Transport ministers from the Asia-Pacific region have agreed to work on a treaty to promote the development of dry ports – inland transport and logistics hubs – to spur intraregional trade and growth.

The agreement was reached at a forum in Bangkok on December 18 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

The dry ports will play an important role in integrating modes of transport, reducing border crossing and transit delays, facilitating the use of energy-efficient and lower emission means of transport, and creating new clusters of economic growth and job creation in local areas, said UNESCAP.

In her opening address, Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, spoke of the vital role of the transport sector in providing physical connectivity required for promoting domestic demand and intraregional trade as new sources of growth.

“The economic crisis has shown that relying mainly on exports to western markets comes with inherent risks. Our region will need to diversify the drivers of growth. This must include strategies for promoting increased intra-regional trade and domestic consumption,” said Dr. Heyzer./.