The Aviation Partnerships for Sustainable Development (ASPD) group – ICAO, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (UN-OHRLLS), the World Bank Group, and the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) – highlighted aviation’s crucial contributions to sustainability mobility and sustainable development at the 2018 Transforming Transportation conference (#TTDC18) taking place this week.
The conference was organized by the World Bank and the World Resources Institute’s Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and took place at the former’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The APSD’s activities at #TTDC18 included the organisation of the a side event aimed at emphasizing the importance of bringing air transport into multi-modal transport systems in support of Sustainable Mobility for All (#SuM4All) initiative, with a specific focus on airport planning. The contribution of interconnected airport hubs to socio-economic development, especially in developing economies, as well as the challenges of airport planning in the context of urban growth and environmental protection were addressed, and participants gained a better understanding of the inter- linkages between air transport systems and sustainable mobility; airport infrastructure and multi-modal transport systems; and the contribution of air transport system to land-locked, least-developed, and small island developing states in achieving socio-economic development.
The #SuM4All Initiative brings together a diverse and influential group of 50 transport stakeholders. These include UN agencies, private sector, development banks, foundations, donors, inter-governmental organizations, and international associations. All partners are committed to speak with one global voice and act collectively to implement the Global Goals for Sustainable Development and transform the transport sector to support an equitable, efficient, safe and green mobility. The Sum4All Initiative assists in advocacy and resource mobilization efforts for the transport sector. Its role is however not to direct policy.
ICAO’s formalized its membership in the #SuM4All Consortium on the eve of #TTDC18 by signing the Sum4All Charter. This has enabled ICAO to actively feature aviation in joint outputs at Sum4All meetings and events, its newsletters and the SuM4All website, as well as other processes of the Initiative. Through this membership, ICAO will access a high level, influential network of practitioners, leading organizations and agencies in transport and will also be able to influence the international transport architecture and global agenda for sustainable mobility in support of aviation. ICAO’s membership in the Sum4All Consortium offers a unique opportunity to advocate aviation’s central role in achieving both sustainable mobility and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This will greatly support ICAO’s efforts in the mobilization of additional resources.
