Leaders are set to endorse the ‘Marrakech Declaration on Global Road Safety’ which urges countries to make road safety a political priority and boost actions to achieve the goal of halving global road deaths by 2030 as set out in the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Road crashes kill nearly 1.2 million people each year, which is more than two deaths every minute. Road crashes cost most countries around 3 to 5 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) and transport accounts for around a quarter of the world’s harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

“Road safety is a priority for people, planet and prosperity. It underpins individual opportunity and sustainable development globally. The Marrakech Declaration calls for a step-change in efforts to reduce road deaths and ensure safe and sustainable mobility for everyone. No road deaths are ever acceptable, or necessary, and we must double-down on our efforts to apply proven solutions,” said Mr Abdessamad Kayouh, Minister of Transport and Logistics for the Kingdom of Morocco. 

The Marrakech Declaration calls on governments to implement all recommendations set out in the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, including strengthening laws, safety regulations and coordination across government. The Global Plan calls for more cross-border knowledge-sharing, technical support, technology transfer and research into emerging technologies, as well as efforts to make walking, cycling and public transport more accessible for everyone.

“Road deaths are preventable and making roads safe for everyone is within our reach. We know what to do, and this conference marks a clear call to urgent action. Leaders are making new commitments and advancing actions to save more lives but much more still needs to be done,” said Dr Etienne Krug, WHO Director of the Department for the Social Determinants of Health.

The latest WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety (2023) shows that road deaths fell slightly to 1.19 million per year in 2021, which was a 5% reduction in fatalities since 2010. More than half of all UN Member States reported a decline in deaths over this period and 10 of these countries managed to halve deaths in the last 10 years, showing that a 50% reduction in a decade is possible. 35 of these countries reduced the number of deaths by between 30 and 50% between 2010 and 2021.

The Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety takes place in Marrakech, Morocco on 18-20 February, with the theme of « Commit to Life ». Around 2500 delegates, including ministers, heads of national road safety agencies, government representatives, parliamentarians and experts from the United Nations, civil society, business and academia are attending.

Focus areas for the conference include road safety governance, emerging trends in mobility, financing, working with the private sector, road traffic injury data, connections with other health, transport, environment and development agendas, and as the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be held on the African continent, a focus on Africa.

WHO is hosting and participating in a series of events at the conference, including a meeting of the Global Network of Heads of National Road Safety Agencies in partnership with the World Bank, and sessions on road safety governance, data, legislation and enforcement and strategic communications.

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L’article World leaders gather to reduce road deaths, boost road safety est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.

The Global network of heads of national road safety agencies meeting, co-hosted by WHO and the Global Road Safety Facility at the World Bank, will bring more than 110 officials together in Marrakech on 17 February to discuss the opportunities and challenges lead road safety agencies face in meeting the global goal of halving road deaths as set out in the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030.

“Empowering heads of road safety agencies is key to helping countries reduce road deaths and apply proven solutions. Lead road safety agencies drive national road safety strategies and coordinate across government. The network is here to help them advance that important work,” said Matts-Ake Belin, WHO global lead on the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Launched after the United Nations High-Level Political Declaration on Global Road Safety in 2022, the WHO-hosted network supports governments in establishing the policies, coordination and actions to ensure safe mobility for all citizens. It fosters collaboration and learning, provides technical support and monitors progress against the Global Plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030.

 As part of the network, WHO and the Global Road Safety Facility at the World Bank have delivered a range of capacity-building initiatives for road safety leaders in the last few years. Occasionally they have partnered with the Swedish Vision Zero Academy, the Indian Institute of Technology and other partners.

 Road safety governance is a key theme at the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. A session on governance will leading experts together to examine how different organizational models and governance mechanisms can deliver sustainable, results-driven road safety outcomes.

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L’article Heads of road safety agencies meeting to drive down road deaths est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.

Road traffic deaths increased faster in the WHO African Region than any other WHO region between 2010 and 2021, rising by 17%. The WHO African Region accounts for nearly one fifth of the nearly 1.2 million annual road deaths globally, despite holding just 3% of the world’s registered vehicles.

