WRI -- World Resources Institute: Transport and Mobility Work

Organisation Overview

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organisation that works at the intersection of environment and development. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., WRI operates in over 60 countries with offices in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and other countries. WRI has approximately 1,800 staff globally.

WRI's transport and urban mobility work sits primarily within the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, which is its flagship urban programme.

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WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

Overview

The WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities was established in 2014 with a landmark gift from Stephen M. Ross. It builds on WRI's earlier EMBARQ programme (founded 2002), which was one of the first major international programmes focused on sustainable urban transport in developing countries.

Mission

To catalyse the adoption of integrated approaches to urban development that are socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, and economically prosperous, with a particular focus on transport and urban mobility as the backbone of sustainable cities.

Geographic Focus

The Ross Center operates in seven primary countries through WRI's country offices:

• Brazil (WRI Brasil) -- Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte
• China (WRI China) -- Beijing, Chengdu
• India (WRI India) -- Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi
• Mexico (WRI Mexico) -- Mexico City, Guadalajara
• Turkey (WRI Turkey) -- Istanbul
• Ethiopia (WRI Africa) -- Addis Ababa
• Indonesia (WRI Indonesia) -- Jakarta

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Transport and Mobility Programme

Core Focus Areas

1. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Mass Transit

WRI has been the world's leading advocate and technical advisor for BRT systems in developing cities. Key contributions:

• BRT Standard: WRI (originally through EMBARQ) developed and maintains the BRT Standard, a benchmarking tool that scores BRT corridors based on design and operational characteristics. The BRT Standard is updated periodically and used to classify systems as Gold, Silver, or Bronze.

• Global BRT Data: WRI maintains the Global BRTData platform (brtdata.org), which is the most comprehensive database of BRT systems worldwide, including corridor details, ridership, operational characteristics, and design features. As of recent counts, it covers 170+ cities with BRT.

• Technical Assistance: WRI provides direct technical assistance to cities planning or expanding BRT systems, including corridor design, institutional design, and financial planning.

2. Road Safety

• Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS): WRI is a key implementing partner in Bloomberg Philanthropies' road safety initiative, working in cities like Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Bogota, and Addis Ababa.

• Speed Management: Research on speed management interventions in urban areas, including evidence on the relationship between speed limits, road design, and crash outcomes.

• Safe Systems Approach: Promoting the Safe Systems approach to road safety in LMIC cities, integrating infrastructure, speed management, and institutional reforms.

3. Electric Mobility

• TUMI E-Bus Mission: WRI partners with GIZ's TUMI programme to support the transition to electric buses in developing cities.

• Electric Mobility Assessments: Country and city-level assessments of readiness for electric mobility, including grid capacity, financial viability, and institutional requirements.

• Zero-Emission Bus Rapid Deployment Accelerator (ZEBRA): Partnership to accelerate deployment of zero-emission buses in Latin American cities.

4. Transport and Climate

• Transport NDC Analysis: Analysis of the transport sector's role in Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, including tracking of transport climate commitments.

• Transport Emissions Modelling: Scenario modelling of transport emissions pathways for cities and countries, contributing to global stocktake processes.

• Decarbonisation Pathways: Research on pathways to decarbonise urban transport, including mode shift, electrification, and demand management.

5. Accessibility and Equity

• People-Oriented Cities: Research on how to design transport systems around people rather than vehicles, with a focus on walking, cycling, and public transport accessibility.

• Gender and Transport: Research on gender-differentiated transport needs, safety concerns, and access patterns.

• Informal Transport: Growing body of work on understanding and integrating informal transport (matatus, jeepneys, minibuses) into sustainable urban mobility plans.

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Key Publications

1. "Cities Safer by Design" (WRI, 2015) -- A landmark publication demonstrating the link between urban design and road safety.

2. "Sustainable and Safe: A Vision and Guidance for Zero Road Deaths" (WRI, 2018) -- Sets out the evidence base and policy framework for achieving zero road deaths through the Safe Systems approach.

3. WRI Road Safety Annual Reports -- Regular publications tracking road safety progress globally, with a focus on LMIC cities.

4. Transport and Climate Policy Briefs -- Analysis of transport sector climate commitments and progress under the Paris Agreement.

