2. Mr. D. Mariyasin, Deputy Executive Secretary, ECE and Acting Director, Sustainable Transport Division, welcomed the delegates and introduced Mr. A. Epstein, new Chief of Section and WP.29 Secretary. He also pointed out that the recruitment process for the post of Division Director had been completed and that the selected candidate would report on duty in mid-July 2026. At the same time, the liquidity crisis did not allow ECE to fill the three remaining vacancies in the WP.29/WP.1 secretariats. Mr. D. Mariyasin briefed WP.29 on the ongoing UN80 reform and ITC consultations. As highlights of this WP.29 session, he mentioned the expected adoption of a new UN Regulation and a new UN GTR on automated driving systems, as well as of two other new UN Regulations on liquid hydrogen and on abrasion performance of tyres. He recalled that the next WP.29 meeting in November 2026 would be the anniversary 200th session at which a new team of WP.29 should be elected, following the difficult discussions on this topic in March 2026. For this reason, he argued in favour of conducting the November 2026 session in Geneva and postponing to 2027 of the envisaged WP.29 meeting in Santiago de Chile.

3. In reply to the concerns expressed by Canada that the post dealing with the 1998 Agreement had not been yet filled on a permanent basis, Mr. D. Mariyasin clarified that this had not been possible due to the UN financial situation but this important function was and would be properly performed through a redistribution of tasks within the secretariat, until a permanent solution had been found.

4. WP.29 welcomed Mr. A. Epstein and thanked the WP.29 secretariat for the excellent services rendered to WP.29 and its subsidiary Working Parties (GRs) even with staff shortages, in particular Mr. K. Glukhenky who was temporarily acting as Chief of Section. WP.29 equally expressed its appreciation to Mr. D. Mariyasin for having efficiently acted as Officer-in-Charge for the Sustainable Transport Division.

5. Mr. C. Monykoran, Deputy Director General, General Department of Land Transport, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Kingdom of Cambodia expressed his appreciation to the Chair and the secretariat for convening this WP.29 session. He reaffirmed the strong commitment of Cambodia to the effective implementation and progressive development of internationally harmonized vehicle regulations following its accession to the 1958 Agreement. He added that Cambodia attaches particular importance to advancing road safety, environmental protection, and sustainable transport through the adoption of UN Regulations and the strengthening of its national vehicle type approval system. He concluded by adding that Cambodia stands ready to engage actively with contracting parties and stakeholders, and to contribute constructively to the work of WP.29 in promoting safer, cleaner, and more sustainable mobility.

6. On behalf of the Principal Secretary, State Department for Roads, Ministry of Roads and Transport of Kenya, Mr. Joseph Mbugua, the delegation of Kenya expressed his appreciation to the Chair, the secretariat, and the members of WP.29 for their continued leadership and commitment to advancing global vehicle regulations. He noted that Kenya recognizes the important contribution of WP.29 in promoting road safety, environmental protection, and sustainable mobility through inclusive and cooperative approaches. He further underscored the progress made in Kenya in assessing its alignment with WP.29 and acknowledged the valuable support received from the forum, including activities associated with the Informal Working Group on Safer and Cleaner Used and New Vehicles (IWG on SCUNV) in Africa. He emphasized that accession to WP.29 is a gradual process requiring institutional strengthening and regulatory development, and affirmed Kenya’s readiness to engage actively with contracting parties and partners to advance this objective. Finally, he reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to collaborating closely with all stakeholders in promoting safer, cleaner, and more sustainable transport systems.

7. WP.29 welcomed the participation of the Kingdom of Cambodia and Kenya and their statements