The Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon published his report to the United Nations General Assembly in an update on global road safety. In that report, as well focusing on key areas of road safety action and challenge, is the mention of the work remaining to improve global road safety.
The report, prepared by the World Health Organization in cooperation with the United Nations regional commissions and in consultation with other partners of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, provides an update of the status of the implementation of the recommendations contained in General Assembly resolutions 58/289, 60/5, 62/244, 64/255 and 66/260 on improving global road safety.
The report describes activities and achievements by the global road safety community in pursuance of the objectives of the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) since the previous report of the Secretary-General (66/389). Several high-profile events during this period attest to the recognition of the problem around the world and the solutions that Governments and other stakeholders need to implement in order to reduce road traffic crashes and their consequences on public health and development.
The Secretary General explained the importance in funding the Decade of Action for Road Safety to save lives.
These events, all of which drew attention to road safety from the highest political levels, included the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in November 2012, the launch of the Global Status Report on Road Safety 2013: Supporting a Decade of Action in March 2013, the second United Nations Global Road Safety Week held from 6 to 12 May 2013 and the launch of the Global Alliance for Care of the Injured in May 2013. The report concludes with a number of recommendations for consideration by the Assembly for achieving the goals of the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Issued to the UN General Assembly on the global road safety crisis, the UN Secretary General calls for more attention to be given to financing the Decade of Action. He also urges the UN to recognise that in the context of planning the new Post-2015 Development Goals, the lack of road safety is an “important obstacle to sustainable development.”
In his report, Ban Ki-moon warns: “Financial support in the field of road safety continues to be a challenge to the attainment of the goal of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. More funding is needed to support road safety activities by United Nations organizations, Member States and civil society.” The report says that far more support is needed to achieve the goal of saving 5 million lives during the 2011-2020 period of the Decade of Action. UN Member States should develop “more sustainable financing mechanisms for road safety”, the report urges.
Within the advoacy pillar of the Secretary General’s report was the focus on YOURS’ global activities, in point 50 it noted:
The global youth network for road safety YOURS (Youth for Road Safety) has grown to represent more than 80 countries. YOURS facilitated Regional Youth Assemblies for Road Safety in the Middle East, Africa and Europe, with its local partners. In order to make road safety more accessible for young people, YOURS published the Youth and Road Safety Action Kit,41 with the technical support of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and WHO. The Action Kit, which uses an interactive and peer-to-peer methodology to train young people, is the key document used in YOURS capacity development training activities for young people. Such trainings were held in Kenya, Saint Lucia and Oman.