5. The Chair of WP.29 then introduced Mr M. Notsu, Director-General for Engineering Affairs in the Road Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Japan, who gave a presentation on “Challenges for Transportation.” He indicated three respective priorities of his administration from the perspective of safety and the environment: for safety, (i) protecting pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users; (ii) preventing serious accidents involving the elderly; and (iii) automated driving; and for the environment, (i) establishing fuel efficiency standards; (ii) promoting and spreading next-generation vehicles; and (iii) visualizing CO2 emissions over the entire life cycle of vehicles. He looked forward to WP.29 evolving into a more attractive forum for the international harmonization of vehicle regulations, and expected the number of Contracting Parties to the 1958 and 1998 Agreements to continue to increase. He stated that Japan had been playing an important role such as Vice-Chair of AC.3 and Vice-Chair of GRVA, and will continue contributing to the further development of WP.29. Finally, he announced that Japan would hold the 27th International Technical Conference on Enhanced Safety Vehicle (ESV2023) in Yokohama, Japan in collaboration with NHTSA of the US from April 3rd to 6th next year, and called on WP.29 colleagues to attend the conference in Japan.