Asian Highway

The Asian Highway is a cooperative undertaking to improve the network of about 141,000 kilometers of standardized roadway crisscrossing 32 Asian countries with linkages to Europe. Initiated in 1959 by the United Nations, the project achieved considerable progress during its first phase from 1960 to 1970 but slowed down when financial assistance was suspended in 1975. The project gained new momentum with the regional political and economic changes during the 1980s and 1990s. The Asian Highway project

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) endorsed the Asian Highway Network at its 48th session in 1992 as one of the three pillars of the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development (ALTID) along with the Trans‐Asian Railway and facilitation of land transport projects. In November 2003, the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network was adopted and entered into force on 4 July 2005. The Agreement provides a framework for the coordinated development of the international highways in Asia as well as between Asia and Europe. Specifically, it gives member countries a platform to discuss technical and institutional issues in improving the quality of the road network and increase the efficiency of its operation. The Intergovernmental Agreement is an important tool to facilitate international trade and tourism as well as to promote regional integration and enhance cooperation among member countries.

Return to Approximately US$ 26 billion has been invested for the maintenance and Booklet upgrading of the Asian Highway Network by member states, bilateral donors and other financing institutions. However a shortfall of about US$ 18 billion still exits and the UNESCAP together with member countries are identifying financial sources to meet this. For more information, see http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/index.asp?MenuName=AsianHighway.

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