联合国“丝绸之路复兴计划”
复兴丝绸之路的计划早在20世纪60年代就已经开始，最初的计划是修建一条连接新加坡至土耳其的全长约14000千米的铁路。推动丝绸之路复兴的政府和组织数量众多，发挥作用最大的是联合国。2008年2月，联合国开发计划署正式发起了“丝绸之路复兴计划”，来自包括中国、俄罗斯、伊朗、土耳其在内的 19国官员在瑞士日内瓦签署意向书，决定在今后数年投入430亿美元，激活古丝绸之路和其他一些古老的欧亚大陆通道，全长7000多千米。该计划由230个项目组成，期限为2008年至2014年，投资主要用于改善古丝绸之路等欧亚大陆通道的基础设施并开发多条经济走廊。该计划旨在使古老的丝绸之路重现辉煌，为中亚、东欧等国提供机会，并让欧亚大陆腹地分享全球化带来的好处。
United Nations: Silk Road Initiative
The Silk Road Initiative (SRI) was first discussed in the 1960s. The initial plan was to build 14,000 kilometers of railway line linking Singapore and Turkey. Many governments and organizations supported the initiative, with the United Nations playing the driving role.
The United Nations Development Program formally launched the SRI in February 2008. Officials from 19 countries including China, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed letters of intent in Geneva, Switzerland, committing to invest US$43 billion in the ensuing years to reinvigorate the ancient Silk Road and other Eurasian land arteries over a combined distance of more than 7,000 kilometers.
A total of 230 projects were planned from 2008 to 2014 to improve the infrastructure along the ancient trade routes and open a number of economic corridors. The ultimate goal was to bring a renaissance to the ancient routes, providing new development opportunities for Central Asian and East European countries, and enabling the inland areas to benefit from globalization.