News reports influence public attitudes and ultimately, policy choices. Yet new analysis of nearly 1000 news stories from five Anglophone African countries shows that news in Africa typically obscures the fact that road deaths are preventable. News reports largely also fail to cover more systemic causes of road deaths such as poor infrastructure and inadequate laws, regulations and law enforcement.

“This landmark study – the first of its kind ever undertaken in Africa – shows that when it comes to road safety, the news must catch up with the science. The media has a crucial role to play in calling for policies and actions that save lives, so we must help them dig-deeper into the facts, the data and what works in reducing road deaths,” says Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at WHO. 

The report, titled “Content analysis of media coverage of road collisions and road safety in Africa”, was produced by Science Africa with support from WHO and Bloomberg Philanthropies. It covers news stories and video reports from 25 leading media organizations in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania that were published in English between September 2021 and September 2024. 

Of all news reports, 45% blamed poor driver behaviour as the main cause of road crashes, and victim-blaming is prevalent in news reports across all five countries. 

Pedestrians account for one third of road deaths in the WHO African Region. Yet news reports typically frame pedestrian deaths as a result of individual failing, not systemic problems like missing footpaths, a lack of safe places to cross busy roads or a lack of public transport. 

Road safety laws were mentioned in just 14% of all reports. The quality of infrastructure was mentioned in 11% and road safety policies were mentioned in just 7%.

Of all news articles, 65% framed crashes as isolated events, failing to offer context such as the number of previous fatalities in the area of a collision. Framing crashes as isolated events can prevent readers from connecting the dots between incidents and hide the true scale of the crisis. 

Road crashes cost most countries around three to 5% of gross domestic product [GDP] yet just 4% of news reports covered the knock-on effects of road crashes on health services or the economic costs for victims, families and countries.

More than half of all news reports used the word “accident” instead of “crash” or “collision”. The word “accident” obscures the fact that road deaths are preventable.

“Road deaths are preventable. People will always make mistakes on the roads but we can ensure our transport systems absorb errors in a way that significantly reduces deaths. This is why news reports must give the full picture and look into the systemic causes and solutions,” says Dr Nhan Tran. 

Research shows that simple editorial improvements to news reports can shift public awareness of road crashes as a preventable public health crisis, and can increase support for systemic solutions. Notably, the Associated Press [AP] encourages reporters to use the word “crash” and not “accident” when describing collisions, and a growing number of media organizations are following suit.

Towards a new narrative for global road safety

The report will feed into the upcoming Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, Morocco. A special session at the conference will explore ways to shift the narrative. Speakers include:

• Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility, WHO.
• Abdessadek Maafa,  Director of Communications, National Road Safety Agency, Morocco.
• Dorcas Wangira, Health Correspondent, BBC Africa.
• Amandine Morhaim, Editor in Chief of Sports Documentaries, Canal+. 
• Albert Asseraf, Director General of Communications, JCDecaux.

The report supports WHO’s work in training journalists to advance road safety reporting. As part of the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety, WHO also offers resources, data and tools for newsrooms.

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L’article New study reveals vital insights into road safety news coverage in Africa est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.

31 Jan 2025

By Nneka Henry, Head of the UN Road Safety Fund & the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety
Dr. Nhan Tran, Head, Safety and Mobility, World Health Organization

Mary Ann, a 7-year-old with a shy smile, steps out onto the narrow sidewalk outside her school each day, in Quezon City, clutching her mother’s hand. Cars, trucks, and motorbikes zip by in a frenzy, with nothing but a painted line separating them from her as they head home after school. 

It’s a scene that’s played out all over the world each day. Yet it hides a brutal reality, that our roads – the very paths to our jobs, schools and services – are the deadliest places on earth for our children.

Road crashes claim nearly 1.2 million lives each year, more than two every minute, and are the world’s leading killer of children and youth. So while Mary Ann skips home to safety, thousands never make it.

