New York: Each year, road traffic crashes cause nearly 1.3 million preventable deaths and an estimated 50 million injuries – making it the leading killer of children and young people worldwide. Nine of every ten road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. One of four is a pedestrian or a cyclist.
Given the significant public health concern stemming from road traffic injuries, WHO and the United Nations regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners, launched the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.
Along with a 50 per cent reduction target in road traffic fatalities and injuries by 2030, the Global Plan calls on governments and all stakeholders to take a new path – one that not only saves lives and prevents injuries, but also positively impacts child health, the environment, gender, poverty, equity, innovation and transport – thereby reducing the social and economic toll of these preventable tragedies.
Now a meeting is convened under the theme of “The 2030 horizon for road safety: securing a decade of action and delivery”, as agreed by the Member States in General Assembly resolution 75/308. President of the United Nations General Assembly Abdulla Shahid, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt will on June 30, 2022, address the opening of a two-day High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Improving Global Road Safety at the UN Headquarters.
A political declaration, which has been agreed upon in advance by consensus through intergovernmental negotiations, is expected to be adopted by the Assembly on the morning of June 30. The political declaration offers a vision for the future of mobility as one that promotes health and well-being, protects the environment, and benefits all people. It recognizes the importance of a holistic approach to addressing road safety, by highlighting the interlinkages between road safety and the Sustainable Development Goals. Among other outcomes, the political declaration also seeks to convene a follow-up meeting on the topic in 2026, in an effort to sustain momentum, identifying gaps and solutions to address progress towards the achievement of the road safety-related SDGs targeted by 2030.
The High-level Meeting will be organized over a two-day period. The first day will consist of an opening segment featuring President of the United Nations General Assembly Abdulla Shahid, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt, and a plenary segment, featuring formal statements from the Member States. The second day will have three multi-stakeholder panels, a continued plenary segment, and a closing segment.
Starting on Thursday, June 30 morning, a floral bouquet will be displayed in the General Assembly lobby, in memory of those who have been victims of road-related crashes globally. The flowers will be available until Friday evening.
– global bihari bureau
