Transport and Covid-19: responses and resources

Colombia and Costa Rica high-level mission

Secretary-General Young Tae Kim's vision for ITF to become a truly global platform underpinned a high-level mission to Colombia - one of ITF's newest members that joined in 2021 - and to better understand opportunities for engagement with Costa Rica's transport policy priorities.

Mr Kim met with Guillermo Reyes González, Transport Minister of Colombia (photo), and his two Vice-Ministers - María Constanza García and Carlos Eduardo Enriquez - in Bogota. The meeting allowed Dr Kim to update the ministry team on ITF work, as well as at learning about the Colombian government’s priorities and potential areas of future collaboration. Colombian colleagues highlighted their current policy focus and main areas of interest, including promoting electric mobility and the energy transition within the mobility sector. Colombia is also interested in the development of green and resiliency guidelines for mobility systems; the creation of a project management methodology for the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of transport infrastructure projects, and the development of methodologies for the prioritisation and socio-economic assessment of multi-modal transport systems, with a focus on railways and on inland waterways. 

The Secretary-General met with Jorge Iván González, Director of the National Planning Department of Colombia to update a proposal for a transport policy review of Colombia. The mission also provided the opportunity for to meet with Angela Maria Orozco Gomez, former Colombian Transport Minister.

A meeting with authorities of the National University of Colombia presented potential work opportunities of the ITF to staff from the University, in order to nurture the diversity of the ITF team. 

In Costa Rica, Young Tae Kim met Luís Amador, Public Works and Transports (MOPT) Minister to present the ITF and to clarify his interest in joining the organisation and the possible accession process. Dr Kim presented ITF's main areas of work and operations. While in the Costa Rica, Dr Kim met Manuel Tovar, Foreign Trade (COMEX) Minister to facilitating engagement between COMEX and MOPT regarding a possible accession request by Costa Rica. Manuel Tovar was the previous Ambassador of Costa Rica to the OECD.

Dr Kim also met National Economic Planning (MIDEPLAN) Vice-Minister of Costa Rica, Marlon Navarro, and with staff from the National Road Safety Council (COSEVI). Dr Kim thanked COSEVI for their support in road safety work of the organisation, as well as at expressing the ITF’s happiness about COSEVI’s recent accession to IRTAD.

See photos from the Colombian mission

See photos from the Costa Rican mission

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