1. Trade and Road Transport Facilitation along the GCC Region and Turkey
Istanbul, 7 February 2012
Haydar Özkan
IRU General Delegate to the Middle East and Region
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

2. This is the IRU
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

3. Evolution of IRU Membership
1948: eight founder countries
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

4. IRU Secretariat General
1948 – IRU founded in Geneva
1973 – IRU Permanent Delegation to the European Union in Brussels
1998 – IRU Permanent Delegation to Eurasia in Moscow
2005 – IRU Permanent Delegation to the Middle East and Region in Istanbul
2012 – IRU Permanent Delegation for Africa in Casablanca
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

5. IRU Structure
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

6. IRU Mission and Activities
Mission: to uphold the interests of bus, coach, taxi and truck operators to ensure economic growth and prosperity via the sustainable mobility of people and goods by road worldwide.  
The IRU is involved in activities which include but are not limited to:
strategic reflection on global, road transport related challenges;
dialogue, cooperation and public-private partnerships with intergovernmental bodies, international organisations, policy makers, legislators, opinion-makers and relevant authorities
promotion of the role and importance of the road transport industry, of its position on various issues and of reliable data and information;
provision of practical services and information, to road transport operators;
training to promote professional competence, improve the quality of services and ensure compliance of road transport training standards with international legislation, through the IRU Academy.
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

7. IRU Partner Organisations
Global partners
UN (United Nations) and its bodies
WTO (World Trade Organization)
WB (World Bank)
WCO (World Customs Organization)
International Transport Forum
Regional partners
ADB (Asian Development Bank)
AU (African Union)
BSEC (Black Sea Economic Cooperation)
Customs Union (Russian, Belarus, Kazakhstan)
ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization)
EU Institutions
EurAsEC
IDB (Islamic Development Bank)
LAS (League of Arab States)
OAS (Organization of American States)
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

8. These are also the priorities of the IRU Academy
IRU Priority Issues
Sustainable Development
Innovation
Incentives
Infrastructure
Facilitation
Trade
Tourism
Road Transport
These are also the priorities of the IRU Academy
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

9. GCC region – a bridge for the International Transit Trade Flows
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

10. Today, one can sell anything online!
Trade means delivery!
Today, one can sell anything online!
But everything must be delivered, physically!
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

11. Road Transport: Driving life flexibly!
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

12. Opportunities vs Challenges
Efficient and professional services of the road transport industry will enable the GCC region, at the crossroads of world trade flows, to seize better the opportunities of globalisation of trade!
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

13. Barriers to Road Transport Impede Development
Each day of delay = reduces trade by at least 1%
Each day of delay = 85 km of distancing from trade partners
Poor trade facilitation affects the composition of trade
prevents countries to export time-sensitive goods
a day’s delay reduces a country’s relative exports of time-sensitive goods on average by 7 %
Source: Economic and Policy Research Institute, TEPAV, 2007
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

14. World Bank LPI 2007 vs 2010 Country LPI Singapore 1 – 2 Netherlands
2 – 4
UAE
20 – 24
China
30 – 27
Turkey
34 – 39
Bahrain
36 – 32
India
39 – 47
Saudi Arabia
41 – 40
Kuwait
44 – 36
Qatar
46 – 55
Oman
48 – 60
Jordan
52 – 81
Tunisia
60 – 61
Brazil
61 – 41
Sudan
64 – 146
Mauritania
67 –
Comoros
85 – 120
Morocco
94 –
Egypt
97 – 92
Lebanon
98 – 33
Russian Federation
99 – 94
Yemen
112 – 101
Somalia
127 – 155
Syria
135 – 80
Algeria
140 – 130
Djibouti
145 – 126
Libya
– 132
Iraq
– 148
Palestine
– –
Source:
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

