Fitness of UN GTRs and UN Regulations for ADS

34. The representatives of France, Co-Chair of the Task Force on the Fitness of UN Regulations and UN Global Technical Regulations for ADS (TF on FADS), presented the status report of the task force (GRVA-24-33). He recalled the purpose of this workstream, presented an overview listing all GRVA regulation and the status of the screening. He listed the documents for review at this session and mentioned that two documents already transmitted to WP.29 would need to be revised. He then introduced document ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2026/6 proposing amendment to UN Regulations Nos. 13, 89, 90, 130, 131, 139, 140, 152, 157, 171 and 178.

35. GRVA adopted the following documents as amended and requested the secretariat to distribute the following documents for consideration and vote at the June 2026 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1:

1. ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2026/6 as amended by document GRVA-24-37. (This document includes supplements to latest series of amendments to UN Regulations Nos. 89, 90, 130, 131, 139, 152, 157, 171 and 178),
2. ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2026/10 as amended by document GRVA-24-22,
3. Informal document GRVA-24-23 as reproduced in annex III to the session report.

36. GRVA endorsed the status report of the Task Force.

6. The WP.29 Secretary reported that:

1. AC.2 reviewed the list of Working Parties, Informal Working Groups and Chairs (WP.29-198-01-Rev.1) and suggested several corrections that would be reflected in WP.29-198-01-Rev.2 and an annex to the WP.29 report.
2. Based on the inputs from its IWG on Chairmanships (see Annex 1), AC.2 resumed consideration of promoting global representation and leadership development through the election of the officers of WP.29 and its subsidiary GRs. AC.2 agreed to pass to WP.29 for consideration the following recommendations of the IWG on Chairmanships:
   • Aim for the election of two vice-chairs from various global areas to several GRs (GRBP, GRSG, and GRE) and WP.29 itself.
   • Chairs to encourage vice-chairs to take on specific responsibilities within WP.29 and its GRs. The aim should be to develop vice-chair skills and experience, potentially including leading a targeted initiative or chairing sections of a meeting;
   • Conduct a one-year assessment by AC.2 following the completion of these appointments to evaluate their efficacy in achieving WP.29’s objectives of global representation and leadership development.
   AC.2 was informed that there was no consensus on the concept of rotations and that the discussion would continue at the AC.2 and its IWG.
3. AC.2 noted the continued lack of resources of the secretariat and the ITC invitation to its subsidiary bodies to consider alternative financing mechanisms and report back to ITC. Pending the consideration of this item in WP.29, AC.2 agreed to explore whether the secretariat resources could be saved through better prioritization of the programme of work of WP.29 and its GRs. To this end, AC.2 agreed to establish a new IWG under the leadership of WP.29 Vice-Chair, Mr. T. Naono (Japan), with participation of all GR Chairs.
4. AC.2 was informed that the UNOG Conference Services requested a 10% reduction of official meetings in the first trimester of 2026 and were expected to introduce similar restrictions for the remainder of 2026 as well as to continue applying a quota on official documentation (number of words for translation). To reduce official documentation, the secretariat reported that OLA had agreed that a single legal document could be prepared for similar amendments to different series of amendments to the same UN Regulation. In addition, when publishing Amend. and Rev. documents in the library of UN Regulations, the secretariat would use as far as possible cover pages with hyperlinks to already existing and translated WP.29 legal documents.
5. AC.2 brainstormed on the issue of facilitating reaching AC.3 quorum, including amendments to the 1998 Agreement to reduce the required quorum from one half to one third of Contracting Parties or amendments to the Special Resolution S.R.2. The representative of the United States of America expressed their firm opposition to any amendments to the 1998 Agreement and encouraged contracting parties to work with the secretariat to ensure adequate representation for a quorum at all AC.3 meetings.
6. AC.2 invited AC.3 to discuss the current practice of biennial elections of the AC.3 officers, with the aim to clarify the following points:
   • Number of Vice-Chairs;
   • Terms of office of Chair and Vice-Chairs;
   • Eligibility for the position of Chair and Vice-Chairs.
   AC.2 agreed that, pending the outcome of AC.3 considerations, the current election practice should remain unchanged. AC.2 would revert to this topic at its next meeting.
7. For the calendar of sessions for 2026 (WP.29-198-02), AC.2 noted the efforts of the GRVA Chair and the secretariat to swap the GRVA session planned for October 2026 with another meeting scheduled in September-October 2026, following the request of several delegates.
8. AC.2 reviewed the WP.29 agenda and recommended to:
   • add a new agenda item 2.5.“Follow-up to the eighty-eighth session of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC)”;
   • invite AC.3 to include in its agenda the issue of election of AC.3 officers;
   • refer documents ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/43, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/44 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/45 (agenda items 4.9.2., 4.9.3. and 4.9.4., respectively) back to GRPE for further consideration;
   • postpone consideration of documents ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/7, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/8 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/9 (agenda items 4.12.1, 4.12.2 and 4.12.3) to the June 2026 session of WP.29.
9. In accordance with Rule 1(d) of the WP.29 Rules of Procedure (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/690/Rev.2), AC.2 approved the participation of the Clean Air Association in the three consecutive sessions of GRPE in 2026-2027.
10. AC.2 recommended that AC.4 should not convene.

7. With reference to paragraph 6(c) above, the representative of Sweden stressed the importance of an analysis as a part of the process of identifying priorities. The representatives of Canada, European Union, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Sweden, United States of America and OICA, stressed the importance of a strategic review of priorities within respective areas of GRs and expressed their interest in joining the new IWG. The IWG Chair, Mr. T. Naono (Japan), clarified that chairs and vice-chairs of GRs and Administrative Committees as well as other interested parties would be invited to the kick-off meeting. He suggested that interested representatives contact him or the secretariat to attend further meetings