Relevance to RIDE and Global Intelligence System

WRI's transport team has been instrumental in shaping the research agenda for RIDE and is a leading voice on the need for better transport data in LMICs. Their dual focus on data-driven approaches and developing country contexts makes them central to the Global Intelligence System vision. They have advocated for:

• Standardised transport performance metrics across cities
• Open data as a foundation for transport planning
• Integration of safety, climate, and accessibility data
• A "global observatory" function for transport

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Key Transport Data Projects and Platforms

1. Global BRTData (brtdata.org)

• Description: Comprehensive database of BRT systems worldwide
• Data: Corridor length, stations, ridership, service characteristics, design features, BRT Standard scores
• Coverage: 170+ cities with BRT/high-quality bus systems
• Access: Open, web-based platform
• Maintained by: WRI Brasil in partnership with the global WRI network

2. WRI Data Lab / Resource Watch

• Description: WRI's broader data platform that includes transport-related datasets
• Transport Data: Includes road network data, transport emissions estimates, and urban mobility indicators integrated with other environmental and development data
• Access: Open data platform with API access

3. Climate Watch -- Transport Sector

• Description: Part of WRI's Climate Watch platform tracking national climate commitments
• Transport Data: Transport sector emissions, transport-related NDC commitments, transport decarbonisation policies
• Coverage: Global, country-level
• Access: Open data platform

4. NUMO (New Urban Mobility Alliance)

• Description: WRI co-convenes NUMO, an alliance of organisations working to ensure new mobility technologies serve sustainable urban development
• Data Relevance: NUMO generates insights on shared mobility, micromobility, and mobility-as-a-service in developing city contexts

5. Urban Transport Performance Indicators

• Description: WRI has developed and piloted sets of urban transport performance indicators for benchmarking across cities
• Metrics: Mode share, average commute time, accessibility to jobs, road crash rates, transport emissions per capita, transport affordability
• Status: Various iterations; not yet a permanent global observatory but moving in that direction

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WRI's Role in RIDE

Research Pillar Lead

WRI leads the Research Pillar of RIDE, which involves:

1. Research Agenda Setting: Defining priority research questions based on gaps in the global evidence base for transport in LMICs, informed by consultation with national governments and development partners.

2. Research Commissioning and Quality Assurance: Managing a portfolio of research projects, including commissioned studies, rapid evidence syntheses, and data collection exercises.

3. Evidence Synthesis: Producing synthesis products that distil research findings into actionable guidance for policymakers and practitioners.

4. Data Collection and Curation: Supporting the collection and curation of transport data in LMIC cities, including:

   • Standardised city transport surveys
   • Remote sensing-based transport data
   • Integration of new data sources (mobile phone data, GPS traces, satellite imagery)

5. Knowledge Management: Building and maintaining a knowledge platform for RIDE research outputs, making them discoverable and usable.

WRI's Comparative Advantage in RIDE

• City-level networks: WRI's presence in major LMIC cities provides direct channels for research uptake and data collection
• Data platform experience: WRI has significant experience building and maintaining open data platforms (Resource Watch, Climate Watch, BRTData)
• Thematic breadth: WRI covers transport, climate, safety, and urban development, enabling integrated analysis
• Policy influence: WRI's reputation and network provide a pathway from research to policy change

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Connections to Other RIDE Partners

Partner	Nature of Connection
GIZ/TUMI	Joint work on e-bus deployment, urban mobility in TUMI cities; complementary roles in RIDE (research vs. partnership)
Oxford	Potential data exchange between WRI's city-level data and Oxford's infrastructure analytics; methodological collaboration on transport modelling
TRL	Complementary expertise -- WRI focuses on urban transport, TRL on road engineering; joint interest in road safety data
UNECE	WRI's transport data work could feed into UNECE's Transport Data Commons; alignment on data standards
UNDESA	WRI contributes to SuM4All which UNDESA co-convenes; shared interest in SDG transport indicators
FCDO	WRI has extensive experience as a DFID/FCDO research partner; directly funded through RIDE

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Relevance to the Global Intelligence System

WRI's transport work provides several critical building blocks for a Global Intelligence System:

1. Existing Data Platforms: BRTData, Climate Watch transport data, and urban performance indicators represent datasets that could be federated into a global system.

2. Data Standards Experience: WRI's BRT Standard methodology demonstrates how to create standardised benchmarking across diverse city contexts -- a model for broader transport data standardisation.

3. City Network: WRI's presence in 7+ countries with active urban transport programmes provides a test bed for data collection methodologies and platform validation.

4. Research-to-Data Pipeline: RIDE's research pillar will generate new data and evidence that needs a permanent home -- the Global Intelligence System could serve this function.

5. User Base: WRI's network of city practitioners, national policymakers, and development partners represents a ready-made user community for a global transport data platform.

Key Gaps That the Global Intelligence System Could Address

• WRI's data is strongest at city level; a global system could provide national and corridor-level data layers
• WRI's data is strongest on urban mass transit; a global system could integrate rural access, freight, and maritime data
• WRI's platforms are currently standalone; a global system could provide interoperability standards
• WRI generates primarily static datasets; a global system could incorporate near-real-time data feeds

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Last updated: February 2026 Note: Where web research was unavailable, this document draws on institutional knowledge available through early 2025. Some programme details may have evolved.

University of Oxford -- Infrastructure Analytics Group

Overview

The Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at the University of Oxford houses one of the world's leading infrastructure analytics research groups. The group sits at the intersection of infrastructure systems, climate risk, and data science, with significant work on transport networks -- particularly in developing country contexts.

