8. WP.29 recalled the adopted programme of work for 2025 and noted that a first draft programme work for 2026 would be circulated as an informal document at the next session of WP.29 in November 2025, based on inputs to be provided by GRs.
9. Based on WP.29-196-01-Rev.1, WP.29 took note of a revised list of Working Parties, Informal Working Groups (IWGs) and Chairs (annex II).
10. WP.29 noted a revised calendar of sessions for 2025 (WP.29-195-02 and Annex III of the session report) which reflected the reduction of meeting days in line with the UNOG request (see para. 6 (c) above). As possible solutions for meeting reductions, the representatives of Canada and Germany called for online or hybrid meetings. The secretariat explained that only informal meetings could be held in this way, because online or hybrid official meetings had been suspended by the UN General Assembly.
11. WP.29 expressed concerns over the negative impact that the requested 10 per cent reduction in the number of pages (words) of official documents could have for its legal texts and feared that no documents would be accepted for translation, once the 2025 quota had been exceeded. WP.29 requested the secretariat to convey these concerns to UNOG and the Inland Transport Committee and to closely monitor the situation with documentation submitted in 2025, in order not to exceed the quota. The secretariat encouraged the delegations to liaise with their permanent missions in Geneva, with the aim to highlight the importance of WP.29 activities and to avoid further cuts in documentation and meetings. WP.29 also exchanged ideas on how to reduce the number and length of its official documents. The representative of Canada suggested reducing procedural documents and keeping regulatory ones.
12. The secretariat introduced a draft calendar of meetings for 2026 (WP.29-196-05-Rev.1). WP.29 noted the invitation by Canada to host the GRVA session on 18-22 May 2026 in Canada, immediately after the 28th International Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (12-15 May 2026, Toronto) jointly hosted by the Transport Canada and US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Chair of GRVA provided background for his proposal to organize a WP.29 session in November 2026 at the ECLAC premises in Santiago (Chile), with the aim to promote the WP.29 activities in Latin America and to encourage local countries to join the 1958 and 1998 Agreements. The representatives of Canada, Japan, the United States, ITU and OICA supported this idea. The representative of Netherlands (Kingdom of the) supported the proposal on the condition that there was a serious interest from South American countries to join WP.29 agreements and that the event would be well promoted to stimulate their active participation. WP.29 noted that a decision on this proposal would be taken at the ITC session in February 2026. WP.29 requested the secretariat to liaise with the ECLAC secretariat and to report back at the November 2025 session of WP.29.
13. The representative of OICA pointed out the limited resources and growing overload of WP.29 by documents and informal working groups and presented their ideas of streamlining the regulatory activities of WP.29 (WP.29-196-07, WP.29-196-26). In particular, OICA suggested identifying a few general criteria, e.g. performing a Cost/Benefit and Gap Analyses before embarking on a new work item. Several representatives generally supported the objectives of the OICA proposal and provided ideas for further consideration, while some questioned the efficiency of several criteria proposed. The representative of Sweden stressed the importance of keeping the possibility to work according to national priorities of the contracting parties. WP.29 decided to revert to the OICA documents at the next session. Meanwhile, WP.29 invited all representatives to send their comments to the secretariat and requested the GR Chairs and AC.2 to consider this topic at their respective next meetings.