Road safety NGOs from around the world have come together in El Salvador for the Eighth Global Meeting of Non-Governmental Organizations Advocating for Road Safety and Road Victims. Lotte Brondum, Executive Director of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety says, “It is the role of governments to keep its people safe. Road safety NGO’s role in building governments to account for safe roads.” The event takes place from the 6th to the 10th of March 2023.
This year’s Global Meeting theme is “Rethink Road Safety: Mobility for People and Planet”. It is hosted by the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety with the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) and is co-hosted by the Vice Ministry of Transport of El Salvador and the World Health Organization. The meeting will be a hybrid event, with member organizations able to attend live and online.
The event will feature different opportunities for capacity building. It will allow different road safety organizations to network and participate in high-level symposiums and multi-lateral discussions. The iRAP shares that “the interconnections between road safety, safe mobility, and other key global challenges addressed by the SDGs will be explored, with a focus on accountability for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.”
The first day of the Meeting saw the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety Latin America Chapter coming together to discuss strategies on how to continue to foster the development of a unified regional voice and vision to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries. Other Chapters also came together to discuss the relevant regional issues.
The second day will allow participants to take part in different road safety workshops. The topics include; creating an environment to enable NGOs, bridging knowledge and action for road safety, a modal shift in transportation and mobility, capacity building clinics, mandatory insurance, #Love30 for people and planet, victim-centered post-crash intervention, safe and affordable helmets, and financing road safety.
The succeeding days will be filled with sessions by different road safety experts where they will tackle evidence-based road safety solutions, the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Global Road Safety Week, the Alliance Accountability Toolkit, and more.
“The Global Meeting is the primary NGO-led road safety and safe mobility gathering globally. This is where we mobilize together shoulder-to-shoulder with the global road safety community to trigger stronger action to reduce road deaths by 50% by 2030 and call for action to guarantee that every person has the right to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable mobility,” – Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety
Last week, March 3, YOURS – Youth for Road Safety Executive Director Floor Lieshout joined the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) Virtual Open Day as a moderator for one of its sessions which featured Mozambique Ministry of Transport Vice Minister Amilton Alissone, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States Dr. Ibrahim Richard, Kenya Director of Road Transport Martin Eshiwani, and WHO Bangladesh Representative Dr. Watin Alam, among others.
The speakers talked about their experiences with the UNRSF and shared how it, along with UN partners like the UN-Habitat, supported the road safety master plan of countries within Africa and Asia.
Elana Sentieri, Urban Resilience and Development Specialist of the UN-Habitat Mozambique, said, “global partnerships such as the one of UNRSF are crucial. As UN-Habitat Mozambique, it allowed us to improve road conception and usage as well as advocacy for road safety policies at national and local levels, focusing on vulnerable road users such as children, pedestrians, and cyclists.”
Different updates were shared following the successful partnership of the UN partners and national government units. Some of the developments reported include; positive behavior changes in road safety, more opportunities for national and local governments to strengthen road safety efforts, and increased knowledge and expertise on inclusive safer street design among road safety organizations, associations, and government agencies.
Other conversations revolved around the growing need to address used vehicle standards, especially from an environmental and road safety perspective. Director Martin Eshiwani underlined the importance of used vehicles in Africa as a means of transportation for its citizens. He pointed out that there was a need for a multi-governmental and multi-stakeholder system approach that tackles the approach to the import and export rules of used vehicles. To address this, the UNRSF is working with partners to extend targeted support on used vehicle regulations and technical inspections in East Africa and Asia.
Issues on improving responses for post-crash care were also discussed where it was pointed out that WHO is working with governments from countries like Bangladesh to strengthen national policies, training protocols, and response time for effective post-crash care. Other efforts by the UNRSF and their partners are working on targeted assistance to improve road user behavior focused on speeding and how it reduces the possibility of road crashes and road deaths.
