13. GRVA reviewed informal documents GRVA-24-28 and GRVA-24-29 amending ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2026/2 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2026/3 respectively.
14. GRVA requested the secretariat to transmit ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2026/2 as amended by GRVA-24-28 to WP.29 as informal document for consideration in March 2026 and as official document to WP.29 and AC.3 for consideration and vote in June 2026.
15. The representative of Switzerland raised an interpretation question on para. 17 in the draft UN Regulation concerning the competencies of Type Approval Authorities and if they would apply to “receiving Approval Authorities”. The representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland explained that the requirement would only apply to “granting Approval Authorities”.
16. The representative of France supported ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2026/3 as amended by GRVA-24-29. He thanked the Co-Chairs, the secretaries, ambassadors and all other stakeholders involved in the development of these documents. He marked this outcome as a milestone for GRVA and for the automotive sector.
17. The representative of the United States of America echoed the statement of France and noted the significance of the IWG on ADS work. She announced that the United States of America was proud of the work done, useful for industry and consumers and therefore intended to publish the draft GTR for public comments.
18. The representative of Japan echoed the statements by France and the United States of America. He acknowledged the remaining items to be addressed but noted that the regulations would contribute to the safe development of ADS.
19. The representative of Norway supported and welcomed this outcome. He hoped that industry would use it and safely deploy ADS on the roads in the coming years.
20. The representative of Australia acknowledged that this forum had provided opportunities for them to participate and influence the work. He welcomed that it recognized the specificity of his Country, a Contracting Party to the 1958 Agreement that does not issue type approvals.
21. The representatives of the European Commission, Germany and Sweden also expressed words of appreciation.
22. GRVA requested the secretariat to transmit ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2026/3 as amended by GRVA-24-29 to WP.29 as informal document for consideration in March 2026 and as official document to WP.29 and to the Administrative Committee of the 1958 Agreement (AC.1) for consideration and vote in June 2026.
23. The representative of Canada recalled the start of these activities a decade ago, with the WP.29 IWG on Intelligent Transport System/Automated Driving (ITS/AD) activities and the Working Party on Brake and Running Gear (GRRF) activities on Automatically Commanded Steering Function (ACSF). He proudly acknowledged the achievement and mentioned the work ahead with the monitoring of the implementation. He committed to support these activities. He highlighted the importance of these activities as the future of automobile would be affected by ADS.
24. The representative of China welcomed that the documents are submitted to WP.29. She appreciated the work done but also noted that more needed to be done in the future. She provided insights on the corresponding national regulation, based on the GTR draft and with additional and more detailed provisions, in conformity with the national regulatory system.
25. The representative of OICA welcomed the documents and noted that GRVA had achieved in a short time, the creation of the ADS certification basis.
11. During the consultations, the experts were informed (GRVA-25-26) of the latest developments of the Informal Working Group (IWG) on Automated Driving Systems (ADS). They reviewed the proposals for a new UN Global Technical Regulation and a new UN Regulation on Automated Driving Systems, submitted for adoption by WP.29 in June 2026, as well as the minor updates developed by the IWG on ADS since the last GRVA session. The experts identified that the IWG on ADS had not incorporated the agreed content of working paper ADS-17-08-Rev.2. They therefore prepared revisions to the documents submitted by the IWG on ADS for adoption in June 2026. The experts also reviewed a proposal for amendments to paragraph 2.21., presented by the expert from Sentient Futures, aimed at including animals in the definition of Other Road User (ORU). They noted that the draft regulation already recognized animals as operationally relevant; for example, Annex 5, Table 1, lists animal behaviours with the same level of specificity as pedestrian and cyclist behaviours. Some experts noted that this was a critical definition and questioned whether ADS should be required to respond to, for example, insects. The experts agreed to further explore the proposed amendments to paragraph 2.21. at the next IWG on ADS session, scheduled to take place in Brussels in July 2026. The experts finalized the amendments to the documents constituting the draft regulatory framework on Automated Driving Systems (ADS) submitted for adoption by WP.29 (AC.1 and AC.3) in June 2026. The experts from Canada, China, Japan, the United States of America, the European commission and OICA made statements recalling the process that led to this outcome, the deliberate efforts to ensure inclusiveness, geographical balance and shared ownership of the process, and its significance beyond the field of vehicle regulation.
12. GRVA endorsed the status report (GRVA-25-26) from the Informal Working Group (IWG) on Automated Driving Systems (ADS).
13. GRVA adopted GRVA-25-21/Rev.2, GRVA-25-22/Rev.2 and GRVA-25-23, containing amendments to ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/139, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/137 (advance copy made available in April 2026) and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/142, respectively.
