The Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Aleksandr Kuzmenko, spoke during Panel V, which focused on “vertical cooperation in the implementation of standards and rules”. The discussion centred on the interactions between international organisations, financial institutions and national development agencies in the practical application of transnational legal instruments.

In his speech, the Secretary General emphasised the importance of institutional cooperation in ensuring the effective implementation of international legal instruments, particularly in the railway sector. He highlighted OTIF’s essential role in the development of international railway law and in supporting Member States in the uniform application of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) and its appendices.

The discussions also highlighted contemporary challenges relating to regulatory harmonisation, coordination between international organisations and institutional capacity building. The discussions brought together representatives from Unidroit, UNCITRAL, the IMF, the World Bank, , as well as other international and regional organisations.

Through this centenary event, Unidroit sought to celebrate a century of legal multilateralism and to promote a shared reflection on the future of transnational law and international cooperation.

The Secretary General would like to thank Unidroit warmly for its invitation.