A view of the Nga Tu So crossroads in Hanoi

The 12th Intergovernmental RegionalEnvironmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum in Asia is scheduled to takeplace in Hanoi from October 28 to 31.

The event, themed “Achieving Smart and ResilientCity through Low Carbon and Intelligent Transport System”, will be co-organisedby the Vietnamese Government’s agencies, including the Ministry of Transport,the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry ofConstruction, and the Hanoi People’s Committee; the Japanese Ministry of theEnvironment; the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific;and the UN Centre for Regional Development of Division for SustainableDevelopment Goals.

It will also be supported by many internationalorganisations, institutes and universities.

The forum is set to attract 300 delegates,including 170 foreign participants like government officials of EST membercountries, representatives from international organisations, scholars and UNexperts.

Issues to be discussed at the 12th EST Forumwill include the role of women in developing rural transport; the future roleof the EST and smart, resilient and sustainable city development; and theraising of vehicle emission standards and benefits of inspection andmaintenance.

Tran Viet Ha, Deputy Director of the TransportMinistry’s International Cooperation Department, said the forum aims to providepolicy, technological and institutional insights into how Asian EST membercountries and cities can advance low carbon and intelligent transport systemdevelopment in achieving the international agendas and agreements by bringing abouttransformational changes in urban development./. VNA