Hosted by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the workshop held on 24 October 2017 focused on coordinating road safety in Botswana, as well as opportunities for leadership involvement and engagement within the framework of the National Road Safety Committee’s Action Plan. At the invitation of the Minister or Transport and Communications, the Special Envoy addressed road safety stakeholders and emphasized the importance of leadership and adequate resources devoted to road safety. The Special Envoy urged the government of Botswana to take action towards reducing the number of road traffic fatalities and emphasized the importance of establishing a lead national road safety agency. A landlocked country in Southern Africa, Botswana has a population of 2.25 million and estimated 477 road traffic fatalities annually. WHO suggests fatality rate of 23.6 per 100,000 population. Botswana is not a contracting party to any UN Road Safety Conventions. According to the WHO, Botswana has strong laws on child restraint, helmet and safety-belt use, however their legislation on drink-driving and speeding needs to be improved.
Meeting with H.E. Mr. Onkokame Kitso Mokaila, Minister of Transport of Botswana and H.E. Ms. Unity Dow, Minister of Education and Skills Development
The Special Envoy outlined the terms of his mandate and presented his ongoing activities and priorities. The Special Envoy also gave an overview of UN Road Safety Conventions and encouraged the Minister of Transport to consider accession. The Special Envoy highlighted the cross-sectoral nature of the road safety issue and encouraged both Ministries’ collaboration, especially in terms of educating the public, which would also require strong enforcement. The involvement of the Ministry of Health was also recommended, for which Special Envoy offered assistance in connecting Botswana officials with the WHO to potentially conduct an Emergency Care System Assessment. The Special Envoy further urged the Minister of Transport to evaluate the current structure of the National Road Safety Committee and ensure that adequate resources are devoted to implementation of its action plan.
Ms. Jacinta Barrins, UN Resident Coordinator in Botswana
The Special Envoy provided an overview of his mandate, as well as outlined his on-going activities and priorities. He further gave an overview of UN Road Safety Conventions and requested UN Resident Coordinator’s support in assisting the government of Botswana to accede to the conventions. The Special Envoy emphasized the importance of establishing lead national road safety agency. The UN Resident Coordinator expressed her commitment to supporting the government of Botswana in their road safety efforts. In conclusion, the Special Envoy highlighted the possibility of the technical support from the ECE and his Secretariat.