Transport systems across road, air, and sea are fundamental to sustainable development, economic growth, and global equity. Recognizing this, UNITAR’s Transport and Mobility portfolio supports the development of smart, safe, inclusive, and sustainable transport systems that leave no one behind. In line with the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035) and the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030), our work helps governments and institutions strengthen their transport systems through cutting-edge training, policy innovation, and cross-sectoral partnerships. 

To achieve this, our portfolio is structured around two key elements. Our Strategic Focus Areas are the core pillars of our work, Road Safety, Airports and Aviation, and Ports and Logistics, where we concentrate efforts to drive progress. Woven throughout these pillars are our Cross-Cutting Themes, Disaster Resilience, Technology & AI, and Behavioural Science. These are not separate projects, but foundational methodologies that ensure our solutions are integrated, innovative, and human-centred.

Road Safety

As a cornerstone of our Transport and Mobility portfolio, UNITAR’s work on road safety supports national and local efforts to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries across more than 80 countries. Guided by the Safe System principles and the Global Plan for the Decade of Action, we strengthen institutional capacity, improve data systems, and promote safer road user behaviour. Through our three pillars: capacity building, public awareness, and innovative interventions, we aim to address the key risks by delivering our flagship initiative, the Fleet Safety Global Training Programme, for commercial drivers and institutions. Through our three pillars of capacity building, public awareness, and innovative interventions, we deliver flagship initiatives like the Fleet Safety Global Training Programme and leverage behavioural science to design campaigns that shift social norms. By fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments, the private sector, and civil society, this pillar is fundamental to our mission of creating safer, more sustainable mobility for all.

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Airports and Aviation

As critical engines for economic development and regional resilience, airports are a key focus of our Transport and Mobility portfolio. Through our Airports and Economic Development Global Training Programme, we empower aviation leaders to enhance airport competitiveness, connectivity, and sustainability. Our global workshops, bring together airport executives and civil aviation authorities to exchange best practices. We focus on strengthening institutional capacity in critical areas such as disaster preparedness and emergency management, ensuring airports can maintain operational continuity during crises. A central theme is the integration of technology and AI, where we provide training on everything from cybersecurity and passenger flow optimization to leveraging smart technologies for environmental sustainability. By fostering a global network of expertise, we help airports become catalysts for long-term economic growth and pillars of regional resilience.

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Ports and Logistics

Ports are vital gateways for global commerce, ecological diversity, and sustainable production. Leveraging our unique global network of CIFAL Centres based in major port locations, including Manila, Singapore, Antwerp, and Miami, we are building a connected community of practice dedicated to modern port management. This work focuses on strengthening institutional capacity to integrate the SDGs across all port operations. We bring together experts and stakeholders to collaborate on areas as diverse as emissions monitoring, fossil fuel transitions, law enforcement cooperation, and strategic workforce mapping, making sustainable port development a core component of our mission.

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Disaster Management and Risk Analysis

We integrate disaster management and risk analysis as a foundational principle across our entire transport portfolio, ensuring that roads, fleets, airports, and ports are prepared for shocks and crises. This cross-cutting approach involves applying risk analysis to identify vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and using people-centered early warning systems, in line with the UN's Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, to trigger protective actions. Whether it’s designing safer road networks that can withstand extreme weather or strengthening emergency management at airports and ports, this theme ensures our work builds transport systems that not only drive development but also safeguard communities.

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Technology and AI for Smarter Mobility

We leverage Technology and AI as a strategic enabler across the entire portfolio, transforming raw data into actionable intelligence and driving a shift from reactive to predictive solutions. For our Road Safety work, we apply large language models to analyze public discourse on social media, uncovering nuanced insights on behaviours like drink-driving that inform everything from targeted awareness campaigns to real-time risk assessment tools. Similarly, in Airports and Aviation, we deploy AI to enhance operational efficiency, from predicting maintenance needs to optimizing passenger flow with biometrics, while also supporting sustainability goals by improving energy and waste management. By embedding these digital tools into our work, we build transport systems that are safer, more efficient, and future-ready.

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Behavioural Science for Actionable Change

As a cross-cutting methodology, behavioural science informs every aspect of our portfolio, from policy design to on-the-ground training. We use its insights to understand and influence the human factors that determine the success of transport systems. For example, we apply social norms theory to develop campaigns that reduce drink-driving and promote seatbelt use under our Road Safety initiatives. We use behavioural diagnostics to enhance emergency response protocols in Airports and improve safety training for Fleet drivers. By focusing on how people make decisions in real-world contexts, we ensure our solutions are not just technically sound but also human-centred and effective.

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