Governance of Transport Corridors in OIC Member States:
Challenges, Cases and Policy Lessons
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system. In international trade, a distinction is made between trade tariffs, such as import and export
taxes, and non-tariff barriers to trade. The latter refers to any other trade obstacle not related
import/export duties, such as licenses, quotas, custom delays, technical barriers, or any differences in
procedures, certificates, inspections and licenses. Increasingly, economic gains in international trade
are made by harmonizing non-tariff barriers to trade.
It is therefore not surprising that many objectives laid down in existing corridor agreements deal with
the harmonisation of legislation between its members. Railway interoperability, reducing border
delays such as the one-stop shop governance concept and a mutual recognition of each other’s
certificates, licenses and inspections significantly reduces transportation time and enhances corridor
performance. A harmonisation of legal systems is a prerequisite for a smooth functioning of the
corridor. Using pre-existing international standards as guidelines facilitates the connection between
the corridors with other transport systems. With respect to SEETO, non-binding goals are set out in
multi-annual action plans. The members themselves work together to implement soft-measure
bilaterally, as for example Macedonia and Bosnia Herzegovina have recently agreed upon the mutual
recognition and exchange of drivers’ licences.
2.2.3 Institutional framework
Organisation and characteristics
It is increasingly recognized that a dedicated corridor management body is crucial in the effective
development of a corridor (Kunaka & Carruthers, 2014; Witte et al, 2013). The purpose of the corridor
management is to facilitate the day-to-day operations as to efficiently reach the objectives defined by
the members and laid down in the legal framework. The corridor management deals with fostering
communication between the many different stakeholders as well as establishing plans for the
development of the corridor.
There is no one-size-fits-all management structure for corridors. How the corridor is to be managed
depends on ambition and commitment of the participants. Corridor management can take place on
various spatial scales: the regional, national or corridor level, as illustrated in Kunaka &
Carruthers, 2014).
Besides the spatial scale on which the corridor is governed, there are other governance aspects to
consider. These include the organisation structure, activities, the scope of the management and the
participants. Arnold (2006) lists the various aspects that need to be considered when setting up an
appropriate management structure, as illustrated i