2nd UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference concludes with Beijing Statement

The Second United Nations (UN) Global Sustainable Transport Conference concluded in Beijing on Saturday, with a Beijing Statement released as an outcome document.

Noting the importance of sustainable transport, the statement underscored that accelerating the transformation toward sustainable transport will be central toward creating a community of shared future for humankind.

"New and emerging technologies, when properly applied, are key to solving many of the challenges to sustainable transport," said the statement, encouraging international cooperation, capacity-building and knowledge exchange among countries.

The needs of remote rural communities and countries in special situations should be addressed by expanding sustainable transport systems and infrastructure, according to the statement. Efforts should also be made to increase road safety, and improve the epidemic prevention and response capabilities of the transport sector.

Participants welcomed the establishment of the Global Innovation and Knowledge Center for Sustainable Transport in China, which is committed to knowledge-sharing and capacity-building in developing countries on sustainable transport, the statement said.

The statement depicts a vision for global sustainable transport and puts forward action initiatives to strengthen cooperation in the transport sector, Chinese Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng said in his speech addressing the closing ceremony of the conference.

"We have the opportunity now to capture the innovation and technology that can revolutionize transport," said Conference Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, urging global cooperation to ensure that sustainable transport will facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Scheduled from Thursday to Saturday, the conference seeks to provide solutions to achieve safe, accessible, green and resilient transport.

Transport ministers, industry experts and civil society groups gathered online and offline for the three-day meeting, exchanging views in areas including livelihoods, green development, pandemic prevention and economic recovery.