Landmark world transport industry roadmap signed at IRU World Congress

The IRU World Congress closes today with the endorsement of the Muscat Compact – a roadmap for the future of road transport, mobility, trade and logistics.

The Muscat Compact focuses on four key elements: talent, trade, environment and innovation.  As a principle-based framework for cooperation, it will bring the industry together to take control of its future by using innovation to overcome current challenges and uncertainty.

The Compact spurs collective action and guides public-private collaboration at a local, national, regional and global level.

The IRU World Congress kicked off on Wednesday with a rousing speech from Chairman of Goldman Sachs International and former President of the European Commission, José Durao Barroso, who urged the industry to work together to effect positive change, 
“It is essential to talk, regardless of differing interests and animosities, because talking is what leads to deals, which in turn means trade and global prosperity.”

The Compact was then discussed in a closed ministerial dialogue, examining how governments can work better with transport operators in supporting trade facilitation, building human capital, decarbonising, digitalising and facilitating intermodal efficiency.

25 regional and national delegations came together to plan a course of action to achieve industry objectives and global goals, notably as set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Muscat Compact will be presented today during the closing session by Emil Kaikiyev, Minister in charge of Energy and Infrastructure of the Eurasian Economic Commission, who calls for collaboration between the public and private sectors in taking transport, trade and mobility forward,
“IRU has long advocated an end to silo approaches, with harmonisation and shared global best practices. This is more important now than ever, as we face accelerated change and also significant opportunities. The Muscat Compact will play an important role in the sphere of transport, where we act together to design our future and we start building it.” 

Secretary General of IRU, Umberto de Pretto, added,
“This is a defining moment for the industry. We can’t predict the future, but we can forge our own destiny within it. The survival of the industry – of global prosperity – depends on it.”

The presentation of the Compact will conclude two historic days of debate in Muscat, and the launch of a major new industry survey by IRU, which highlights technology-driven innovation as the key to meeting the challenges of tomorrow.