Experts conclude on speeding up Trans African Highways to accelerate development
By Staff Writer
Addis Ababa-- Experts meeting in Addis Ababa from19-20 September at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) concluded deliberations with a set of 10 recommendations and an action plan that underscores the need to speed up Trans African Highways (TAH) “to accelerate the overall socioeconomic development process in Africa, particularly for landlocked developing countries.”
The experts reviewed conditions of development of road infrastructure and road transport in Africa, including issues related to design, construction and operation, particularly those on the movement between the African regional road networks.
They noted that the Trans-African Highway network will be an integral component of the Transport sector of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), which is currently under elaboration.
The experts recommended the “adoption of uniform minimum continental norms and standards for design, construction, maintenance and operation of Trans African Highways. They noted the need to ensure that TAH norms and standards are fully complemented with international homogeneous and comprehensible road signs.
They further recommended the adoption of an “Intergovernmental Agreement by the Sector Ministers that will provide the legal framework to define the norms, standards and specifications for the Trans African Highways,” This, the experts agreed, will strengthen the coordination and implementation of the Trans African Highways.
Other recommendations included the involvement of Member States in all stages of the process in order to ensure success in the development of TAH as well as the need to establish a steering Committee to “finalize the road norms, standards and specifications as well as the draft Intergovernmental Agreement on Trans African Highways.”
The African Development Bank, the Economic Commission for Africa and the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries. Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and other United Nations Organisations were urged to provide technical and financial support to the African Union in the process of developing, adopting, accessing and implementation of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Trans African Highways.
The outcomes are expected to be considered by the forthcoming Second African Union Commission (AUC) Conference of the African Ministers in charge of Transport in November 2011.