The group's work is highly relevant to the Global Intelligence System for Transport because it represents some of the most advanced academic work on modelling infrastructure networks at national and global scales, with a particular focus on resilience and performance.

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Research Focus

The group's research focuses on:

1. Infrastructure Systems Analysis: Understanding how infrastructure networks (transport, energy, water, digital) function as interconnected systems, and how to optimise investment across them.

2. Climate Risk and Resilience: Quantifying the risks that climate change and natural hazards pose to infrastructure, and developing adaptation strategies.

3. Infrastructure for Development: Applying infrastructure analytics methods to developing countries, where data is scarce and investment decisions have outsized impact.

4. Data Science for Infrastructure: Developing new methods for extracting infrastructure intelligence from satellite imagery, GPS traces, and other novel data sources.

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OPSIS -- Oxford Programme for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems

Overview

OPSIS (Oxford Programme for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems) is a major research programme that aims to develop the analytical tools and evidence base for sustainable infrastructure decision-making globally, with a strong focus on developing countries.

Key Components

1. Infrastructure Demand Modelling

OPSIS develops models that project future demand for infrastructure services (including transport) based on:

• Population growth and urbanisation patterns
• Economic development trajectories
• Climate change scenarios
• Technology adoption curves

These models help countries understand what infrastructure they will need in the coming decades and how to sequence investments.

2. Infrastructure Supply Mapping

OPSIS has developed methods for mapping existing infrastructure assets at national and continental scales, including:

• Road networks (from OpenStreetMap and satellite imagery)
• Rail networks
• Port and airport facilities
• Energy and water infrastructure

This mapping provides the denominator for gap analysis: comparing what exists with what is needed.

3. Climate Risk Assessment

OPSIS integrates infrastructure mapping with climate hazard data to assess:

• Which transport assets are exposed to flooding, landslides, cyclones, and sea-level rise
• The network-level consequences of asset failures (cascading disruptions)
• The economic costs of climate-related transport disruptions
• Priority investments for climate resilience

4. Investment Prioritisation

OPSIS develops decision-support tools that help governments and development banks prioritise infrastructure investments based on:

• Economic returns
• Climate resilience
• Social equity (access for underserved populations)
• Environmental sustainability

Data Infrastructure

OPSIS has built significant data infrastructure, including:

• National infrastructure databases for multiple African and Asian countries
• Global infrastructure exposure datasets linking infrastructure with climate hazards
• Open-source analytical tools for infrastructure assessment

Funding and Partners

OPSIS has been funded by:

• UK FCDO (directly and through the EPSRC-GCRF programmes)
• World Bank
• Asian Development Bank
• UK National Infrastructure Commission
• Various UKRI research councils

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African Transport Systems Database

Overview

One of the most significant outputs of the Oxford infrastructure analytics group for the Global Intelligence System is the African Transport Systems Database -- a comprehensive, continent-wide database of transport infrastructure in Africa.

Content

The database includes:

1. Road Networks:

   • Classification by road type (primary, secondary, tertiary, track)
   • Surface type (paved, unpaved, gravel)
   • Condition estimates (where available)
   • Road network connectivity metrics

2. Rail Networks:

   • Active and inactive rail lines
   • Gauge information
   • Operational status
   • Connection to ports and major economic centres

3. Ports:

   • Location and capacity indicators
   • Throughput data (where available)
   • Connection to hinterland road and rail networks

4. Airports:

   • Location, runway characteristics
   • Domestic and international connectivity

5. Transport Demand Indicators:

   • Population accessibility metrics
   • Trade flow estimates
   • Agricultural production zones and transport to market

Methodology

The database is constructed from:

• OpenStreetMap road and rail network data, cleaned and validated
• Satellite imagery for verification and gap-filling
• National statistics where available
• Global datasets (e.g., WorldPop for population, NASA for hazard data)
• Proprietary shipping data for port analysis

Applications

The African Transport Systems Database has been used for:

• Identifying transport corridors critical for food security
• Assessing climate vulnerability of transport networks
• Estimating the economic impact of transport disruptions
• Prioritising road and rail investment at continental and national scales
• Supporting the African Union's Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA)

Relevance to Global Intelligence System

This database represents one of the most comprehensive examples of what a transport intelligence system could look like at continental scale. Key lessons include:

• The importance of combining multiple data sources (OSM, satellite, statistics)
• The challenge of maintaining data currency (OSM data can be outdated in rural areas)
• The value of network-level analysis (not just asset-level)
• The need for standardised schemas that work across diverse countries

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OxMarTrans and PortWatch

OxMarTrans (Oxford Maritime Transport Model)

OxMarTrans is a global maritime transport model developed by the Oxford infrastructure analytics group in collaboration with partners. It models:

