82. Mr. N. Koba, Director General for Engineering Affairs of the Road Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, presented the Japanese action plan for internationalization of the regulation and vehicle certification system (WP.29-155-17). The plan consisted of four pillars focused on: (i) the state-of-the-art technologies in regulations and international standards, (ii) the development of partnerships with other Asian countries, (iii) the establishment of an international whole vehicle type approval system and (iv) the enhancement resources in response to the globalization of regulation and certification system.

83. The representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina gave an overview on the vehicle type approval system carried out in his country (WP.29-155-36), based on best practices and information technologies.

84. Mr. A. Rakhmanov, Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Agricultural Machinery of the Russian Federation presented the governmental priorities and policies in his country (WP.29-155-39). He explained the key principles of the technical regulation concerning safety of wheeled vehicles and on the development of regulations in the Custom Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. He also added the efforts of his administration for future introduction of an emergency call system and its harmonization with the corresponding e-call system of the European Union, but he stressed that it was necessary to have the corresponding infrastructure.

85. The representative from South Africa informed WP.29 about the acting role of its delegation in promoting the use of UN Regulations by African countries and fostering their accession to the 1958 Agreement. He added that the Group on the Harmonization of Motor Vehicle Regulations of South African Development Community (SADC), joined with the other regional bodies of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and East African Community (EAC) to be part of the Tripartite Group on the Harmonization of Motor Vehicle Regulations. He said that the first meeting of this group was held in Kampala, Uganda on 4-5 July 2011 and that, although some nations were members of more than one of these regional bodies, the group counted a total of 26 country members. He informed WP.29 that he made a presentation that was for many participants a first introduction to the activities of WP.29 and he intended to revisit the subject at the next group meeting which would possibly be held in the first quarter of 2012. He mentioned the possibility that, in the future, if representative of member States of the Tripartite Group could not participate at WP.29 sessions, the regional bodies could consider being represented either by their own regional body (COMESA, EAC, SADC), or as a combined tripartite group. WP.29 expressed appreciation for the efforts made by the South African representative and suggested more frequent updates on the progress of these activities.