Session LI (51) of the OSJD Ministerial Conference was held at the OSJD Committee in Warsaw in the period from 18 till 20 June 2024 in the face-to-face format and was attended by the members of the OSJD Ministerial Conference from the following countries: Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Bulgaria, Hungary, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Georgia, Republic of Kazakhstan, People’s Republic of China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Republic of Latvia, Mongolia, Republic of Poland, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Republic of Estonia.

The session was also attended by the representative of the TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission (TRACECA IGC).

Opening the session, Mirosław Antonowicz, Chairman of the OSJD Committee, welcomed all the delegations that arrived to Warsaw to take part in the on-site format, wished them fruitful and constructive work and briefed the participants on all the current OSJD activities.

The following issues were considered within the agenda of the session:

- Report on OSJD Activities for 2023;

- Report of the OSJD Auditing Commission for 2023;

- progress of work for 2023 of the OSJD Commission on Transport Policy and Development Strategy and the OSJD Commission on Transport Law;

- progress of work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on vocational education/training in the field of railway transport;

- discussion of the advisability of developing a draft OSJD development strategy;

- OSJD Work Programme for 2025 and subsequent years;

- payment of membership fees and OSJD Committee Budget;

- OSJD Committee place of residence;

- post distribution in the OSJD Committee management board, chairmen/chairpersons and specialists in the OSJD working bodies;

- appointment of the OSJD Committee management board;

- draft provisional agenda, venue and date of session LII (52) of the OSJD Ministerial Conference.

The OSJD Ministerial Conference noted the implementation of the OSJD Programme and Work Plan for 2023 and approved the Report on OSJD Activities for 2023 and the Auditing Commission Report for 2023.

In the field of transport policy and development strategy, the Ministerial Conference approved the results of the work of the OSJD Commission on Transport Policy and Development Strategy for 2023, including the results of the work of the consultative meetings on the OSJD railway transport corridor No. 1, and commissioned to continue the work on:

- updating the “Comprehensive Plans for Improving Transportation and Developing the OSJD Railway Transport Corridors Nos. 1-13 until 2030”;

- monitoring the implementation of the “Comprehensive Plans for Improving Transportation and Developing the OSJD Railway Transport Corridors Nos. 1-13 until 2030”;

- updating the Technical and Operational Passports of OSJD Railway Transport Corridors Nos. 1-13;

- implementation of the provisions of the Memoranda on Cooperation in the field of technical, operational and commercial development of the OSJD railway transport corridors;

- updating OSJD Leaflet R 305-1 “OSJD Glossary”;

- improvement of the OSJD statistical data reports on railway transport, taking into account the provision of information in the prescribed form;

- development of measures aimed at facilitating border crossing procedures during international railway transport in the Eurasian space;

- improving the Agreement on Organisational and Operational Aspects of Combined Transport in Europe-Asia Traffic and updating Annexes I, II, III and IV to the Agreement with the participation of the OSJD members concerned;

- issues of ecology and environmental protection on railway transport.

The session also commissioned the interested OSJD member countries and the working staff of the OSJD Commission on Transport Policy and Development Strategy to analyse the content of the data provided on the comprehensive plans for the improvement of traffic and development of the OSJD railway transport corridors and the Technical and Operational Passports of OSJD Railway Transport Corridors Nos. 1-13, and to submit their proposals at the meeting of the Commission to be held on 5-8 November 2024.

In the field of transport law, the session decided to approve the results of work of the OSJD Commission on Transport Law for 2023 and commissioned to continue the following works aimed at:

- improving the SMPS and SI to SMPS, SMGS and SI to SMGS;

- development of a document of title by the AWG on the issues of the document of title;

- updating Annex 2 “Rules for the Transportation of Dangerous Goods” by the AWG of the OSJD Commission on Transport Law in the field of the Rules for the Transportation of Dangerous Goods;

- development of the provisions of the technical conditions for stowing and securing of goods in 1520-mm gauge wagons by the AWG for the Development of Regulations for stowing and securing of goods of the OSJD Commission on Transport Law;

- improving Annex 6 to the SMGS Agreement “Guidelines for the CIM/SMGS consignment note” within the framework of the project “CIM/SMGS transport and legal harmonisation by the OSJD Commission on Transport Law.