15. Key: UN Conventions
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

16. Key UN Conventions UNESCAP Resolution 48/11, 1992
Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Good by Road (CMR), of 1956
Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods, 1982 Convention on Road Traffic, 1968
TIR Convention, of 1975
Convention on Road Signs and Signals, of 1968
Customs Convention on Temporary Import of Commercial Road Vehicles, 1956
Customs Convention on Containers, of 1972
Road Traffic, 1949
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

17. Key UN Conventions
European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) (1957)
Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be Used for such Carriage (ATP) (1970)
Note: These two Agreements are not included in the UNESCAP Commission Resolution 48/11 of However, their implementation would benefit to the road transport industry in the LAS region, significantly.
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

18. Contracting Parties in the Region as of 23 September 201121 31 37
12/18 12
14/15 10 9 21
12/14 4 5 6 6 7 1 3 9 10 4 5 2 2 7 3 5 1
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

19. Status of 57 UN Conventions in the LAS Region as of 23 Sep 201116 6 7 1 15 9 4 9 2 5 5 3 1
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

20. IRU signs MoU with Arab Union of Land Transport in 2007
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

21. IRU-AULT cooperation develops together with League of Arab States since 2009
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

22. IDB supports IRU-AULT-LAS cooperation since 2011
On 14 February 2011, the IDB approved a Road Transport Technical Assistance Grant to the AULT upon the IRU’s initiatives.
The IDB will support:-
LAS TIR Study
Prefeasibility of a LASTAC Study
NELTI-4 for LAS Region
Transfer ADR Training to LAS Region
Expand CPC Manager Training
3 Training Workshops
3 TIR Workshops
IRU-LAS-AULT Ministerial Conference
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

23. Cooperation with the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport
The AASTMT College of International Transport and Logistics (CITL) in Alexandria applied to deliver vocational training under accreditation by the IRU Academy.
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

24. 1st IRU-LAS-AULT Seminar: 2009
TIR Convention
For facilitated and secure transit!
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

25. 2nd IRU-LAS-AULT Seminar: 2010
Road Safety!
Professional Training!
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

26. 3rd IRU-LAS-AULT Seminar: 2011
Road Safety!
Movement of Dangerous Goods!
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

27. Arab Ministers call upon Arab States to join TIR and ADR
LAS Council of Arab Ministers of Transport endorsed past Seminar Conclusions, regularly, and supported expansion of the UN Conventions, notably TIR and ADR and launched work for compulsory vocational training at its sessions in 2009 thru 2011.
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

28. 4th IRU-LAS-AULT Seminar: Alexandria, 22 October 2012
Supply Chain Security!
Transport Facilitation
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

29. The way forward...
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

30. 2012 Projects
Develop new vocational training capacity for managers and drivers, notably in Egypt, Jordan, Oman and Qatar.
Hold Training Workshops in interested LAS Member States, possibly in Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Conduct a feasibility study for a complete LAS Truck Accident Causation Study.
Hold TIR Workshops in interested LAS Member States, possibly in Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia.
Collect data from drivers on road transport conditions along main trade corridors in the LAS region according to World Bank format and UNESCAP methodology.
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

31. Less border waiting times,
Think strategic...
WHAT?
Efficiency
Professionalism
WHO?
Governments
Industry
HOW?
UN Conventions:
Notably TIR, Harmonisation, ADR, CMR, ATP...
Training
WHY?
Less border waiting times,
Safer roads,
More trade,
Growing economy,
Better life.
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

32. IRU is ready to cooperate with the GCC and Chambers
Promote expansion and implementation of key UN trade and transport facilitation agreements and conventions, notably the TIR Convention, ADR, 1982 Harmonisation Convention, CMR and ATP.
Support interested states to develop compulsory vocational training of fleet operators and professional drivers at IRU Academy international standards.
Assist requesting LAS Member States to establish new or improved road transport legislation in compliance with the global facilitation instruments.
Contribute to national and regional actions for improved road safety.
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

33. Road transport drives you a better life!
Remember always!
Road transport drives you a better life!
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

34. Save the date!
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012

35.
(c) International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2012