Manuel Marsilio, General Manager of CONEBI, spoke at the United Nations' 86th Inland Transport Committee (ITC) on 20 February 2024. He highlighted the role of cycling and the cycling industry in combating climate change, highlighting its contribution to green jobs and the environment in the ongoing mobility and industrial transition. Marsilio's speech was attended by Transport Ministers, governmental attachés, and United Nations agencies worldwide.

Mr. Marsilio said: “I always say that Cycling is a complete story: its benefits range from public health to the environment, the economy, the industry and the society, with a substantial impact on the highly worrisome climate change developments too. But without reducing, and stopping casualties and accidents involving cyclists, cycling cannot express its full potential in contributing to a better climate.

“Transport contributes to about a quarter of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions and three-quarters of these come from road transport: bicycles and e-bikes play a central role in the context of the ongoing and future multimodal framework. I hope we will see a specific attention to cycling at the next COP 29.” 

The World Bicycle Industry Association (WBIA) commended the UNECE Working Parties on Transport Trends and Economics (WP.5) and the Group of Experts on Cycling Infrastructure (GE.5) for initiating new cycle definitions, recognizing the need to include e-bikes in these updated definitions, as the existing 1968 Conventions definitions do not include them.

WBIA is actively working on new global definitions of cycles, speed cycles, and wide carrier cycles, with the aim of being endorsed by the United Nations and included in the 1968 Conventions through the amendment procedure, starting from the Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety.

The World Bicycle Association (WBIA) emphasizes the importance of new definitions for safe cycle infrastructure usage worldwide. As WP.1 considers these definitions and amends the 1968 Conventions, the WBIA urges the UN's Inland Transport Committee (ITC) to invite its Working Parties to use these definitions once WP.5 endorses the report on GE.5, expected at the WP.5 session in September 2024.

WBIA anticipates incorporating new definitions into the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) work.

“Out of all the types of road user, cyclists are the only type where there has been no decline in fatalities since 2010. It’s time to act,” Manuel Marsilio and Daniela Leveratto – CONEBI Technical Director – said to close out the meeting.

The World Bicycle Industry Association (WBIA) is a global platform that promotes cycling advocacy and participates in discussions on various topics. It shares best practices among its member organizations and contributes to the UN's regulatory and policy consultations on transport, health, environment, road traffic safety, vehicle regulations, and transport trends and economics.