UN/ECE
COUNTRIES READY TO ACT ON TRANSPORT AND THE ENVIRONMENT
14 November 1997
Thirty-seven countries sign a Declaration on Transport and the
Environment
On the
occasion of the UN/ECE Regional Conference on Transport and
the Environment (Vienna, 12-14 November 1997), thirty-seven
countries have signed a political declaration on transport
and the environment. "This Declaration includes a set of
important commitments which should lay the ground for a sound
strategy of cooperation in the field of transport and the
environment" stresses Mr. Yves Berthelot, Executive
Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UN/ECE).
The first set
of political commitments relates to strategies to achieve
sustainable transport, namely to reduce the negative impact
of transport and traffic on the environment and human health
by promoting measures to reach volumes and patterns of
transport that are compatible with sustainable development.
The second one relates to the promotion of energy efficient
and less polluting vehicles and fuels. Another set of
commitments relates to the promotion of efficient and
sustainable transport systems both for goods and passenger
transport.
Countries also
committed themselves to protect sensitive areas. Namely, to
pay particular attention to maintaining or bringing below
acceptable limits the human health and environmental impact
of transport in the areas, where the ecosystems are
particularly sensitive, where the geographic conditions and
the topography may intensify pollution and noise or where
unique natural resources or unique cultural heritages exist.
Such areas should be identified at the appropriate level,
taking into account national or international approaches.
Countries
decided to promote sustainable urban transport systems.
Namely, to encourage the reduction of the harmful effects of
transport and traffic on health and the environment in urban
and other densely populated areas. Countries also decided to
take all reasonable steps to ensure that the transport of
dangerous goods, hazardous and radioactive wastes is made
under safe conditions.
Countries will
also take all appropriate measures to prevent water pollution
by vessels, including from loading and transshipment
facilities. To this end, they shall consider accession to the
ECE Convention on Protection and Use of Transboundary
Watercourses and International Lakes, as well as other
relevant water-related conventions and codes, in particular
within IMO. They also decided to consider allowing stricter
controls by the port state authorities in this respect, using
fees related to the environmental qualities of ships and
providing training to the personnel engaged in the maritime
sector in order to raise their awareness in environment
protection and related issues. In addition, they should also
take appropriate measures to prevent surface and ground water
pollution by all transport modes.
These
commitments are complemented in the Declaration by a number
of measures which countries will implement, taking into
account the costs and benefits of transport and the specific
characteristics of the situation of individual countries.
Countries also adopted, as an annex to the declaration, a
Programme of Joint Action by ECE member States in the field
of transport and the environment, containing a detailed
description of possible measures and solutions at the
international and national level.
As far as
future cooperation is concerned, countries reaffirmed their
commitment to close cooperation within the framework of ECE
on transport and the environment and to that end have set out
in the Programme of Joint Action proposals for taking this
work forward. They also reaffirmed the need for close
cooperation between those intergovernmental and international
organizations involved in transport and the environment, and
invite them to consider ways of taking forward the work of
this Conference which will avoid unnecessary duplication of
effort. They reiterated their support for the intention of
countries in transition to implement the Programme of Joint
Action. In addition, countries reaffirmed the necessity to
ensure that the momentum of work on transport and environment
is maintained and to consider how best to follow-up this
Conference.