[sustran] Re: ESCAP Committee on Transport and Communication

ifrtd at gn.apc.org ifrtd at gn.apc.org
Thu Jan 8 20:18:28 JST 1998


Ralph Hirsch provided some interesting insights into "infiltrating" 
the UN system and I do hope all of you in Washington will discuss how 
you can put these suggestions into operation.  IFRTD members in a 
number of countries in Asia and Africa have formed themselves into 
national networks.   I don't expect any of them will be represented 
in Washington, so please consider how they could also participate in 
your "strategy".  A large number of the population in Asia and a 
majority of the poor live in rural areas -so while promoting the use 
of NMTs in urban cities is important, I would hope that you will not 
forget the problems of the rural poor as well.

Roger Hirsch says 

Such concerns -- in order to be part of the agenda of the
> UN's regional commissions -- must be brought up either by a member country
> in the region, by an NGO in consultative status, or by the commission's
> secretariat. If the concerns are not among the priority issues of a country
> in the region, or if they are not championed by one of the NGOs, they are
> unlikely to be raised

Paul Guitink has suggested that the concerns are not prioritised by 
country governments because their lack of awareness and because of 
the lack of local technical capacity to address the issues even if 
they were raised.   I guess one part  of the strategy should be to 
lobby the country delegations to these meetings.  A role that IFRTD 
networks in countries can do.  But how do we influence the 
commission's secretariat which in the case of ESCAP seemed to me to 
be indifferent to the issues?

As a post script let me add that the IFRTD would also be interested 
in learning more about FIP.  Most people in developing countries are 
pedestrians by necessity sometimes travelling long distances for the 
most basic needs.  Can FIP help address their concerns?

Priyanthi Ferenando.
> To:            <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
> From:          "Ralph B. Hirsch" <hirsch at igc.org>
> Subject:       [sustran] Re: ESCAP Committee on Transport and Communications 
> Reply-to:      sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org

> On 7 January, Priyanthi Fernando of IFRTD (International Forum for Rural
> Transport and Development) wrote about a December 1997 meeting in Bangkok
> organized by ESCAP, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
> Asia and the Pacific: 
> >Unfortunately, the content of the meeting included 
> >hardly anything about non-motorised transport modes, 
> >about environmental issues (limited to the transportation 
> >of hazardous goods), about poverty issues or gender issues. 
>                                 
> and asked:
> > Should we attempt to influence our government 
> >delegations to include in the discussion issues that 
> >should be of greater concern to a region that is home to
> >a large number of poor people?
> 
> V. Setty Pendakur of the University of British Columbia commented:
> > It is extra-ordinary that ESCAP, which is the regional 
> >organization for Asia where non-motorized transport is 
> >predominant, has not included the concerns expressed 
> >by your memo.  We may have to device strategies to make 
> >presentations to national delegations as well as their 
> >Committees on Social and Economic Affairs.  Perhaps, some 
> >one more familiar with the structure of UN can advise us.
> 
> Perhaps the following comments can be helpful. They are based on the
> experience of my organization, the International Federation of Pedestrians
> (FIP), which has been in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social
> Council (ECOSOC) for about 25 years. During that period we have been active
> with ECOSOC's Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), and more recently also
> with the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). There are similar bodies for
> Western Asia (ESCWA), for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and -- as
> mentioned by Priyanthi Fernando --  for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Due to
> lack of resources FIP has not yet become active in the work of any of the
> last three commissions named, although in principle we could become involved
> in their activities relating to transport, environment and urban development
> issues. 
> 
> On the basis of FIP's long years at the UN, I'll contradict my esteemed
> colleague, Setty Pendakur. No, it is NOT extraordinary that the concerns in
> Priyanthi Fernando's memo were left out of the discussions at ESCAP. It is
> amazing, it is deplorable. But it is unfortunately commonplace rather than
> extraordinary. Such concerns -- in order to be part of the agenda of the
> UN's regional commissions -- must be brought up either by a member country
> in the region, by an NGO in consultative status, or by the commission's
> secretariat. If the concerns are not among the priority issues of a country
> in the region, or if they are not championed by one of the NGOs, they are
> unlikely to be raised. 
> 
> An open discussion list such as SUSTRANS may not be the ideal medium to
> develop a detailed strategy for overcoming this deficiency, but it can
> provide an excellent starting point. For now let me say, on the basis of our
> experience, that for an NGO to work effectively with the regional
> commissions requires a dedicated, well-qualified, and versatile staff (most
> such staffs are paid, though a few are volunteers), enough money for travel
> to the meetings called by the commissions, and a tremendous amount of
> staying power. 
> 
> Presentations and other forms of contact with the delegations of individual
> countries can be a valuable complement to work with the regional commissions
> and its specialized bodies. Contacts made at one level are likely to
> reinforce those made at the other. 
> 
> A number of people, among them Setty Pendakur, who share the concerns listed
> by  Priyanthi Fernando, will be in Washington, DC next week for the annual
> meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB).  I hope that there we
> may move the matter a little further along in face-to-face discussions. I do
> see the Internet -- and this splendid discussion list SUSTRAN -- as
> potentially crucial tools for overcoming some of the handicaps that
> disadvantaged groups and NGOs with small financial resources have long
> labored under. 
> 
> Ralph B. Hirsch,  Secretary General
> International Federation of Pedestrians (FIP)
> 3500 Race Street
> Philadelphia PA 19104-4925
> USA
> telephone/fax +1.215.386.1270
> e-mail <hirsch at igc.org>
> 
> 

_________________________
Niklas Sieber
Dep. Exec. Secretary
International Forum for Rural Transport and Development
New Premier House
150 Southampton Row
London WC1 B5AL
United Kingdom

Tel.: 0171/ 278 3682
Fax: 0171/ 278 6880
e-mail: ifrtd at gn.apc.org
Webpage: http://www.gn.apc.org/ifrtd



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