Partnership Meeting Aims to Generate More Momentum for Concerted Road Safety Efforts Across UN system

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, Member States have pledged to deliver results for all. Yet, an estimated 1.35 million road traffic fatalities still occur on roads around the world every year and approximately 50 million victims are seriously injured or disabled for life. It is in this context that the Special Envoy convened the 3rd United Nations Partnership Meeting for Road Safety on 29 October 2019 in Geneva, to generate more momentum for concerted efforts across the UN system.  

20 United Nations organizations and departments shared updates on their current and future road safety efforts and priorities. The main topics covered during the meeting are the implementation of UN Internal Road Safety Strategy; 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm and the UN 2nd Sustainable Transport Conference in Beijing; as well as the latest development of the recently-established UN Road Safety Fund. A keynote speech from the Secretary-General of World Meteorological Organization demonstrated the robust scope of this cross-cutting issue of road safety.

The Special Envoy also encouraged UN agencies to be represented at the highest level at the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm in February 2020, where member states and other stakeholders will meet to renew their commitment and define a new goal line for 2030.

The partnership meetings are convened at the initiative of the Special Envoy for Road Safety to engage as many UN officials and agencies as possible by recognizing the great relevance of road safety in achieving sustainable development.