经过近 18 个月的漫长流程，2017 年 7 月25 日举行的联合国经济和社会理事会（ECOSOC）协调和管理会议 (Coordination and Managementmeeting) 上，SAE International作为一家非政府组织（NGO），终于正式通过非政府组织委员会19 名成员国的审核，获得联合国经济和社会理事会“特别咨商地位”。

获得“特别咨商地位”意味着 SAE 可以向联合国提交报告和数据、参加 ECOSOC 的所有会议，并在国际事务中发挥更大作用。

SAE 向联合国申请这一资格的目的是为了更多参与有关地面、空中运输和多式联运、环境、能源、网络安全及与残疾人便利等领域的相关工作项目。

自 2016 年初，SAE 联邦项目开发总监 Bill Gouse 就已经开始着手进行有关“特别咨商地位”的申请流程。Gouse 告诉《汽车工程》，虽然没有获得这一资格，也可以参加联合国会议，或通过联合国网络电视观看直播，“但如果没有‘特别咨商地位’，我们只能坐在一边旁听，而无法发表意见。”

Gouse 也提到，这一资格的申请流程耗时很长，涉及大量文书工作。首先，非政府组织需提出申请，然后联合国非政府组织委员会的成员国代表将审核这些申请，并根据提出申请组织的自身条件（任务、监管、财务制度），为通过审核的组织授予不同类型的咨商地位，即全面咨商地位、特别咨商地位或名册咨商地位。

2017 年 5 月下旬，Gouse 在纽约联合国总部经济和社会理事会非政府组织委员会第二十二届会议期间发表了现场讲话（时长：1:58:24）

在讲话中，Gouse 强调了 SAE 在推动全球各类安全、环保、高效交通运输（含建筑和农业设备）方面的贡献，并同时介绍了 SAE 所主导的技术转移和终身学习活动。

在今年6月，SAE作为推荐成员被列在非政府组织委员会所收到的推荐名单上，并在联合国经济和社会理事会 7 月 25 日的协调管理会议上正式授予了 SAE 的特别咨商地位。

凭借所取得的特别咨商地位，SAE 将首先参与联合国欧洲经济委员会（ECE）可持续发展交通运输部第一工作组全球道路交通安全论坛 (GlobalForum for Road Traffic Safety) 和第二十九工作组世界汽车法规协调论坛(World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations)。具体来说，这两个工作组每年均将在日内瓦或纽约举办 2 到 3 次高级别会议，并在其他地点举办一些专门会议。

“第一工作组的主要工作是与公路运营机构、执法人员及其他利益攸关方共同探讨自动驾驶和车辆网联方面的复杂问题。目前，工作组已经在广泛讨论汽车及其现阶段和未来与道路环境之间的关系。”Gouse解释说，“第一工作组所制定的政策和标准，将给第二十九工作组的特定工作带来影响，因为后者的工作主要与车辆有关。”

Gouse 补充道，“第二十九工作组主要负责全球机动车条例的协调工作及 SAE 等非政府机构制定的相关标准，而第一工作组则主要负责全球道路安全方面的工作，应对汽车、卡车、公共汽车、摩托车和非机动车辆的公路行驶安全问题。”这些工作组的专家成员来自多个相关领域，工作范围涉及基础设施交通信号、标志和电线杆，以及应急响应、危险材料运输及隧道设计等方方面面。

SAE 取得的“特别咨商地位”，对 SAE 自身及联合国都具有重要意义。SAE 车辆标准部总监 Jack Pokrzywa 表示，“交通运输领域的各种新兴先进技术都需要非常仔细的审查和实施。”

Pokrzywa 向《汽车工程》解释道，对相关各国而言，在这一过程中，国内和国际法规都非常关键，而且法规的制定应当借鉴一线车辆开发人员和研究人员的专业知识。“只有全球各国监管机构紧密联系，才有可能为全球道路交通运输工具提供一个更可靠、更安全的大环境。”

Pokrzywa 表示，“SAE 标准制定领域拥有无与伦比的专业工程知识储备，如今凭借“特别咨商地位”，我们可以向联合国法规制定工作组及时提供技术建议。”同时，SAE委员会成员也将有机会提前了解未来可能出台的相关法规。

Gouse说，“SAE会员正在进行的工作具有极大的价值。”最近取得的“特别咨商地位”将让更多全球主要国际组织有机会了解或借鉴SAE 的工作成果。与此同时，SAE 也将有机会向这些组织学习，并将成果及时反馈至 SAE 会员，为他们带来更宽广的全球视野。

After a nearly 18-month process to gain Special Consultative Status with the United Nations (UN) as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), SAE International was formally granted the status by the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) NGO Committee’s 19 member states during its July 25, 2017 Coordination and Management meeting.

