The United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations approved the world’s first Global Technical Regulation (GTR) for Automated Driving Systems (ADS) during its 199th session in Geneva from June 22–26. Jointly developed by China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Japan, the regulation establishes a common international safety framework for the deployment of automated driving technologies.
The regulation introduces the principle that an automated driving system should achieve a safety level at least equivalent to that of a competent and attentive human driver. It also establishes minimum safety requirements for key functions, including dynamic driving task (DDT) performance, minimum risk maneuvers (MRM), and human-machine interaction, underscoring a “safety first” regulatory approach.
Chinese authorities emphasized the country’s significant role in developing the regulation. Since 2019, China has served as vice chair of the UN Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles and co-chair of the Automated Driving Systems working group. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Chinese organizations led the drafting of several core provisions and submitted dozens of technical proposals covering dynamic driving tasks, human-machine interaction, and testing and validation methodologies.
Source: People’s Daily, July 3, 2026
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