Contributing to the Monitoring Framework for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport
The draft paper "Towards Effective Monitoring for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport", authored by Holger Dalkmann, James Leather, Sudhir Gota, and Alvin Mejia, was developed as a contribution to the UN Geneva Workshop on Sustainable Transport, held on 23-24 June 2025 at the Palais des Nations. The event forms part of the preparatory process for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035), in accordance with the UN General Assembly Resolution A/78/148, which aims to advance more inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon transport systems. The workshop explored key pillars of the forthcoming Implementation Plan—namely financing and implementation, capacity building, and monitoring. This paper contributed to the discussion on monitoring by offering a range of options and considerations for the way forward.
The paper outlines key considerations for designing a future monitoring framework for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport, drawing from past UN Decades, regional initiatives and ongoing data initiatives —such as the Asian Transport Observatory. While the Implementation Plan is still being developed, the paper stresses the value of starting early reflections on monitoring. It highlights nine foundational elements to guide the process: defining clear goals and targets; selecting meaningful and usable indicators; tailoring the framework to its main users; balancing fixed and flexible metrics; addressing data gaps and quality; including policy tracking; incorporating subnational perspectives; supporting regional differentiation; and recognizing transport’s connections to other sectors such as energy, health, and land use.
The draft paper is available for download here and is in the process of finalization. It is intended to inform the ongoing development of the Decade’s Implementation Plan and to serve as a background document for relevant events, including the upcoming High-Level Political Forum in New York in July. We encourage partners and stakeholders to review the draft and share feedback.