1. Global Shipping Routes: Representation of major maritime shipping routes and trade flows
2. Port Connectivity: How ports connect to hinterland transport networks
3. Trade Flow Modelling: Commodity-level trade flows between countries via maritime transport
4. Disruption Analysis: What happens to trade when ports or shipping routes are disrupted

PortWatch

PortWatch is a more operational tool/platform that emerged from the OxMarTrans research. Developed in collaboration with the World Bank:

• Purpose: Near-real-time monitoring of port activity and maritime trade disruptions

• Data Sources: Automatic Identification System (AIS) shipping data, satellite imagery, port statistics

• Coverage: Global -- monitors major ports worldwide

• Key Features:

  • Port call tracking (vessel arrivals and departures)
  • Trade flow estimation
  • Disruption alerts (when port activity drops significantly)
  • Climate and natural hazard exposure assessment for ports

• Applications:

  • COVID-19: PortWatch was used to monitor the impact of the pandemic on global maritime trade
  • Climate events: Tracking disruptions from cyclones, flooding, and other hazards
  • Supply chain monitoring: Early warning of trade disruptions
  • Infrastructure investment: Identifying ports that are critical bottlenecks

• Access: PortWatch has been developed with the World Bank and has been made available as a web-based tool

Relevance to Global Intelligence System

PortWatch is a compelling example of how a transport intelligence system can operate:

• It combines multiple data sources (AIS, satellite, statistics) into a unified view
• It provides near-real-time monitoring, not just static analysis
• It covers a specific transport mode (maritime) at global scale
• It has clear users (World Bank, governments, logistics companies)

The Global Intelligence System could incorporate PortWatch as a maritime data layer and extend similar approaches to road, rail, and urban transport.

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Infrastructure Resilience Work

ITRC -- Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium

The group leads the ITRC (Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium), a major UK research programme that has developed the NISMOD (National Infrastructure Systems Model) framework:

• NISMOD-Int: An international version of the UK's national infrastructure model, adapted for developing countries
• Purpose: Simulating how infrastructure systems (transport, energy, water, digital) interact and how investment in one system affects others
• Transport Component: Models transport demand, network performance, and the economic consequences of transport disruptions

Climate Resilience of Transport Networks

Key research outputs include:

1. Flood Risk to Road Networks: Methodologies for assessing which road segments are vulnerable to flooding and the network-wide consequences of flood damage.

2. Transport and Food Security: Analysis of how transport disruptions affect food supply chains, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where rural roads are critical for getting agricultural produce to market.

3. Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment: Methods for assessing transport infrastructure exposure to multiple hazards simultaneously (flooding, landslides, cyclones, extreme heat).

4. Adaptation Investment Analysis: Decision frameworks for prioritising climate adaptation investments in transport infrastructure, balancing cost, risk reduction, and development benefits.

Recent and Ongoing Work

• Nature-based solutions for infrastructure resilience: Exploring how ecosystem-based approaches can protect transport infrastructure
• Digital twins for infrastructure: Developing digital representations of infrastructure networks that can be used for scenario planning
• AI for infrastructure assessment: Using machine learning to assess infrastructure condition from satellite and street-level imagery

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Research Group Expertise

The group's researchers cover a range of specialisms including:

• Infrastructure risk and resilience, contributing to global infrastructure vulnerability assessments
• Network analysis and infrastructure interdependencies, key contributions to the African Transport Systems Database
• Transport accessibility modelling, climate risk assessment, and data science for infrastructure

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Connections to Other RIDE Partners

Partner	Nature of Connection
WRI	Complementary scale -- WRI focuses on city-level, Oxford on national/continental; potential data exchange between urban transport data and network models
GIZ	Oxford's infrastructure models could support GIZ's country-level transport advisory work; GIZ's country relationships provide validation for Oxford's models
TRL	Complementary expertise -- TRL provides engineering-level road data, Oxford provides network-level modelling; joint interest in road condition data
UNECE	Oxford's global transport models could contribute to UNECE's Transport Data Commons; UNECE's statistics provide validation data for Oxford's models
UNDESA	Oxford's infrastructure analytics support SDG monitoring (especially SDG 9 on infrastructure)
FCDO	Long-standing funder of Oxford's infrastructure research; OPSIS and ITRC have received significant FCDO/DFID funding
World Bank	Key partner for PortWatch and broader infrastructure analytics; co-development of tools and data

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Relevance to the Global Intelligence System

Oxford's infrastructure analytics group provides several critical capabilities for a Global Intelligence System:

1. Demonstrated Global-Scale Transport Data Infrastructure

The African Transport Systems Database and PortWatch prove that it is possible to build comprehensive transport data systems at continental and global scales. These provide templates and foundational datasets.

2. Advanced Analytical Methods

The group's modelling capabilities (network analysis, climate risk, economic assessment) represent the kind of analytics that a Global Intelligence System should enable -- going beyond data cataloguing to actionable intelligence.

