Global declaration to link up transport

Ministers of Transport from around the world have called for coordination in linking up global supply chains – putting added importance on the UAE’s position as a hub, the Minister of Public Works says.

“Global transformational change is a characteristic of our age,” ministers from the 54 member countries of the International Transport Forum (ITF) said in a declaration released on Thursday at the forum’s annual summit, in Leipzig, Germany.

The ministerial declaration said policymakers were facing greater uncertainty in decision making amid the megatrends of demographic change, digitalization, shifting trade flows and climate change. “The reality of governing in this interconnected world requires greater emphasis on international and regional co-operation as well as information sharing, and suggests that policymakers should work together more effectively to adopt common policy responses,” the ministers said.

Dr Abdullah bin Mohamed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Public Works, said standardisation was the top priority for the future of global supply chains.

“If all the parties concerned – mainly the public and private sectors – collaboratively and thoroughly look into the issue, we will be able to effectively solve many of the present and upcoming problems and challenges,” Al Nuaimi said.

The UAE had prepared itself for taking a leading role by acting 10 years ago, he said.

“Our infrastructure is well established to take and be part of the change... The region is getting ready to face fast changes and very complicated challenges.”

The federation’s major ports and highly active and enormous airports would be central to future developments, Al Nuaimi said.

“The location of the UAE has given the country an added importance in respect to the future of supply chain which are well prepared and equipped for, and ready to support. In particular, mega infrastructure projects and several important ports, such as Jebel Ali, serve as major hubs for businesses across the globe.”It was crucial that the UAE had already been able to smoothly link up its land, air and sea ports, he said. “Our road networks are among the top five worldwide in terms of quality and activity, and we are proudly the only country in the Mena region to enact regulation for streamlining the usage of roads.”

On Thursday, the ministers also adopted a renewed mandate for the International Transport Forum. The renewed mandate underlined the unique role of the ITF as a global organisation covering all transport modes.

It built upon the Ministers’ Declaration adopted in Dublin in 2006, which first established the International Transport Forum.

In adopting the renewed mandate, Ministers said that in view of the positive development of the organisation over the past eight years, “the ITF is well-positioned to carry out its renewed mandate, pursuing its vital role in serving the transport sector and its stakeholders across the world”.

—ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com