14. GRVA requested the secretariat to submit these documents to WP.29, the Administrative Committee of the 1958 Agreement (AC.1), and the Executive Committee of the 1998 Agreement (AC.3) for consideration and voting in June 2026.
112. The representative of Japan, Co-Chair of the IWG on ADS, introduced the proposal for a global technical regulation on automated driving systems submitted for vote at this session. He provided a brief update on the text submitted for adoption (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/139 and informal document WP.29-199-08) noting significant activities over the past two years, including eleven hybrid and twenty-four online meetings. He confirmed that work would continue after adoption, with the Informal Working Group’s mandate extended for three years, and the next meeting scheduled for July 2026 in Brussels. He concluded by expressing appreciation to all contributors to the development of the regulation.
113. The proposal (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/139, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/142, WP.29-199-08 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/AC.3/62), was established in the Global Registry of the 1998 Agreement on 24 June 2026 by consensus vote of Australia, Canada, China, EU, Japan, Republic of Korea, Nigeria, Norway, Russian Federation, Türkiye, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America. Albania, Azerbaijan, and Tunisia abstained from voting
114. The representative of OICA emphasized WP.29 as the central platform for international cooperation on vehicle regulations, highlighting its success in developing harmonized frameworks for automated driving through collaboration between governments, experts, and industry. OICA welcomed the adoption of both a UN Regulation under the 1958 Agreement and a UN Global Technical Regulation under the 1998 Agreement, demonstrating their complementary roles. OICA reaffirmed its neutral support for both frameworks and stressed the importance of technical alignment to enable safe and efficient deployment of new technologies, while calling for continued focus on evidence-based work, monitoring, and international harmonization through WP.29 and GRVA.
115. The representative of Canada gave a history of the activities leading to the submission of this GTR, he recalled the activities performed under the IWGs on Functional Requirements for Automated Vehicles and Validation Method for Automated Driving. He expressed his pride in this assembly, which worked together while respecting the principle of neutrality and the idea of adopting the same technical requirements under both the 1958 and 1998 Agreements. He acknowledged the work done to support technical progress thanked all contributors, industry, NGOs, contracting parties and experts at large.
116. The representatives of OICA and CLEPA warmly welcomed the adoption of both the UN Regulation and the Global Technical Regulation GTR on automated driving systems, highlighting this milestone as a strong example of global alignment under the 1958 and 1998 Agreements. They noted that fully harmonized technical provisions provide a solid basis for worldwide convergence, supported by ongoing regulatory developments in China, the United States and Canada. The regulations, based on a safety case approach and established international standards, ensure high levels of safety while maintaining flexibility for innovation. OICA and CLEPA also emphasized the importance of continued collaboration to address remaining technical issues and support further progress.
117. The representative of the United States recognized the many contributions of governments and industry to the development of the landmark regulations, expressing sincere appreciation to GRVA Chair and the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) for their leadership in the development of the regulations.
118. The Chair of GRVA welcomed the establishment of the UN GTR on ADS and acknowledged the large number of experts involved in its development. He expressed his appreciation for their sustained commitment to the work across the agreements throughout the development, noting it was important and promising for the future steps in the field of ADS.
119. SAE International highlighted both the historic technical accomplishments and the unprecedented level of collaboration that resulted in these two parallel regulations. He also made mention of the tremendous amount of work put forth by members of the industry associations, technical services, other NGOs, and of course the contracting parties
120. The representatives of Japan, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland also welcomed the adoption of both the UN Regulation and the Global Technical Regulation, recognising the efforts of all those involved and offered their thanks. The representative of the ITU also commended Ian Yarnold, the previous Chair of the ITS Informal Group, for his foresight in enabling the establishment of the IWG on Validation Method for Automated Driving.
121. The representative of China congratulated AC.3 on the adoption of the GTR on ADS. He thanked the six Co-Chairs of the IWG on ADS from Canada, China, European Commission, Japan, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. He informed AC.3 of the willingness of his country to implement and further work on the elaboration of the global automated driving systems regulations.
122. The Chair of GRVA welcomed the establishment of the UN GTR on ADS and acknowledged the large number of experts involved in its development. He expressed his appreciation for their sustained commitment throughout the process, noting it was important and promising for the future steps in the field of ADS.
123. The representative of the United States of America recognized the many contributions of governments and industry to the development of the landmark regulations, expressing sincere appreciation to GRVA Chairman Mr. R. Damm and the American Automotive Policy Council for their leadership in the development of the regulations.