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.

復興絲綢之路的計劃早在上世紀 60 年代就已經開始，最初的計劃是修建一條連接新加坡至土耳其的全長約 14000公里的鐵路。推動絲綢之路復興的政府和組織數量眾多，發揮作用最大的是聯合國。

The United Nations Development Programme 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 7,000 kilometers.

2008年2月，聯合國開發計劃署正式發起了“絲綢之路復興計劃”，來自包括中國、俄羅斯、伊朗、土耳其在內的19國官員在瑞士日內瓦簽署意向書，決定在今后數年投入430億美元，激活古絲綢之路和其他一些古老的歐亞大陸通道，全長7000多公里。

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.

該計劃由230個項目組成，期限為2008年至2014年，投資主要用于改善古絲綢之路等歐亞大陸通道的基礎設施并開發多條經濟走廊。該計劃旨在使古老的絲綢之路重現輝煌，為中亞、東歐等國提供機會，并讓歐亞大陸腹地分享全球化帶來的好處。