Transport ministers from across Asia and the Pacific are meeting this week to consider a potentially transformational agenda for moving people and goods around the region and the globe. Pre-Covid-19 transport connectivity weaknesses in the Asia-Pacific became even more apparent during the pandemic. It is therefore imperative that we accelerate meaningful change in transport systems as countries seek to put their development agendas back on track. Against this backdrop, officials meeting at the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific for the fourth Ministerial Conference on Transport, starting tomorrow, will discuss a Regional Action Programme for 2022-2026: a new road map for transport needed to achieve the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The new programme will address such issues as increasing freight and passenger volumes, greater digitalisation and innovation, and further deployment of smart transport systems to improve efficiency, resilience as well as social and environmental sustainability. These are key priorities for building back better post-pandemic. The Asian Highway, Trans-Asian Railway and dry port networks established under ESCAP auspices serve as the backbone for land transport infrastructure connectivity and logistics in the region. Moving forward, they can be further leveraged to promote infrastructure and operational connectivity reforms in support of a seamless web of intermodal transport connections underpinning the regional and global economy. Other key provisions of the programme include speeding up transitions to low-carbon transport systems and decarbonisation, given that the Asia-Pacific remains among the highest carbon dioxide emitting regions in the world. The outbreak of Covid-19 has had a profound impact on urban transport, accessibility and mobility. These challenges provide new momentum for transport and city planners to rethink forms of mobility. Furthermore, gender gaps and inequalities of access to transport and related opportunities persist and need to be addressed. Road safety still is a major concern in the Asia-Pacific. The General Assembly has proclaimed 2021-2030 the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety, with a goal of cutting road deaths and injuries by half; in response, the ESCAP is preparing an Asia-Pacific Regional Plan of Action. The transport sector, which is instrumental in attaining the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, took a significant hit during the pandemic, but countries demonstrated an ability to maintain functionality and resilience, and to support access to social inclusion. A new Regional Action Programme for transport could prove pivotal in enhancing the region’s performance and resilience to future crises. Weimin Ren, director, Transport Division, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)