From 14 to 16 June, the Special Envoy visited Myanmar and met with relevant stakeholders including government officials and United Nations agencies to raise awareness about the potential road safety trust fund as well as of the need to strengthen efforts on road safety. The Special Envoy met with the below stakeholders in Myanmar:
Meeting with Ms. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
The Special Envoy met with Ms. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, to discuss and provide recommendations on road safety. Daw Suu requested for support in identifying key opportunities for improvement and recommendations. The Special Envoy is consulting with UNECE and other experts to provide Daw Suu with assistance.Meeting with His Excellency U Thant Sin Maung, Minister of Transport
At the meeting with U Thant Sin Maung, the Minister of Transport provided an overview of the road safety governance structure in Myanmar and explained that the new government elected in April would provide more authority to the new road safety committee, which was recently formed and is called the National Road Safety Council. The Special Envoy shared the request of Daw Suu for expert support in road safety and assured the Minister of expert guidance. The Special Envoy provided encouragement that a target to halve road traffic deaths is achievable with the implementation of the five measures outlined in the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety and with stronger legislation and enforcement.
Meeting with Dr. Myint Htwe, Minister of Health
The Special Envoy met with the Minister of Health, who explained that hospitals in Myanmar have several ambulances but lack of trained personnel to operate and drive the vehicles, therefore there is an urgent need for the specific training of drivers and paramedics. The Special Envoy recommended that post-crash care services be a priority especially for the highway between Mandalay and Yangon, called the “Death Highway”.
Meeting the the United Nations Country Team in Myanmar
This was the Special Envoy’s second time meeting with UN Country Team in Myanmar. The Special Envoy took the opportunity to introduce the team to Aung San Suu Kyi’s contacts which included Mr. Joseph Fisher, International Development Liaison Officer for Daw Suu, and Mr. Michael Marett Crosby, special advisor to Daw Suu and encouraged all to coordinate. The Special Envoy shared of his discussions with the State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Minister of Transport and Minister of Health regarding the importance stronger governance and road safety efforts. The Special Envoy and WHO representative, Dr. Santikarn, spoke about the challenges and opportunities to establish stronger post-crash care.
The UN country team in Myanmar includes:
• Dr. Chamaiparn Santikarn, Road Safety Focal Point in WHO Country Office, WHO
• Ms. Naoe Yaliya, Deputy Country Director/OIC, WFP
• Mr. Mark Edward Cutts, Head of Office UNOCHA
• Mr. Pablo Barrera, Head of Development Cooperation, RCO
• Mrs. Janet Jackson, Resident Coordinator, UNFPA
• Dr. Shwe Zin Hla Shwe, Child Rights Monitoring Specialist, UNICEF
• Mr. Toily Kurbanov, Country Director, UNDP
The UN country team in Myanmar includes:
• Dr. Chamaiparn Santikarn, Road Safety Focal Point in WHO Country Office, WHO
• Ms. Naoe Yaliya, Deputy Country Director/OIC, WFP
• Mr. Mark Edward Cutts, Head of Office UNOCHA
• Mr. Pablo Barrera, Head of Development Cooperation, RCO
• Mrs. Janet Jackson, Resident Coordinator, UNFPA
• Dr. Shwe Zin Hla Shwe, Child Rights Monitoring Specialist, UNICEF
• Mr. Toily Kurbanov, Country Director, UNDP