The 4th IRU-LAS-AULT Seminar on “Balancing Supply Chain Security, Trade and Road Transport Facilitation in the LAS Region”  concluded that the Arab States should implement, as a priority, the key UN Multilateral Trade Facilitation and Security Conventions, most notably the TIR, CMR and Harmonization Conventions.

Alexandria – The 4th IRU-LAS-AULT Seminar on “Balancing Supply Chain Security, Trade and Road Transport Facilitation in the LAS Region” which opened yesterday under the patronage of the League of Arab States brought together some 150 representatives from Ministries in charge of transport, enforcement, customs and trade, as well as regional, national and international organisations to evaluate Arab States’ needs to improve supply chain security, trade and transport facilitation by implementing the key UN Multilateral Trade Facilitation and Security Conventions, most notably the TIR, CMR and Harmonization Conventions.  

Opening the Seminar, LAS Deputy Secretary General for Economic Affairs, Ambassador Dr Mohammed Twaijiri, said, “It is crucial that all LAS Member States join and implement the key UN Conventions as soon as possible if we really want to achieve economic growth and development in the Arab states. There is no more reason to delay. Our parliaments should meet every day until every key Convention is ratified.”

Participants learned how to effectively balance supply chain and trade security with facilitating international road transport, through national case studies from Jordan and Turkey. The Seminar also reviewed the contribution of the key UN trade and road transport facilitation and security Conventions to achieve this objective, as well as the progress made since last year, notably in implementing the TIR Convention, the International Agreement on Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods, and the ADR Agreement for dangerous goods.

The conclusions of the Seminar will be presented to the LAS Council of Arab Ministers of Transport on 7 November 2012.

See the Seminar speeches, presentations and pictures

Learn more about the TIR System

Press contact: Juliette Ebélé, +41 22 918 27 07, press@iru.org