Organiser: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly declared (resolution 78/148) the first ever United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport to start in 2026. On 10 December 2025, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) organised the launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026–2035, together with its Implementation Plan, during a high-level event at United Nations Headquarters.
The UN Decade of Sustainable Transport is an opportunity to highlight transport’s critical role in achieving sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals, rally existing and new actors behind a shared vision for more sustainable transport globally, foster and initiate new projects, initiatives and partnerships, and enhance coordination within the UN and across the transport sector. The Implementation Plan of the UN Decade provides a comprehensive roadmap for action to guide these efforts. It covers all modes of transport and addresses both passenger and freight transport.
In the lead-up to the launch of the UN Decade, DESA opened a call for voluntary commitments from Member States and other stakeholders to support action during the Decade. These 82 Sustainable Transport Action Commitments from around the world cover all modes of transport, and address the needs for increased financing, knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, research and innovation required for a transformation towards more sustainable transport globally. The commitments, and the organisations behind them, provide an excellent starting point for concrete action during the UN Decade.
Key topics to be discussed at the Open Stage Café event include:
• Looking ahead, what would success look like at the mid-point review of the UN Decade, including at the mandated Third United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference in 2030?
• In what ways can the Implementation Plan of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport be most effectively used to initiate and accelerate concrete action across all modes of transport for both passenger and freight transport?
• How can the Voluntary Sustainable Transport Commitments be most effectively implemented and supported, including through partnerships, financing, and knowledge-sharing?
MODERATOR
Riina Jussila, Sustainable Development Officer, Division for Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
SPEAKERS
Tjitske Ijpma, Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry of Infrastructure and. Water management of the Netherlands
Anna Larsson, Communications Director, World Shipping Council
Philip Turner, Head of Sustainable Development, International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Chief, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
