Improving Transnational Transport Corridors

In the OIC Member Countries: Concepts and Cases

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roads, railways, seaports and airports, which are of international importance, was thus

created. As an outcome of ITSAM, ESCWA Member States adopted the agreement on

International Roads in the Arab Mashreq in 2001, and the Agreement on International

Railways in the Arab Mashreq in 2002. The subsequent development in international trade and

logistic performances are followed by this development.

As mentioned in the introduction, the Hedjaz railway connecting Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and

Saudi Arabia also must be a firm part of the strategy to stabilize the Mashreq Region in general

and Syria in particular. An excellent model for the transport being used as a catalyst for

conflict resolution and regional stabilization is the Balkan region of South East Europe. The

short history is of the Federation of Yugoslavia breaking apart in the 1990s due to political,

religious and ethnic diversity. Following the end of hostilities, the EU urged the parties to

enter into a stability pact, a component of which was to focus on matters of common interest,

which were largely non-political. These were energy, environment and transport. The

rationales being that these three subjects are truly international. Energy generated in one

former Yugoslav territory was consumed in another; environment issues cannot be confined to

one territory and transport connectivity depended on international cooperation. The lessons

learned from this exercise will surely resonate with those anxious to end the conflict and build

a lasting peace.

Mashreq North-South Corridor countries are members of the League of Arab States, which has

historically taken the lead on integration efforts in the region. The League’s objective is to

“draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between

them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the

affairs and interests of the Arab countries.” Through its various institutions, the Arab League

helps to facilitate political, economic, cultural, scientific, and social affairs among its members.

Since its inception in 1945, the League has served as a forum for member states to coordinate

their policy positions, to deliberate on matters of common concern, and to settle disputes. The

OIC and the Arab League have a crucial role to play in peace process in Syria and beyond. They,

as with the Balkans may also see that international transport can be used as a catalyst to build

peace. This is what the EU managed to do in South East Europe by setting up SEETO – The

South East Europe Transport Observatory

The Arab League is purely a political body with no operational resources. As such, it cannot

perform the duties of a corridor secretariat, but it can urge the parties to enter into stability

pact part of which can be the setting up of a transport corridor authority or a transport

observatory.

Established by EU. Project Manager Douglas Rasbash (Consultant at Fimotions).