 2013).

Capacity building programmes being held and planned for 2014:Capacity Building Workshop on TIR for Pakistan, Islamabad, August 2014.The Regional Workshop on Third Party Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance, Istanbul, 2nd September 2014. The 3rd ECO/IRU Regional Conference on Transit Transport and the TIR System, Tehran, 15 September 2014.Regional Capacity Building Workshop on the UN Agreement ADR, Ankara, 2014.

ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA) ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)

The status of accession to/ implementation of the international conventions and agreements, mentioned in the TTFA, are being pursued

by TTCC and its technical committees

The international conventions and agreements are directed to:

•provide the international legal and technical framework for the development of international road, rail, inland waterway and combined transport ;

•address a wide array of transport issues which fall under the responsibility of Governments;

•have an impact on international transport. which includes coherent international infrastructure networks, uniform and simplified border-crossing procedures and uniform rules and regulations aimed at ensuring a high level of efficiency, safety and environmental protection in transport.;

•appear to be today of utmost importance for Governments of newly independent States who need to build their transport regulations in line with those existing in the European countries. 

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ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA) ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)

i.. Convention on Road Traffic, 1968ii. Convention on road signs and signals, 1968.iii. Rules of use of wagons in international traffic (PPW).iv. Agreement governing the exchange and use of wagons between Railway Undertakings (RIV).v. Agreement governing the exchange and use of coaches in international traffic (RIC).vi. Agreement concerning International Carriage of Passenger (SMPS).vii. Agreement on International Carriage of Goods (SMGS).viii. Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF).ix . Contract for International Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM).x. Contract for International Carriage of Passengers and Luggage by Rail (CIV).xi. Regulations concerning International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID).xii. ITU regulations for inland Waterway Navigation.xiii. Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under coverage of TIR Carnets, (TIR Convention), 1975.xiv. European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR)xv.. Convention on Transit Trade of Landlocked Countries, 1965xvi. ECO Transit Trade Agreement xvii. Convention on the Contract for the International carriage of Goods by Road (CMR), 1956 and Protocol to this Convention , 1978 xviii. The International Green Card System on MVTPL Policy

List of international conventions and agreements, mentioned in the TTFA and recommended by the TTCC:

ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)

Reactivation of the TIR Convention in Afghanistan is finalized in coordination with ECO and IRU and official ceremony was held on 4 September 2013 in Kabul

Membership of the Afghanistan Rail Authority (AfRA) to the International Union of Railway (UIC) as December 2013

Internal procedures for Pakistan’s accession to the TIR Convention started by the Government of Pakistan, in coordination with ECO and IRU

Pakistan’s accession to COTIF is successfully completed, in close coordination with ECO/OTIF in 2013

The Republic of Azerbaijan’s accession to COTIF at final stages. Capacity building activities are initiated for promoting the accession of the

ECO member states to ADR.

ECO plays an active role in promoting and facilitating the accession of its member states to important international conventions and

agreements in the field of transport , in close cooperation with the relevant international organizations and institutions

Examples of ECO’s activities in this field in 2012-2013:

ECO’s projects to develop road and railway corridors

High Level Working Groups established under the aegis of ECOto operationalize the ECO corridors:

•ECO Container Train on Istanbul – Almaty route •ECO Container Train on Bandar Abbas - Almaty; route•ECO Container train on Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul route; •Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) Road Transport Corridor;•Kyrgyz Republic-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran (KTAI) Road Transport Corridor

Infrastructure projects of regional significance being pursued under the aegis of ECO:

•Construction of railway with standard gauge from China to Europe through the Kyrgyz Republic-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran (KTAI) •Construction of Railway between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran •Qazvin-Rasht-Astara (Iran)-Astara (Azerbaijan) Railway Construction Project

Kyrgyz Republic-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran (KTAI) Railway Kyrgyz Republic-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran (KTAI) Railway

Total length is around 2155 km.Out of this 215 km is in China, 194 km in Kyrgyzstan, 496 km in Tajikistan, 1250 km (from Sherkhan Bandar to Herat is in Afghanistan. The total length of Sangan (Iran)-Herat Railway line is 191 km out of which 76 km in the Iranian territory has already been constructed. 60% progress has been achieved in construction of the sub-segment between Chah-e-Sorkh (border with Iran) to Rozanak area of Herat province. The feasibility study for the sub-segment between Faryab and Mazare-Sharif is due to be completed in2014. The feasibility study in Tajik segment has been already completed.

Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran Railway ProjectKazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran Railway Project

Total length is 900 kmThe Iranian segment (90 Km) and the segment in Kazakhstan (146 km) were completed and INAUGURATED in May 2013. Only 32 km is the remaining segment in the territory of Turkmenistan. It is planned to start operating the route in October 2014.

The Qazvin-Rasht-Astara-Astara Railway Project The Qazvin-Rasht-Astara-Astara Railway Project

The Railway Project has three parts. Two parts, namely, Qazvin-Rasht and Rasht-Astara with a total length of about 369 km are located in Iran, and the 3rd part (less than 10 km) is located in Azerbaijan. Field visits to the construction site (May and November 2013) noted the remarkable progress at Qazvin-Rasht segment of the Project. The significance of the Project is to make up the missing link along the internationally recognized “North-South” Corridor. .

Thank You