2016 marked the starting point to reach one of the most ambitious and challenging targets within the entire Global Goals: by 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents. Governments signed up for this, and it is our duty as civil society to ensure they keep their promise. We continue to ask youth champions around the world to urge their government to make their action plans to reach the target public, and to take real action for road safety. Read more about our work in 2016.
Foreword to the Annual Report 2016
2016 also reflects within the very successful #SaveKidsLives campaign. Together with the other members of the campaign team, we developed the 2020 Action Agenda. And with the support of more than one million people, we now put forward five simple interventions that can save children’s lives.
On 15 April 2016, YOURS witnessed the United Nations General Assembly debate on global road safety culminating in the passing of a new UN Resolution: Improving Global Road Safety. Together with the Global Goals target and the appointment of the UN SG’s Special Envoy for Road Safety; it seems that road safety now has the attention of world leaders. That is a big step forward for our field. The question today is how to translate this global recognition into real local implementation? When will we see the difference on our roads?
I am convinced we can’t wait for these global initiatives to land from the sky. More than 1000 young people under the age of 25 years are dying every day. Action must be taken now and let’s start with ourselves, before we point to somebody else. Therefore I am happy to see that youth and the wider NGO community are bolstering up. Empowerment is key and YOURS celebrated two big achievements in 2016 in this area: we returned to our ground-breaking youth empowerment work in Belize and assisted the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety in developing and implementing their Alliance Academy.
Furthermore, we are preparing a youth empowerment programme in South Africa that will start in 2017. This is really exciting and we are looking forward to work on this project with the South African Government and our close partners the Michelin Foundation and GRSP South Africa.
Finally, I am very happy to welcome Dr Adnan Hyder to our Supervisory Board. His credentials in the global road safety field are unmatched and I am delighted to see such a renowned practitioner supporting our cause. Finally I need to thank all of our sponsors, youth champions, supporters and friends around the world for another fruitful year of collaboration.
Floor Lieshout
Executive Director
