The Model Subregional Agreement on Transport Facilitation has been elaborated on the basis of findings of comparative studies between major subregional agreements on transport facilitation to which various ESCAP member States are parties, conducted in 2014-2015. It has been subsequently reviewed by two regional expert meetings held in 2015 and finalized with incorporation of ESCAP member States’ comments.
In 2020-2021, as part of the United Nations’ rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and the UNDA project “Transport and trade connectivity in the age of pandemics: Contactless, seamless and collaborative UN solutions”, the secretariat conducted a study on proposals for crisis-response provisions in regional, subregional and bilateral transport agreements that could be incorporated in the existing and future transport agreements of ESCAP member States. The description of such proposed clauses and approaches to their formulation are included in the current updated version of the Model Subregional Agreement on Transport Facilitation, including additional description of Force-majeure issue in section V (C) of the Model Subregional Agreement and a more detailed proposed Model Annex on Force-majeure.