3. Multi-Modal Coverage

Unlike most transport data efforts that focus on a single mode, Oxford's work spans road, rail, maritime, and air transport, enabling the integrated multi-modal analysis that a global system requires.

4. Open Science Approach

The group has a strong commitment to open data and open-source tools, aligning with the open architecture principles that should underpin a Global Intelligence System.

5. Climate-Transport Nexus

The explicit integration of climate risk into transport analysis addresses one of the most pressing needs for transport decision-makers in LMICs and aligns with FCDO's climate priorities.

Key Gaps That the Global Intelligence System Could Address

• Oxford's data is strongest in Africa; a global system could extend coverage to Asia and Latin America
• Oxford's models are primarily research tools; a global system could operationalise them for routine decision support
• Oxford's data updates are project-driven; a global system could provide continuous data refresh
• Oxford's analytical outputs are primarily academic papers; a global system could provide user-friendly dashboards and APIs

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Key URLs and References

• Environmental Change Institute: https://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/
• ITRC: https://www.itrc.org.uk/
• OPSIS: https://opsis.eci.ox.ac.uk/ (if available)
• PortWatch: https://portwatch.imf.org/ (hosted in collaboration with IMF/World Bank)
• Infrastructure Analytics Group: https://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/

Note: URLs should be verified as they may have changed since the knowledge cutoff.

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Last updated: February 2026 Note: Where web research was unavailable, this document draws on institutional knowledge available through early 2025. Some programme details and personnel may have evolved.

UNECE and UNDESA -- United Nations Transport Work

Overview

Two UN entities play particularly important roles in the multilateral transport governance and data landscape that a Global Intelligence System would need to align with:

1. UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) -- The custodian of international transport conventions, standards, and statistics, with growing ambition in digital transport data through the Transport Data Commons initiative.

2. UNDESA (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs) -- The coordinating body for sustainable transport within the UN system, particularly through the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport and the Sustainable Development Goals framework.

These organisations are not primarily data producers or technology builders, but they set the normative frameworks, governance structures, and standards that any global transport data system must align with.

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UNECE -- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Institutional Overview

UNECE is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations, headquartered in Geneva. Despite its name, UNECE's membership extends beyond Europe to include 56 member states spanning Europe, North America (USA, Canada), Central Asia, and the Caucasus. Crucially, UNECE's transport conventions have global significance -- many have been adopted by countries well beyond the UNECE region.

Inland Transport Committee (ITC)

The Inland Transport Committee is the apex intergovernmental body for inland transport within the UN system. Established in 1947, it is the oldest UN transport body and administers an extensive framework of international transport agreements.

Key Functions

1. International Transport Conventions: ITC administers 59 international transport agreements and conventions, including:

   • TIR Convention (Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets) -- the backbone of international road freight customs facilitation
   • ADR (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road)
   • ATP (Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs)
   • AETR (European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles engaged in International Road Transport)
   • Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic (1968) and Road Signs and Signals (1968) -- the global framework for traffic rules and road signage
   • AGR (European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries) -- defining the international E-road network
   • AGC (European Agreement on Main International Railway Lines)

2. Vehicle Regulations: Through the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), UNECE sets vehicle safety and environmental standards that are adopted globally. WP.29 agreements cover:

   • Vehicle safety (crash protection, lighting, braking)
   • Environmental performance (emissions, noise)
   • Automated driving (UNECE Regulation 157 on automated lane keeping)
   • Cybersecurity of vehicles

3. Road Safety: The Working Party on Road Traffic Safety (WP.1) works on:

   • Updating the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic
   • Road safety best practices
   • Driver licensing harmonisation
   • Vulnerable road user protection

4. Transport Statistics: The Working Party on Transport Statistics (WP.6) is responsible for:

   • Defining standard transport statistical methodologies
   • Collecting and publishing transport statistics from member states
   • Harmonising transport data definitions across countries
   • The Glossary for Transport Statistics (jointly with ITF and Eurostat)

ITC Subsidiary Bodies

The ITC operates through multiple working parties covering:

• Road transport (WP.1 on safety, SC.1 on road transport)
• Rail transport (SC.2)
• Inland water transport (SC.3)
• Combined transport (WP.24)
• Dangerous goods transport (WP.15)
• Transport of perishable foodstuffs (WP.11)
• Vehicle regulations (WP.29)
• Transport statistics (WP.6)
• Transport trends and economics (WP.5)
• Customs questions affecting transport (WP.30)

UNECE Transport Statistics

Statistical Database

UNECE maintains a transport statistics database that collects data from member states on:

• Road transport: Road network length by type, vehicle fleet composition, road traffic volumes, road freight and passenger transport volumes, road accidents and casualties
• Rail transport: Railway network length, rolling stock, passenger and freight transport volumes
• Inland waterways: Navigable waterway length, fleet, transport volumes
• Oil pipelines: Pipeline network and transport volumes
• Combined transport: Intermodal transport volumes

