IRU has presented the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) with a special plaque commemorating 75 years of the two organisations’ collaboration, the UN’s longest continuous public-private partnership.
In a special ceremony at the United Nations in Geneva today, IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has presented UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova with a special plaque commemorating 75 years of partnership.
The presentation, with a video to set the tone, took place at the opening high-level segment of the Inland Transport Committee meeting, bringing together government ministers and senior officials from the UNECE’s 56 member states and beyond.
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said, “We are honoured to recognise and celebrate UNECE’s close partnership and friendship with IRU over the past 75 years.
“Today, we recognise IRU and UNECE as custodians of the UN’s longest continuous public-private partnership. Together, we have helped make transport, trade, economies and people’s lives better over the past 75 years.”
IRU, which was founded on 23 March 1948, marks its 75th anniversary this year. IRU’s eight founding national associations had already begun working with UNECE upon its establishment in 1947. Their common objective was to boost transport and ease border crossings in a still devastated post-war Europe.
IRU itself was founded with the backing of the UNECE. The first TIR carnets date from 1949, following IRU’s proposal of a carnet-based customs transit system the year before. The TIR system, under UNECE’s guidance and IRU’s management, is still ensuring thousands of fast, efficient and secure border crossings every day.
Beyond the TIR system, the two organisations have worked closely as partners on many other issues over the past seven decades, driving global standards that have made road transport safer, more efficient and more sustainable. Examples include the CMR and ADR conventions, respectively governing road freight commercial and legal standards as well as the transport of dangerous goods by road.
