1. We, representatives of the Republic of Angola, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Djibouti, the Republic of El Salvador, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Republic of Nicaragua, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Türkiye, the Republic of Uzbekistan, met at the ministerial level in the United Nations Headquarters in New York in a hybrid format on 16 April 2024, in order to maintain a wide multilateral dialogue on promoting safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all in supporting sustainable economic growth, improving the social welfare of people and enhancing international cooperation and trade among countries.
2. We recall the First Meeting of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport at the ambassadorial level in New York on 6 July 2022, which reaffirmed our adherence to the implementation of universally agreed universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets to achieve sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner.
3. We recognize that, since its establishment in 2022, the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport has made progress in advancing its objectives and, in this context, express our appreciation to Turkmenistan for its leadership and coordination efforts.
4. We decide on the following format and working methods of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport:
- The Group of Friends has an informal, open-ended nature, and, accordingly, its composition shall be regularly updated, as United Nations Member States, Observers of the General Assembly of the United Nations and the United Nations entities indicate their willingness and interest in joining it;
- The Group of Friends performs its functions with the support of its Secretariat, Advisory Council and other structures that may be initiated and agreed upon by its members;
- The Group of Friends shall meet regularly, at least once or twice a year, at the ambassadorial level in New York. Extraordinary meetings can be convened to discuss specific questions, at the request of its members;
- The Group of Friends shall meet regularly at the ministerial level at a pre-agreed time and venue;
- The Group of Friends will be coordinated by two co-chairs (Turkmenistan and any member country willing to co-chair) for a term of one year and, upon completion of that term, the principle of geographical rotation will be observed for the transfer of the coordination.
5. We reaffirm the importance of engaging in dialogue to prepare and fulfil the implementation plan for the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport for the 10-year period beginning on 1 January 2026 [Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/78/148 of 19 December 2023], in collaboration with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, and the United Nations regional economic commissions in consultation with the United Nations Member States, specialized agencies, funds, programmes and bodies of the United Nations, as well as other intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and relevant stakeholders.
6. We express our gratitude to the Government of Turkmenistan for the excellent organization of the First Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport in New York on 16 April 2024.
7. We reiterate our invitation to those United Nations Member States, that are convinced that cooperation in the development of quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient transport and mobility infrastructure and services contributes to achieving inclusive and sustainable development at the national, subregional, regional and global levels, to consider joining the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport by endorsing this Declaration, as part of our collective efforts for a more prosperous and sustainable world in which no one is left behind.
New York, 16 April 2024