The session wrapped up with moderator Floor Lieshout echoing the call to strengthen national road systems through multistakeholder partnerships, commending the work the UNRSF has already done. “Seeing the Fund expanding its reach by welcoming Civil Society Organizations as eligible implementing partners is an absolute pleasure. We need NGOs and young people at the table and today’s event is an excellent opportunity to learn how the Fund’s partnership works and see the impact of road safety financing on the ground.”
The UN Road Safety Fund will host its first-ever virtual open day this Friday, March 3. The event will invite stakeholders to participate in a knowledge forum with the UNRSF’s leading partners to talk about the support provided for governments in their efforts to tackle priority road safety needs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The forum runs from 10 AM to 5 PM CET.
Among the topics to be discussed in the forum are the efforts the UNRSF and its partners are making to support low-and-middle-income countries to take priority action to ensure safer roads. It will also explore the global project impact and financing innovations currently achieved to deliver road safety commitments in support of the 2030 Agenda.
The event will be launched through the opening remarks of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt. YOURS – Youth for Road Safety Executive Director Floor Lieshout will moderate the event for the morning session. Government officials and UN partners from Mozambique, West Africa, Bangladesh, and Brazil will participate in the session.
The afternoon session will be moderated by the Deputy Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe Dmitry Mariyasin and feature corporate and country donors of the UNRSF.
After weeks of discussion and assessment, we finally have the 15 youth-led Local Actions projects that we will fund and support this 2023. Our youth leaders have presented some innovative ideas to improve road safety and sustainable mobility in their communities through their proposals and we can’t wait to see them implemented on the ground! Meet our winners below and check out their project proposals;
Agita Pasarib, Indonesia Agita is the founder and Executive Director of Bullyid Indonesia, a global award tech charity focusing on empowering victims of harassment with digital psychological and legal support. Her contribution and commitment to youth empowerment in digital governance and cyber harassment prevention have been recognized and celebrated globally. Agita received her LL.B in Criminal Law from the University of Indonesia. Fred J Hansen Institute then awarded her to continue the exclusive leadership program at the University of San Diego.
Adrián Marcelo Galindo Marcos, Mexico Adrián works as a project coordinator for Movimiento de Activación Ciudadana, A.C. or MOVAC. In his role, he manages resources for the construction of comprehensive projects that focus on safe mobility and citizen participation. His aim is to integrate the social component into the projects he handles by presenting different ways in which the project can support the improvement of roads in the area and ensure that street design helps fulfill fundamental human rights in safety and mobility.
Ana Magdalena Rodríguez Gómez, Mexico Ana is a 33-year-old urbanist architect who works as an independent consultant and university teacher. Her journey began ten years ago when she served as an urban activist in Monterrey City. She eventually extended her reach to a national level of architecture and urbanism through her position in Liga Peatonal. She moved to Guadalajara to pursue a Master’s Education where she completed research on Transport Oriented Development (TOD) as a development tool in Monterrey.
Chilekwa O’Brien, Zambia Chilekwa is a 26-year-old demographer and road safety advocate working as a research evaluation associate at Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST) in Zambia. Chilekwa is passionate about promoting active and sustainable mobility to reduce the risk of traffic-related injuries and fatalities, particularly among vulnerable road users. His work involves conducting research and evaluating road safety programs, with a focus on identifying effective strategies to improve safety and reduce risk on the roads.
Maryfely Rincón, Colombia Maryfely is a 24 years old urban Manager from the Universidad del Rosario. She currently works as a project coordinator at Despacio where she works as a data analyst, content creator, and content manager. She also works as the creator and editor of documents and publications related to road safety, and urban and active mobility. “I proposed this project because I believe that we can’t ignore the fact that people are still dying on the roads every day. No one should die from road crashes! Especially young people and children.”
Dilshod Kholmatov, Tajikistan Dilshod is from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. He graduated from the Tajik Technical University where he studied Civil Engineering and Architecture. He was a semi-professional road and mountain bike cyclist and has traveled to many places by bicycle. Dilshod is a co-founder of the Critical Mass Dushanbe which was established 7 years ago with two international colleagues. Dilshod currently works as a project manager in road safety and post-crash response. He is a candidate to become a Chess Master and is interested in learning new languages.