Data Collection Process

• Annual questionnaire sent to member states' national statistical offices and transport ministries
• Joint questionnaire with Eurostat and ITF (International Transport Forum) to reduce reporting burden
• Data published in the UNECE Statistical Database and annual statistical publications

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths:

• Standardised definitions (based on the Glossary for Transport Statistics)
• Long time series (decades of data for many countries)
• Official statistics from national authorities
• Harmonised across 56 countries

Limitations:

• Limited to UNECE member states (does not cover Africa, most of Asia, Latin America)
• Relies on national statistical capacity (data gaps for Central Asian countries)
• Annual frequency (no real-time data)
• Aggregate national-level data (no sub-national or corridor-level granularity)
• Reporting compliance varies significantly across member states

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Transport Data Commons Initiative

Overview

The Transport Data Commons is a newer UNECE initiative that aims to create an open, interoperable platform for transport data at the global level. It represents a significant evolution in UNECE's approach -- moving from traditional statistical collection to a modern data infrastructure approach.

Genesis

The Transport Data Commons concept emerged from several converging drivers:

1. Recognition that traditional transport statistics are insufficient for modern policy needs (climate, safety, equity)
2. The explosion of new transport data sources (GPS, mobile phones, satellite, IoT) that don't fit traditional statistical frameworks
3. The need for transport data that supports the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and other global frameworks
4. Advocacy from organisations like WRI, ITF, and others for better global transport data infrastructure

Key Features (As Proposed/Developing)

1. Common Data Standards: Developing standardised schemas and vocabularies for transport data that enable interoperability across countries and organisations. This includes:

   • Common definitions for transport modes, infrastructure types, and service levels
   • Standardised metrics for transport performance (safety, emissions, accessibility, efficiency)
   • Data exchange formats (building on existing standards like GTFS, NeTEx, SIRI, and emerging standards)

2. Federated Architecture: The Transport Data Commons is envisioned as a federated system, not a centralised database. Data remains with the producing organisation but is made discoverable and interoperable through common standards and a shared catalogue.

3. Multi-Stakeholder Governance: The governance model involves:

   • National governments (as primary data producers and users)
   • International organisations (UNECE, ITF, World Bank, regional development banks)
   • Research organisations (WRI, academic institutions)
   • Private sector data providers (technology companies, logistics firms)
   • Civil society organisations

4. Global Scope: While UNECE's traditional statistics cover 56 member states, the Transport Data Commons is designed to be global in scope, reflecting the global nature of transport challenges (climate, trade, safety).

5. New Data Sources: The Transport Data Commons explicitly aims to incorporate new data sources beyond traditional statistics:

   • Real-time traffic and mobility data
   • Open transit data (GTFS feeds)
   • Satellite-derived infrastructure data
   • Mobile phone mobility data
   • Connected vehicle data
   • Freight and logistics data

Relationship to the Global Intelligence System

The UNECE Transport Data Commons is the most directly aligned existing initiative to the Global Intelligence System concept. Key points of alignment:

• Shared vision: Both aim for a global, interoperable transport data infrastructure
• Federated approach: Both envision distributed data with common standards rather than a single centralised database
• LMIC focus: Both recognise that the greatest data gaps are in LMICs
• Multi-stakeholder: Both require collaboration across governments, IOs, research, and private sector

Key questions for alignment:

• How does the RIDE-affiliated Global Intelligence System relate to the UNECE Transport Data Commons? Are they the same initiative, complementary initiatives, or potentially duplicative?
• What is UNECE's timeline and resourcing for the Transport Data Commons?
• How can RIDE's research and data generation feed into the Transport Data Commons?
• What governance role should UNECE play in a Global Intelligence System?

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Other Relevant UNECE Initiatives

eTIR International System

The eTIR system is the digital platform for the TIR Convention, enabling paperless customs transit for international road freight. It represents a practical example of a global transport data system:

• Connects customs authorities across countries
• Processes real-time data on freight movements
• Demonstrates that intergovernmental transport data systems can work

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)

UNECE's work on ITS includes:

• Standards for connected and automated vehicles
• Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication standards
• Data sharing standards for intelligent transport
• Cybersecurity requirements for connected vehicles

Climate and Transport

UNECE's work on reducing transport emissions includes:

• Vehicle emissions regulations through WP.29
• The ForFITS (For Future Inland Transport Systems) model for transport emissions projections
• Guidance on electric vehicle infrastructure
• Alternative fuels frameworks

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UNDESA -- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Institutional Overview

UNDESA is a department of the UN Secretariat that supports the intergovernmental machinery of the UN on development issues, including the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the General Assembly. UNDESA does not implement programmes on the ground but rather provides analytical, normative, and capacity-building support.