The World Health Organization’s latest Global Status Report on Road Safety shows that progress has been made in reducing road deaths, but the slight decline in recent years is nowhere near enough to meet the global goal of halving these tragedies by 2030.

Rapid urbanisation and a fast-rising number of vehicles pose new challenges, and as long as transport systems are built for private vehicles, the walk to school will remain fraught for millions of children.

Yet there is hope, inspiration and plenty of hard evidence that shows what must be done.

Designing transport systems for people  – with safety as the goal and the guiding light  – is crucial.

Governments must provide strategic leadership and coordination across all relevant sectors, but engineers, urban planners, academia, civil society and youth all have a role in making roads safer.

We need a fundamental shift from the traditional approach to road safety that focuses solely on individuals and individual actions, to a broader approach that also looks at safe mobility systems.

For example, making motorcyclists wear helmets saves lives, but taking a long-term approach alongside this will ensure more people choose safe and affordable public transport in the first place.

Imagine a future where Mary Ann can walk to school on broader sidewalks, where cars nearby move at non-life-threatening speeds. Cycle on tree-lined bike lanes, or take safe and efficient public transport.

When walking, cycling and public transport is safe and accessible, many more people choose it. This also means that millions of children will breathe cleaner, healthier air and live longer, healthier lives.

Safer roads power economies. Road deaths and injuries cost many countries around 3% of the GDP, so ensuring more people move safely to their jobs, schools and services drives development overall.

Bringing this vision to life is right at the heart of the Global Plan for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, which offers a blueprint for governments to reduce road deaths.

In a couple of weeks, the world will convene for a crucial Ministerial Summit on Road Safety in Morocco. Leaders will assess progress, share knowledge, and advance actions to halve road deaths by 2030.

This goal can still be met. Ten countries have already done it. So global leaders must step up. We need a step change in political will, a sense of urgency, clear government coordination and far more action.

The UN Road Safety Fund is a crucial tool to accelerate progress. The Fund works to build capacity for road safety in 88 countries, including many of the hardest-hit nations. It has delivered nearly 24 million USD in road safety support since 2018 and aims to disperse another 30 million USD in the coming years.

Road safety is an urgent and entirely preventable global health crisis. For millions of children like Mary Ann that face dire risk on the roads each day, we must double-down on actions to end road carnage once and for all. 

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L’article The race to protect our children: how to halve global road deaths by 2030 est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.

The ASEAN+China Road Safety Capacity Building Workshop on December 11–13 brought together government officials from 11 countries in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions in Guangzhou, China, to share knowledge and experience in advancing United Nations road safety regulations.

More than half of the world’s 1.19 million annual road deaths occur in the WHO Western Pacific and South East Asia regions and many new vehicles fail to meet UN minimum safety standards. The latest WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety notes that 40% of UN Member States have no vehicle safety laws, and uptake in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions is also low.

“The world is going through an unprecedented wave of motorization, with well over a billion motor vehicles on the world’s roads. This is unsustainable but while we work to ensure green, efficient and accessible transport, we must also strengthen our efforts to make all motor vehicles safe. This crucial meeting shows that by working together and sharing knowledge, Asian countries can lead the world in advancing vehicle safety and saving lives,” said Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at WHO.

Participating officials agreed to advance joint research into new and emergency vehicle safety issues, to work together to advance the adoption of safety-focused technologies, share experiences in implementing global vehicle safety standards, and engage in education and awareness raising. The recommendations will feed into the upcoming Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety.

The workshop was hosted by WHO, The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee (CITA), China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) and the Malaysian Institute for Road Safety Research (MIROS). 

WHO also hosted a road safety legislation training for 35 officials from Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, and Viet Nam at a linked workshop in Guangzhou, China. The workshop, which is part of the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety, aimed to help countries identify concrete actions in areas such as managing vehicle speeds and strengthening motorcycle and vehicle safety.