Information on the entry into force as of 1 May 2024 of amendments and additions to the SMPS Agreement and SI to SMPS, as well as from 1 July 2024 – of amendments and additions to the SMGS Agreement and SI to SMGS was taken into account.

The OSJD Ministerial Conference noted the importance of finalising the preparation and introduction of comprehensive changes in order to expand the scope of application of the SMGS consignment note for the transportation of goods using waterway sections.

The session approved the Progress Report of the AWG on vocational education/training in the field of railway transport for July 2023 – March 2024 and supported the work of the AWG in providing the content of the Web-portal of the OSJD information resource in the field of vocational training and education.

The AWG was tasked to continue works:

- towards the development of draft OSJD documents related to the functioning of the OSJD Academy, with their subsequent coordination and approval by the OSJD governing bodies;

- on the formation of the composition of the editorial board of the OSJD Internet information resource in the field of vocational education and training in the field of railway transport – “OSJD Academy”;

- on updating and maintaining the Web portal of the OSJD Internet information resource in the field of vocational training and education – “OSJD Academy”.

The session also agreed to continue works:

- over standard training programmes of a recommendatory nature, advanced training and training of personnel in the application of regulatory legal documents in the field of transport;

- to conduct pilot training projects in the field of training and education of personnel with the invitation of concerned organisations;

- on holding conferences, workshops, round tables in the field of training

and education of personnel, as well as their holding within the framework of the meetings of the governing bodies;

- on the exchange of best practices in the field of education and training.

The AWG was tasked to prepare proposals on the relationship between the OSJD Committee and the OSJD Academy and proposals on amendments and additions to the effective documents on the subject, including those related to the financing of the OSJD Academy work, taking into account the decisions of the XLVII session of the OSJD Ministerial Conference.

Session LI of the Ministerial Conference took note of the information delivered by the Chairman of the OSJD Committee on the OSJD development strategy, approved the OSJD Work Programme for 2025 and subsequent years in the field of transport policy, development strategy, transport law, vocational training in the field of railway traffic and the General Section and entrusted the OSJD Committee and the OSJD working bodies, based on the approved OSJD Programme of Work for 2025 and subsequent years, to develop draft plans of work for 2025 and submit them for approval to the joint meeting of the Plenipotentiary Representatives of Members of the OSJD Ministerial Conference and the Conference of General Directors (Authorised Representatives) of the OSJD railways, which is scheduled for 10-13 December 2024.

The OSJD working bodies and the OSJD Committee were tasked to continue their work in accordance with the approved Programme and Work Plans.

The Ministerial Conference decided to set Warsaw, the capital of the Republic of Poland, as residence of the OSJD Committee.

The Ministerial Conference approved the provisional agenda of session LII of the OSJD Ministerial Conference and decided to hold it in June 2025.

Before the ceremony of signing the Minutes of session LI of the Ministers Conference, the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Organisation for Co-Operation between Railways and the TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission (TRACECA IGC) was signed. From the OSJD side the Memorandum was signed by Mirosław Antonowicz, Chairman of the OSJD Committee, and from the side of the TRACECA IGC– by Aset Asavbaev, TRACECA Secretary General.

Session LI of the OSJD Ministerial Conference decided to hold its session LII in June 2025.

The decisions adopted during session LI of the Ministerial Conference are aimed at fulfilling the tasks set for the Organisation, further developing railway transport in all member countries, increasing its efficiency and competitiveness, as well as strengthening cooperation and mutual trust between all railway administrations for the prosperity of the economies of all member states.