Transport-Related Work

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Transport

Transport is not a standalone SDG but is implicated in multiple goals:

• SDG 3.6: Halve global deaths from road traffic accidents by 2030 (from 2015 baseline)
• SDG 7.3: Double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency (transport is a major energy consumer)
• SDG 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being
• SDG 11.2: Provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all by 2030
• SDG 12.c: Rationalise fossil-fuel subsidies (relevant to transport fuel subsidies)
• SDG 13: Climate action (transport accounts for approximately 24% of direct CO2 emissions from fuel combustion)

UNDESA tracks progress on these transport-related SDG targets through the UN SDG Indicators framework. This provides a high-level but limited set of transport indicators at the global and national level.

SDG Transport Indicators

Key transport-related SDG indicators that UNDESA monitors:

• 3.6.1: Death rate due to road traffic injuries
• 9.1.1: Proportion of the rural population living within 2 km of an all-season road (the Rural Access Index)
• 9.1.2: Passenger and freight volumes by mode of transport
• 11.2.1: Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport

Data challenges: Many of these indicators have significant data gaps, particularly in LMICs:

• The Rural Access Index (9.1.1) has data for relatively few countries (the World Bank has led efforts to expand coverage using geospatial methods)
• Public transport access (11.2.1) relies on city-level data that is not systematically collected
• Road crash data (3.6.1) is known to be significantly underreported in many LMICs

UN Secretary-General's Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport

UNDESA provided secretariat support for the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport (2014-2016), which produced the report "Mobilizing Sustainable Transport for Development." Key recommendations:

1. Integrate transport into the sustainable development agenda
2. Invest in sustainable transport infrastructure
3. Leverage technology for sustainable transport
4. Improve road safety
5. Address climate change through sustainable transport
6. Improve urban transport
7. Strengthen rural transport
8. Enhance international cooperation on transport

Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All)

SuM4All is a multi-stakeholder partnership that UNDESA has been involved in (alongside the World Bank, which leads it). SuM4All aims to:

• Provide a common framework for sustainable mobility
• Track progress through the Global Tracking Framework for Transport
• Identify policy priorities for sustainable transport
• Coordinate action across the transport community

The SuM4All Global Tracking Framework is relevant because it attempts to define a comprehensive set of transport indicators covering:

• Universal access (rural access, urban public transport, transport affordability)
• Efficiency (logistics performance, transport costs, infrastructure quality)
• Safety (road crash deaths, vehicle safety standards)
• Green mobility (transport emissions, electric vehicle adoption, fuel efficiency)

This framework represents an important normative reference for what a Global Intelligence System should track.

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UN Decade of Action for Sustainable Transport (2026-2035)

Overview

The Second UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030) and the broader advocacy for a UN framework on sustainable transport have been leading toward the designation of a UN Decade for Sustainable Transport. The concept has been discussed in various UN forums:

• The Global Sustainable Transport Conference (Beijing 2016, Ashgabat 2023)
• UN General Assembly resolutions on sustainable transport
• Advocacy by the SuM4All coalition and individual member states

Relevance

If a UN Decade for Sustainable Transport is formally declared, it would create:

1. Political visibility for transport in the UN system
2. Demand for data to track progress toward transport goals
3. Coordination mechanisms that a Global Intelligence System could support
4. Funding mobilisation for transport programmes including data infrastructure

UNDESA's Role

UNDESA would likely play a coordinating role in any UN Decade for Sustainable Transport, given its function as the Secretariat's department for sustainable development. This role would include:

• Supporting intergovernmental deliberations
• Providing analytical support (requiring data from a Global Intelligence System)
• Coordinating across UN agencies
• Monitoring progress (requiring indicator frameworks and data)

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Global Sustainable Transport Conferences

UNDESA has supported the organisation of Global Sustainable Transport Conferences:

1. First Conference (Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 2016): Focused on the role of sustainable transport in achieving the SDGs. Resulted in the Ashgabat Declaration on sustainable transport.

2. Second Conference (Beijing, China, 2021 -- postponed/rescheduled due to COVID): Continued the momentum toward a global framework for sustainable transport.

3. Third Conference: Discussions about a third conference have been part of the broader advocacy for institutionalising sustainable transport within the UN framework.

These conferences generate political declarations and commitments that create demand for the kind of evidence and monitoring that a Global Intelligence System could provide.

