UN Official Welcomes First Global Regulation for Self-Driving Vehicles

The world’s first regulation for fully autonomous vehicles, recently adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), marks a decisive breakthrough after a decade-long effort, a senior UN official said. He also praised China’s significant and constructive role in drafting the landmark rules, Xinhua reported. The UNECE adopted the UN Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems (ADS) at the end of June. The regulation requires manufacturers to implement audited safety governance and processes covering the entire lifecycle, conduct credible testing, and provide structured evidence demonstrating that their ADS does not pose unreasonable risks. The rules also mandate performance monitoring and reporting during the operational phase, as well as the implementation of data storage systems for automated driving. “For about the last decade, we have seen various early predictions of widespread automated vehicles that have not materialised. This regulation breaks that deadlock by creating the world’s first global framework that legally enables the operation of fully autonomous vehicles,” said Francois E. Guichard, Secretary of the Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA) under UNECE, in a written interview with Xinhua. Guichard said the greatest significance of the regulation is that it replaces fragmented national approaches with a uniform international framework. This step provides regulatory certainty for manufacturers, enhances consumer confidence, and enables the safe scaling of innovation across different markets. According to UNECE, the regulation establishes uniform international safety requirements and a common methodology for validating vehicles equipped with ADS. Guichard also highlighted China’s contribution to the drafting process. As vice-chair of GRVA, China played a significant and constructive role through its active participation in developing the rules, he said. “As one of the world’s leading markets in automated driving technology innovation, China is in an excellent position to continue shaping future international regulations while promoting global cooperation,” he stated. Guichard expressed optimism about the prospects for the regulation’s global adoption. “Major automotive markets, including Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, support this regulation, indicating strong momentum towards global adoption,” he said. Looking ahead, Guichard said technological progress and regulatory frameworks alone are not enough. He stressed that the next challenge is translating automated driving technology into real-world use. He believes China’s strengths in the sector can help accelerate the large-scale deployment of the technology. “China’s key advantages include a dynamic innovation ecosystem, strong industrial capabilities, and extensive testing activities across various pilot and demonstration zones, which provide valuable opportunities for large-scale deployment,” he said. China’s experience in testing and deployment, along with that of other major automotive markets, can make an important contribution to international discussions on automated driving, he added.