The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and its partners will be working together to bring to the African continent Africa Road Safety 2016, 31 Oct – 2 Nov, in Durban, South Africa. This comprehensive capability building conference, our 5th annual event in Africa, will provide delegates with a range of stimulating capability building workshops, keynote addresses, high level panel discussions and plenary sessions over two full days with an invitational event for private sector organizations on day three. There will also be opportunities to cast an eye back to the 2015 conference, attended by delegates from 33 African countries, to investigate outcomes from return participants.
The target set out within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of halving road crash deaths by 2020 poses a significant challenge to us all. To meet this challenge, road safety stakeholders must engage across sectors with renewed vigour, and encourage new actors to join the global effort.
Africa Road Safety 2016 will focus on many of the challenges in addressing road safety in countries across the Africa region, and how different stakeholders can contribute to the ambitious road safety targets as set out in the new Sustainable Development Goals.
Road Safety and the Global Goals
The new Agenda, commits to the adoption of policies promoting sustainable transport systems. Road safety is specifically included in two goals for health and cities.
Goal 3. ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
3.6 By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents.
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
11.2 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.
The event’s key objectives are to:
- provide capacity building opportunities to participants on evidence-based good practice in road safety;
- stimulate support for and action in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020;
- identify avenues for multi-sector contribution towards the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals;
- develop networks to support information, good practice and knowledge sharing.
Key representatives from African countries will attend the seminar, including:
- senior government officials, from road safety, transport, health, police and education;
- regional and global road safety researchers and experts;
- representatives of NGOs working in road safety in the region;
- representatives from the private sector with a passion for road safety.
GRSP’s regional events have become flagship events on the road safety calendar. Since 2007, GRSP has conducted 13 such events in 10 countries bringing together more than 2000 road safety practitioners from over 50 countries to share knowledge and professional experiences, discuss successes and challenges, showcase good practice and build strong regional networks where previously few had existed.
We will be involved in the programme in a workshop:
“The impact youth can make on the promotion of road safety”
- Host: Mr Michael Chippendale, GRSP
- Mr Floor Lieshout, Youth For Road Safety (YOURS), The Netherlands
- Ms Thandi Moya, Department of Transport, South Africa
- Mr Maatla Otsogile, Societyof Road Safety Ambassadors, Botswana