Excellency,
Madame Executive Secretary of ESCAP,
Distinguished Participants,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the first Annual Stocktake of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport.
This gathering marks an important milestone. Since the launch of the Decade and its Implementation Plan last December, we have begun translating a shared vision into a coordinated action.
The energy, commitment and creativity of Member States and stakeholders have been inspiring. Governments, international organizations, development banks, the private sector, academia, civil society, youth representatives and many others have rallied behind the shared objective of advancing sustainable transport globally. Their engagement reflects a powerful truth: sustainable transport is a foundational enabler of sustainable development.
This momentum was also reflected in the GA resolution adopted late last year, which provided additional guidance and mandates for implementation and reaffirmed the importance of strengthened cooperation, monitoring and follow-up.
My Department is deeply honored by the trust placed on us to lead and coordinate these efforts with regional commissions, the UN system and stakeholders.
We have created opportunities for dialogue, coordination and collective learning, including with the World Bank, the World Resources Institute, and OECD¡¯s International Transport Forum, particularly on monitoring and measuring progress.
In addition, the Seventh Global Conference on Climate and SDG Synergies, held in Bangkok last week, featured for the first time a dedicated session on Sustainable Transport and Mobility for Inclusive, Low-Carbon Development.
Excellencies,
This first Annual Stocktake is taking place during the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. It provides a unique opportunity to strengthen the connections between sustainable transport and the SDGs under review this year.
The links are clear. Sustainable transport is essential to achieving universal access to water and sanitation, advancing affordable and clean energy, building resilient infrastructure and fostering sustainable industrialization and innovation, and creating inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities.
The strong response to the call for Sustainable Transport Action Commitments further demonstrates the determination of stakeholders to turn ambition into action. Before the launch, we received 82 Sustainable Transport Action Commitments from governments, organizations and other partners around the world.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all who have made commitments and especially those sharing updates later today.
Let us continue to work together with ambition, partnership and determination to ensure that the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport delivers meaningful and lasting change for current and future generations.
Thank you.