IFRTD Asia Held 6th Annual Regional Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam

2007-10-31

6th IFRTD Asia Regional Meeting 2007 was held in Hanoi, Vietnam from 14 to 15 September 2007. The South East Asia Community Access Programme (SEACAP) supported the meeting, and prior to this all Asian NFGs were invited to attend the SEACAP Practitioner Meeting.

Hon. Dr. Ha Khac Hao, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Transport, Vietnam was the Chief Guest and delivered the key note speech.

Representatives from NFGs in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India (Rajasthan RFG), Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the meeting with voting rights. Representatives from Practical Action Bangladesh, Nepal and South Asia (Sri Lanka), ILO ASIST, SEACAP, DfID UK, DfID Nepal, World Bank, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) Vietnam, Transport Development and Strategic Institute (TDSI) Vietnam, and Department of Roads in Bhutan also participated.

The key issues highlighted during the meeting were:

1. Road Maintenance
2. Rural Transport Safety
3. Lobby for better strategies and policies for rural transport development
4. IMTs and Transport Services
5. Mobility of persons with disabilities
6. Inland Water Transport
7. Transport and Employment.

It was decided to nominate Pakistan and Indonesia as the two Asia representatives at the IFRTD Executive Committee Meeting 2007 in Switzerland in December. The next Annual IFRTD Asia Regional Meeting (2008) will be held in Pakistan.

To download the proceedings click here.