Improving Transnational Transport Corridors

In the OIC Member Countries: Concepts and Cases

Introduction

1.1. Scope and Description of the Study

There has been a growing interest on developing transnational transport corridors globally. A

transport corridor plays an important role in facilitating trade and movement to promote

economic growth across a region and enhance political and regional integration. However, not

all transport corridor initiatives are successful in addressing these objectives. The success of a

transport corridor depends on many factors, mainly the existence and performance of corridor

management and trade and transport facilitation initiatives. The corridor management refers

to an organization established by diverse actors including the government and the private

sector. Trade and transport facilitation refers mainly to trade development between the

member states in the corridor, non-physical barriers to trade, customs harmonization, and

border operations.

With more than 1.7 billion population, OIC Member States account for more than 23% of world

population. OIC countries have a relatively high and growing market potential. Much of the

increase in the market potential of OIC countries is also due to the increase in intra-OIC market

potential

COMCEC has clearly recognized the fundamental role of effective and efficient transport

corridors in the OIC regions to facilitate movements of passengers and freight among the

Member States. Therefore, the CCO conducted a research on “Improving Transnational

Transport Corridors in OIC Member States: Concept and Cases” with the following objectives:



To identify the basic concepts of (transnational) transport corridors, its role in

enhancing trade and factors affecting its success.



To investigate the major and successful transport corridors outside the OIC geography

in order to provide benchmarks for the OIC regions.



To describe the general situation related to corridor studies in the OIC Member

Countries and to analyze the selected six transport corridors in the OIC Member

Countries as a case study in detail.



To propose recommendations for enhancing effective and efficient transnational

transport corridors among OIC member states.

The ultimate aim of the study is to raise awareness of transnational transport corridors among

the OIC Member Countries as well as to trigger a serious debate around the issues identified

and how to address them.

OIC-SESRIC (2016), SESRIC staff calculations based on World Governance Indicators of the World Bank.