- UK Transport Secretary, , will assume presidency of
international organisation on transport policy
- He will use the summit to call for a united response against
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as focusing on priorities
on decarbonisation and road safety
- transport ministers from around the world will support a call
to action committing to ending all International Transport Forum
cooperation with Russia and Belarus
Today (18 May 2022), the UK government will assume the presidency
of the International Transport Forum
(ITF),
leading its work to improve people’s lives across the world
through cleaner, safer and more innovative solutions.
In a ceremony held in Leipzig, Germany, the largest gathering of
transport ministers in the world will see current president,
Morocco, hand over the reins to UK Transport Secretary .
The ITF is a
world-leading intergovernmental organisation for transport policy
bringing together 63 countries from around the world, hosted by
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD).
In a keynote speech, Mr Shapps will lay out 5 priorities for the
UK’s tenure: leading global transport transformation by making
transport more connected, greener, inclusive, safe and resilient,
and innovative.
He will also use the forum to bring nations together in
solidarity against the invasion of Ukraine, uniting his
counterparts in condemning Russia’s heinous acts and atrocities
committed against Ukraine’s civilian population.
Transport ministers from around the world will back a call to
action committing to ending all ITF cooperation with
Russia and Belarus.
In a speech at the summit, the Transport Secretary is expected to
say:
Transport binds nations together for the common good. But access
to the international transport network is a privilege. It
requires countries to act in a responsible and respectful way to
each other.
So we cannot stand back when one state, entirely unprovoked,
attacks another, killing thousands of innocent people, violating
international law and breaching the UN Charter.
The targeted destruction of one nation’s infrastructure, in
particular its transport system, clearly contravenes the very
foundations on which the ITF is built.
The United Kingdom stands with our partners in condemning the
outrageous actions of Vladimir Putin and the Russian military in
Ukraine.
The summit will also be a chance to demonstrate how innovations
in crash avoidance technology can save lives and meet the United
Nations’ goal to halve the number of global deaths and injuries
from road traffic accidents by 2030, which ties in with the UK’s
own objectives on road safety.
At the summit, Mr Shapps will take part in a demonstration of
autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – new technology that
monitors the road ahead and automatically brakes the car if the
driver fails to respond to a collision threat – as well as
anti-lock braking system (ABS) for motorcycles.
Such technologies are not only being considered for UK vehicles –
something we can do now we have greater regulatory freedom after
leaving the EU – but it is
hoped these will be rolled out worldwide through initiatives like
the #STOPTHECRASH partnership.
This will be followed by another example of international unity:
the announcement of a new air services agreement between Canada
and the UK. It means that crucial transatlantic routes can
continue and planes flying from the UK will continue to
enjoy the same access they currently have with Canada, helping
the UK maintain its place as Europe’s most important
aviation hub.
The Transport Secretary will sign the bilateral agreement at the
event with Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.
The UK’s leadership in decarbonising transport will also be on
show, coming hot off the heels of the Transport Secretary’s
historic challenge to the aviation industry to deliver the first
net zero transatlantic flight by the end of next year, and the
launch of its Jet Zero Council, which is focused on delivering
zero emissions aviation in a generation.
The Transport Secretary will chair meetings of the
intergovernmental Zero Emissions Vehicles Transition Council
(ZEVTC), which
he is expected to use as an opportunity to discuss coordinating
industry and government efforts in the transition to zero
emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) – which will be key to
decarbonising our roads and meeting global climate targets.