Oliva Nalwadda, Uganda Oliva is a researcher, public health advocate, and road safety champion with over 8 years in designing and leading local actions geared towards youth empowerment in road safety promotion. She is the founder of Uzima Ari Uganda, an organization currently fast-tracking the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 4, and 13. Oliva also currently serves as a Youth Leadership Board Member of the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety.
Edmond Atwine, Uganda Atwine currently works with the Uganda Road Accident Reduction Network Organization (URRENO) as a logistics officer and research assistant. “Working with URRENO has exposed me to several challenges within the transport sector some of which I strongly believe can be reversed through advocating for the promotion of NMT infrastructure usage in Kampala. The experience and skills I acquired at URRENO paired with my passion for road safety promotion motivated me to lead and mobilize youth to take part and cause the necessary changes.”
Jacob Smith, United States of America Jacob is a diehard visionary movement builder. He has his own consultancy in road safety and mobility justice which delivers high-impact community organizing for transforming mobility access in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS). Since 2014, he has presented at over 190 conferences and led projects in 12 states, mobilizing youth for safe and sustainable communities.
Alida Paola Becerra García, Mexico Alida was born in Mérida, Yucatán in 1989. She is a 33-year-old feminist activist with a degree in Psychology from the Autonomous University of Yucatán. Paola specializes in group and collaborative processes. She has collaborated with the Reflexión y Acción Feminista (RAF) collective since 2014 and is currently coordinating the programs of women and territory. She has been an urban cyclist since 2010 and utilizes her experience as a female cyclist in Mérida to support and encourage other women to become cyclists.
Marwa Chacha Magoti, Tanzania Marwa is 31 years old and currently works as an automobile engineer. He also works with the Ministry of Works and Transport in Tanzania as a transport safety Officer in the Directorate of Transport, Environment, and Safety. He is a Ph.D. candidate at Hasselt University and the National Institute of Transport (NIT) in Tanzania. He was first employed in TEMESA, Tanzania in 2018 where he then proceeded to the University of Hasselt, Belgium for his master’s program in Transport Science in Traffic Safety.
Sallam Alnawaiseh, Jordan Salaam is an experienced Project Officer and Civil Engineer with a passion for promoting positive change in her community. She has been working in the field of community development for over three years and is currently working as a Project Officer at a local non-profit organization in Jordan, where she is responsible for managing community projects and ensuring their successful implementation. She has a strong background in Business and Entrepreneurship, Community Engagement, and Women’s Empowerment, which has allowed her to excel in her current role.
Stephen Kome Fondzenyuy, Cameroon Stephen is a 26-year-old civil engineer and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Rome. He is inspired by the need to curb the global challenge of road crashes in developing countries and, as a result, pursues research on speed management for low- and -middle-income countries. Together with his research group he develops and provides innovative road safety solutions in different African regions. He is an advocate for international development and has experience at the World Bank as a transport consultant.
Valeria Belén Cerpa Salas, Peru Valeria has experience in web development and research. She developed social and technology-related projects brought on by her love for coding and programming. She advocates for the resilience of cities and communities in Peru and works as a developer at the US-based organization Planning 2050. She has been a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) intern, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (Gi-Toc) Fellow 21´, Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Fellow 22´, One Young World (OYW) Delegate 22´, and University of Computer Studies, Mandalay (UCSM) research assistant 21´.
Tevoh Ndingwan, Cameroon Tevoh holds a Master’s Degree in civil engineering and works as a road safety engineer. He performs road safety audits and inspections in rural and urban areas in Cameroon while coordinating regional road safety public education programs and campaigns. Through his work, he is able to analyze and prepare safety reports on road safety. He faced different road safety challenges while commuting to schools and witnessed the various crash incidents his colleagues have suffered.
The World Health Organization through the UN Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) has announced the dates for the 7th UN Global Road Safety Week (UNGRW), from the 15th to the 21st of May 2023. This year’s theme, #RethinkMobility focuses on the importance of sustainable transport as a solution to SDG Target 3.6: halving the number of road-related deaths and injuries by 2030.