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Joint UNECE-UNDESA Relevance

Combined Value Proposition

Together, UNECE and UNDESA provide the multilateral governance framework within which a Global Intelligence System should be situated:

Dimension	UNECE Contribution	UNDESA Contribution
Standards	Technical standards for transport data, vehicle regulations, infrastructure classifications	Normative frameworks (SDGs, indicator definitions)
Data	Transport statistics from 56 countries, emerging Transport Data Commons	SDG transport indicator data, global policy tracking
Governance	Intergovernmental transport committees, convention frameworks	ECOSOC/GA oversight, inter-agency coordination
Legitimacy	Legal authority for transport conventions	Political authority as UN Secretariat department
Convening	Technical expert groups (WP.6, WP.29, etc.)	High-level policy forums (HLPF, transport conferences)

Governance Model for the Global Intelligence System

A credible Global Intelligence System would likely need to be anchored in the UN system to achieve:

• Legitimacy: Recognition by member states as an authoritative source
• Sustainability: Institutional home beyond project funding cycles
• Universality: Coverage of all countries, not just those in specific donor programmes
• Neutrality: Perceived independence from any single government or commercial interest

UNECE's Transport Data Commons initiative and UNDESA's normative role could together provide this anchor. The key question is whether the Global Intelligence System should:

1. Be part of the Transport Data Commons: RIDE contributes data and tools to the UNECE-led initiative
2. Be complementary: RIDE builds a platform that is interoperable with the Transport Data Commons but independently governed
3. Catalyse the Transport Data Commons: RIDE's technical development helps operationalise what UNECE has defined normatively

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Connections to Other RIDE Partners

Partner	Connection to UNECE/UNDESA
WRI	WRI contributes to SuM4All; WRI's transport data could feed into the Transport Data Commons; WRI's BRT Standard methodology is analogous to UNECE's standards work
GIZ	Germany is a major UNECE member and funder; GIZ's TUMI cities generate data relevant to SDG 11.2 indicators; GIZ's country programmes can promote adoption of UNECE standards
TRL	TRL's road safety data is relevant to UNECE WP.1 and SDG 3.6; TRL's road engineering standards complement UNECE's infrastructure standards
Oxford	Oxford's infrastructure models could be validated against UNECE transport statistics; PortWatch is relevant to UNECE's inland waterway and combined transport data; Oxford could contribute analytical tools to the Transport Data Commons
FCDO	UK is a UNECE member state; FCDO's transport research portfolio generates evidence relevant to SDG monitoring; FCDO has historically supported UN transport initiatives

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Data Assets and Platforms

UNECE

Asset	Description	Coverage	Access
UNECE Statistical Database	Transport statistics (road, rail, waterway, pipeline)	56 UNECE member states	Open online
Glossary for Transport Statistics	Standard definitions for transport data (joint with ITF and Eurostat)	Global applicability	Published document
TIR data	Customs transit data from eTIR system	TIR Convention contracting parties (77 countries)	Restricted
Vehicle regulation type approvals	Technical data on vehicle safety and emissions standards	WP.29 contracting parties	Published regulations
ForFITS model	Transport emissions projection tool	Global	Available on request

UNDESA

Asset	Description	Coverage	Access
SDG Indicators Database	Transport-related SDG indicator data (3.6.1, 9.1.1, 9.1.2, 11.2.1)	Global (with gaps)	Open online (unstats.un.org)
SuM4All Global Tracking Framework data	Comprehensive transport performance indicators	Global (compiled from multiple sources)	Available through SuM4All
Global Sustainable Transport Conference proceedings	Policy declarations and commitments	Global	Published documents

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Key Risks and Considerations

1. Pace of Change: UN institutions move slowly. The Transport Data Commons has been discussed for several years but operationalisation is still in early stages. The Global Intelligence System may need to move faster while maintaining alignment.

2. Political Sensitivities: Transport data can be politically sensitive (e.g., road crash data, emissions data). UN governance provides legitimacy but also means navigating member state politics.

3. Resource Constraints: UNECE's transport division is modestly resourced relative to its mandate. The Transport Data Commons will need external funding and technical support to operationalise -- which is an opportunity for RIDE.

4. Global vs. Regional: UNECE is a regional commission despite global ambitions for some of its work. Extending the Transport Data Commons to true global coverage requires collaboration with other regional commissions (ECA, ESCAP, ECLAC, ESCWA).

5. Technical Capacity: UNECE's technical capacity for modern data infrastructure (APIs, cloud platforms, machine learning) is limited. External partners (WRI, Oxford, others) would need to provide technical development.

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Key URLs and References

• UNECE Inland Transport Committee: https://unece.org/transport
• UNECE Transport Statistics: https://unece.org/transport/transport-statistics
• UNECE Transport Data Commons concept: search UNECE.org for "Transport Data Commons"
• UNDESA Sustainable Development: https://sdgs.un.org/
• UNDESA SDG Indicators: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/
• SuM4All: https://www.sum4all.org/
• Glossary for Transport Statistics: published by UNECE/ITF/Eurostat
• ForFITS model: https://unece.org/forfits

Note: URLs should be verified as they may have changed since the knowledge cutoff.

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Last updated: February 2026 Note: Where web research was unavailable, this document draws on institutional knowledge available through early 2025. Some details on the Transport Data Commons initiative and the UN Decade for Sustainable Transport may have evolved since.