The 53rd jubilee meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD) will be held in Dushanbe in June to mark the organization’s 70th anniversary, Khovar reported.

The meeting is expected to focus on the development of international freight and passenger transportation within the OSJD framework.

The OSJD was founded on June 28, 1956, in Sofia to promote international rail freight and passenger transport, primarily between Europe and Asia, and to improve railway legislation and technical cooperation. It brings together railway authorities and enterprises from 30 countries, with its headquarters in Warsaw.

The organization’s main goals include creating a unified railway space, increasing the competitiveness of Eurasian rail transport, and developing container and intermodal transport systems.

As of 2023, OSJD had 30 member countries across Europe and Asia. Its governing bodies include the Conference of Ministers, its highest decision-making body, and the Conference of Directors General at the level of railway operators.

The OSJD Committee serves as its executive body, overseeing efforts to develop regulatory frameworks, harmonize freight tariffs (CMGS/SMGS), and coordinate technical and tariff policies.

The total operational length of railways in member countries exceeds 340,000 kilometers. OSJD also cooperates with international organizations including the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the International Union of Railways and the Eurasian Economic Union.

The organization is implementing the CIM/SMGS unified consignment note to simplify cross-border procedures and plays a key role in developing transcontinental transport corridors while improving environmental safety and energy efficiency in rail transport.