We published some of the main details for UNGRSW here:
Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with young people being the most affected. It kills around 1.35 people leaving another 50 million injured every year. Cyclists and pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users, accounting for 1 of every 4 road-related deaths.
Last 2021, the WHO launched the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 to guide stakeholders on how to best support one another to meet the targets in the Decade of Action 2021-2030. The Plan also highlights how road traffic crashes can be prevented by addressing issues around the whole transport system which would result in taking action to ensure safer roads, safer vehicles, better road user behavior, and improved emergency care.
The 7th UNGRSW week focuses on sustainable transport with a particular focus on the need to shift to walking, cycling, and using public transport as alternative modes of mobility. “Road safety is both a prerequisite for and an outcome to a shift in mobility and transport.”
The week has 5 key messages; (1) there is a desperate need for governments and their partners to #RethinkMobility, (2) safety must be at the core of efforts to reimagine how we move in the world, (3) to ensure safety, networks must be designed with the most vulnerable/at risk in mind, (4) safe walking and cycling can contribute to making people healthier, cities more sustainable, and societies equitable, and (5) safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable public transport is a solution to many of societies’ ills.
The WHO now invites all road safety and sustainable mobility partners to mark the 7th Global UN Road Safety Week by organizing events and activities and sharing messages and materials on social media with the hashtags; #RethinkMobility, #StreetsforLife, and #RoadSafety.
The 2nd World Youth Assembly for Road Safety was a creative blitz filled with music, art, dance, dialogue, experience sharing, and inspiration. Nearly 200 young people from around the world, gathered together in Stockholm on 18th February 2020 and their call to world leaders was, “Enough is Enough” —enough of youth dying on the world’s roads, enough of being pushed aside, and enough of being ignored.
The youth leaders officially adopted the Global Youth Statement for Road Safety, representing the voices of over 1,500 voices of young people from across the world. The Statement highlights the realities they faced regarding road safety and mobility. From issues around health to sustainable cities, our delegates represented the experiences of their peers and brought them out for the world to see. Road safety was no longer an issue to be left in the background, it was brought center stage through an energized youth movement.
During the 2nd World Youth Assembly (WYA) for Road Safety, our young road safety delegates met, interacted, and delivered a powerful unified message to key decision-makers – from UN agencies, Government Ministries, and Authorities – to meaningfully engage youth in efforts in addressing road safety and sustainable mobility issues around the world.
As an official pre-event for the 3rd Ministerial Conference for Road Safety, the WYA delegates were given yet another golden opportunity to voice their demands and commitments to leaders worldwide through the Global Youth Statement for Road Safety, at the 3rd Ministerial Conference for Road Safety stage.
“We have tolerated for 150 years a system to transport ourselves which kills so many young people. The youth are saying enough is enough.” – Dr. Etienne Krug, World Health Organization.
The Assembly saw young people coming together and realized the creation of a global coalition that gathered youth with similar interests, empowering them to take action against their biggest killer; road traffic crashes. The Youth Coalition has united youth from over 100 counties and has improved their road safety knowledge through 13 live capacity development sessions, involvement in leadership structures, guides seen through four advocacy tools published, and more.
Through the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, a result of the WYA, young people are given resources, skills, partnerships, and opportunities to take their ideas to the next level and maximize their impact on road safety, sustainable mobility, and meaningful youth participation. The Youth Coalition is guided by a set of principles that define and guide its work locally and globally.
Three years after the Assembly, the Youth Coalition has gathered over 1500 members leading the charge for safer roads and meaningful youth participation. Three years since the Assembly and we’ve been able to fund and support 32 Local Actions projects that address key road safety issues in communities all over the world. Three years since the Assembly and we’ve represented youth on the highest echelons of discussion through events like the High-Level Meeting on Road Safety. Three years since the Assembly and we show no signs of stopping.
Happy Anniversary to the 2nd World Youth Assembly for Road Safety!