Being granted Special Consultative Status enables SAE’s active participation in the forums in the ECOSOC—one of the four divisions of the UN. The designation will allow SAE to present papers and data for consideration and discussion and allow SAE to attend any meeting the ECOSOC holds.

SAE applied for this status with the UN in order to participate in a variety of work programs in the surface, air and multimodal transport, environmental and energy issues, as well as those related to cybersecurity and accessibility for the disabled.

Bill Gouse, SAE’s Director, Federal Program Development, has been working since early 2016 on the application process to achieve Special Consultative Status. While anyone can attend a UN meeting, or watch it on UN WEB TV, “without this status, we may only sit in the gallery and listen,” Gouse told Automotive Engineering.

The application process itself was lengthy and involved plenty of paperwork, Gouse said. The NGO Committee’s UN member state representatives vet applications submitted by NGOs. They recommend general, special or roster status, depending on the applicant’s criteria (mandate, governance and financial regime).

In late May 2017, there was an in-person presentation during the 22nd session of the ECOSOC NGO Committee at UN Headquarters in New York City.

In the speech, Gouse highlighted SAE’s global contributions to advancing the safety, environmental conservation, and productivity of all modes of transportation along with construction and agricultural equipment. He also discussed SAE’s technology transfer and lifelong learning activities.

SAE was among the NGOs recommended that day; in June, the NGO Committee adopted their report. Then during the UN ECOSOC's July 25 Coordination and Management meeting the group formally approved SAE's Special Consultative Status.

With its new Special Consultative Status, SAE’s participation with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Sustainable Transport Division will initially be with the Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety in Working Party 1 (WP1) and the World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations in Working Party 29 (WP29). The working parties have two or three high-level main meetings each year in Geneva and New York, along with specialized meetings held in other locations.

“What’s important in Working Party 1 is this is where the complex driving automation and connectivity issues are discussed with highway operators, enforcement and other interests. A lot of discussions pertain to vehicles and their current and future relationship with the roadway environment,” Gouse explained. “Policy and criteria developed in WP1 will influence the specialized activities in WP29 that are focused on the vehicle.”

He added, “Working Party 29 is the World’s Harmonization of Motor Vehicle Regulations, and those that they’re working on incorporate SAE standards, while Working Party 1 is the Global Road Safety activities, which addresses the safety of cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and non-motorized transport in use on the highways.” The group’s experts include those involved with infrastructure—traffic signals, markings and poles, as well as emergency response and hazardous materials transport and tunnel design, etc.

This status is important for SAE, as well as for the UN. According to Jack Pokrzywa, Director, Ground Vehicle Standards, SAE International, “the new set of advanced technologies require careful review and implementation.”

He explained that regulations, whether domestic or international, have a critical role in this process and should draw from the engineering expertise of vehicle developers and researchers. “This is where close liaison with the global regulators will ultimately result in more reliable and safer cars and trucks,” Pokrzywa told AE.

“SAE’s standards community represents unmatched repository of engineering knowledge which will now be able, through SAE’s presence at the regulatory table, to provide technological feedback to the regulatory Working Groups,” he said. At the same time, SAE committee members will receive an early glimpse into potential future rules.

“SAE members are doing a tremendous amount of valuable work,” Gouse noted. And its new UN status will enable key global organizations to access that work or consider it. Conversely, SAE will be better positioned to learn from these organizations and bring the learnings back to SAE members, helping to improve their international, global perspective.

Author: Jennifer Shuttleworth
Source: SAE Automotive Engineering Magazine