A United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) conference on Improving Global Road Safety: Setting Regional and National Road Traffic Casualty Reduction Targets was organized in Halkida, Greece, on 25-26 June 2009.
The Conference was hosted by the Evia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Hellenic Chambers Transport Association, with the support of the Hellenic Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Road traffic safety has become a major global social, economic, development and health concern. Only in Europe as much as 127.000 people die every year and 2.4 millions more are injured or disabled causing, in addition to human suffer, overwhelming costs amounting to 1.5 to 2.5 % of Europe’s GDP.
Despite some progress in recent years, South Eastern European countries are still suffering from high numbers of causalities on the road.
The large majority of road traffic crashes are caused by factors that are known and can be prevented. These include excess speeding; driving under the influence of alcohol; non-use of seat belts, child restraints and helmets; non respect for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists; and unsafe road infrastructure.
Around 150 representatives from the public and private sectors as well as civil society from South-Eastern European countries* and numerous road safety institutions and research centres, such as the FIA Foundation, the Global Road Safety Partnership and the European Commission, came together to present issues, views and strategies to improve the situation.
A special panel, formed by the players of the Greek national basketball team, the Hellenic Basketball Federation and FIBA Europe, promoted “Fair Play” and “Team work” as a way of ensuring safe roads across Greece and elsewhere. Stressing the importance of adhering to rules that promote fairness and safety – whether it is on the basketball court or on the road – the basketball champions signed a declaration for road safety and committed to support this cause.
The representatives of the Hellenic Chambers of Commerce and Industry participating in the conference also adopted a Declaration, in which they resolve to support UNECE work and use their network in Greece to support promotional campaigns, raise awareness and advocate for safer roads.
Lessons learned and recommendations
- Many road safety initiatives and practices can be implemented at low cost and within a short time frame. These actions should be shared with relevant ministries (transport, health, education, communication)
- Good national statistics are essential to quantifying and assessing the problem as well as measuring the impact of action taken
- Road traffic casualty reduction targets should be set to optimize costs and results
- Political will and commitment are essential to secure resources
- International cooperation and knowledge-sharing should be strengthened taking into account the needs of low- and middle-income countries
- Governments are encouraged to actively participate in the decision-making process in the UNECE Working Party on Road Traffic Safety (WP.1) to help develop road safety conventions and share best practices
- Results of this and other conferences in UNDA Target Project series should be included in the final report to be communicated to the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Moscow, November 2009.
* Delegations from the Ministries of Transport, Public Works, Interior, Health and Education from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey, as well as France, Italy, and the Netherlands.
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Declarations |
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Team Work and Fair Play on Basketball Courts and on Our Roads - Statement by the Greek National Basketball Champions |
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Declaration by the Hellenic Chambers of Commerce and Industry |
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Conclusions and Recommendations |
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Press Releases |
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29 June 2009: Greek basketball champions call for safer roads (ECE/TRANS/09/P06) | |||
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Basketball Declaration Poster |
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Opening Speeches |
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Mrs. Eva MOLNAR |
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Mr. Evagelos SPANOUDAKIS |
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Presentations |
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Item 1 - The global road traffic safety context |
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Mr. Saul BILLINGSLEY |
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Mr. Michalis ADAMANTIADIS |
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Mr. Gary VACHICOURAS |
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Item 2 - Road traffic safety in Europe |
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Mrs. Virginia TANASE |
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Mr. Mario VILAR |
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Mr. Nenad NIKOLIC |
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Item 3 - Road traffic safety in Greece |
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Mrs. Evagelia TSAGA |
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Mr. Konstantinos KOUMANTANOS |
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Mr. Yannis GOLLIAS |
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Mr. Ioannis HANDANOS |
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Mr. Antonis KASTIS |
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Mrs. Vassiliki DANELLI-MYLONA |
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Item 4 - Road traffic safety in South-Eastern Europe |
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Mr. Anton DUSHEV |
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Mr. Ante GAŠPAR |
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Mr. Raed ARAFAT |
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Mr. Huseyin SIMSEK |
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Ms. Juna KOTE |
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Mr. Izet BAJRAMBASIC |
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Mr. Dalibor MILOSEVIC |
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Mr. Dragoslav KUKIC |
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Mr. Marjan KOPEVSKI |
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Item 5 - Road traffic safety in South-Eastern Europe |
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Mrs. Luciana IORIO |
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Mrs. Nelly ALAND |
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Mrs. Sophie FOUVEZ |
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Mrs. Kate McMAHON |
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Ms. Kathleen ELSIG |
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Mr. John MUMFORD |
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Mrs. Brigitte CHAUDHRY |
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Mr. Kostas THEOFANIDIS |
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Information and registration |
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Participants |
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Information for speakers and moderators |
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Information note to participants |
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Registration form |
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