Transport and Covid-19: responses and resources

Common Interest Group for Transport in Ukraine

3rd ITF High-level Dialogue on Transport for Ukraine
The Common Interest Group for Transport in Ukraine (CIG4U) is a mechanism created by the governments of ITF member countries Canada, Lithuania, Sweden and Ukraine to help Ukraine rebuild its war-ravaged transport systems and develop new international trade links. The CIG4U co-ordinates support for Ukraine’s immediate transport-related material needs and provides analytical support for the longer-term rebuilding of Ukraine’s transport links.

The ITF Secretariat co-ordinates CIG4U activities and provides analytical input.

Short-term Needs

The CIG4U acts as a platform to exchange information about the transport and infrastructure needs identified as urgent by the Ukrainian government, e.g., immediate repairs, replacement material or other actions to ensure the functioning and safety of Ukraine’s transport systems.

The group co-ordinates support for addressing these needs within the international transport community, including national stakeholders and the private sector. The co-ordination mechanism will meet at least monthly to review Ukraine’s current needs and identify how they can be best addressed, and by whom.

The group initiates reviews of different transport modes and areas of Ukraine’s transport sector. The aim is to provide the Ukrainian government with recommended policy pathways and strategic infrastructure plans, including the identification of core corridors and infrastructure for connecting Ukraine to its future trading partners.

Research Programme

More than 20 projects have been identified and prioritised by Ukraine. To date, four research projects have been launched and are being carried out by the ITF Secretariat.

Find out more about the CIG4U Research Programme

Within the framework of the International Transport Forum, Common Interest Groups are a format in which groups of member countries work together on topics of mutual interest, supported by the ITF Secretariat. The duration of the CIG4U is two years initially with the possibility of extension. Other ITF member countries are invited to join the CIG4U.

CIG4U was officially launched by Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration, Oleksandr Kubrakov; Sweden’s Minister of Infrastructure, Andreas Carlson; Lithuania’s Minister of Transport and Communication, Marius Skuodis; Canada’s Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez (by video) and ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim during a visit to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on 15 December 2023.

Since the launch of the CIG4U in December 2023, two High-level Dialogues have been held to facilitate collaboration among members for the reconstruction and development of sustainable infrastructure in Ukraine: the first in Trakai, Lithuania, in April 2024, and the second in Kyiv, Ukraine, in November 2024.