“Case studies from countries across Asia show how evidence-based legislation, quality infrastructure, credible law enforcement, targeted communications and the application of key technologies to strengthen safety saves lives,” said Dr. Fangfang Luo, WHO Technical Offer on Safety and Mobility.

The workshop included experts from WHO, the World Bank and other partners, and aimed to equip participants with knowledge and skills in improving road traffic laws in line with UN legislative instruments. Outcomes will also be reflected at the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety.

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L’article WHO convenes officials to advance road safety laws across Asia est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.

Through Mobility Snapshots, a landmark initiative from the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, road safety advocates in 44 countries gathered data at 118 busy intersections near public transport hubs and shopping facilities – places where many people walk.

The data reveals worrying gaps in pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and laws that save lives.

More than 156,000 pedestrians used the 118 intersections during peak hours, yet 102 of the intersections lacked 30 km/h limits or lower, 67 lacked usable footpaths, 106 lacked usable crossings, and 102 lacked traffic calming measures. These are key to making pedestrians’ journeys safer and more comfortable.

At these intersection – as with many more around the world – pedestrians have been overlooked in road design and implementation, even where their presence should be expected. To learn more, see all the Mobility Snapshots HERE.

The Mobility Snapshots are strengthening NGOs’ data-driven advocacy with their government authorities. Intersections in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe have already been transformed, with other NGOs also reporting valuable impacts. Some examples:

• In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when Save the Nation shared the experience of road users at the Mobility Snapshot intersection via their TikTok channel, it caught the attention of transport planners, who quickly implemented a pedestrian crossing, traffic calming and other interventions.
• In Sumqayit, Azerbaijan, AMAK were encouraged that the authorities approved a speed limit of 20 km/h around School 4, lower than the 30 km/h limit that the NGO had requested and the first 20 km/h zone in Azerbaijan.
• In Neuquen, Argentina, presenting data to the authorities has enabled Bien Argentino to argue the case for speed limit reductions, crossings, and traffic calming at the relevant intersections. These changes have now been implemented.
• In Salinas, Ecuador, Movidana has been able to develop a productive partnership with the city mayor and Secretary of Mobility to seek funding for the Mobility Snapshot recommendations and to implement low-cost tactical urbanism in the meantime.
• In Kampala, Uganda, NGO members of the the Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda are using the Mobility Snapshots to support the Kampala Capital City Authority in identifying dangerous intersections to be upgraded in line with the national road authority’s updated road design manuals.

As the 4th Ministerial Conference on Global Road Safety approaches, Mobility Snapshots are a reality check from the frontline of the road safety crisis: the every day journeys faced by people walking to work, school, market, or home. They are a resource for road safety advocates to show decision makers what needs to be done, at street level, city level, and national policy level. At the Ministerial Conference, the Alliance will launch a publication with findings from the Mobility Snapshots. In the meantime, check them out on our Mobility Snapshot map.

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L’article Street level data strengthening advocacy for safer roads est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.

The number of motorcycles on the world’s roads nearly tripled in the decade to 2021, with some WHO regions seeing a four-fold increase. Motorcyclists and riders of other powered two- and three-wheeled vehicles now account for almost one third of the nearly 1.2 million annual deaths, with motorcyclist fatalities rising by 30% in the decade to 2021.  

“With the rapidly rising numbers of motorcycles, it is crucial that we do more to assess and enhance the safety of motorcycle riders and passengers. WHO is at the forefront of this, and is working to convene crucial partners from governments, business and academia,” said Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at WHO.

There are 74 million motorcycles in Viet Nam, which is more motorcycles than adults in the country. Motorcycles make up more than 90% of all Viet Nam’s vehicles and are involved in over 60% of road crashes. Yet despite the rapidly growing vehicle fleet, the country reduced road fatalities by more than 40% between 2010 and 2021.  

“The workshop was a valuable opportunity share experiences and lessons in ensuring safety for motorcyclists. We will work together towards new, comprehensive and sustainable solutions here in Viet Nam but that are also relevant for more countries, especially developing countries in South Asia, Africa and Latin America, where motorcycle traffic safety is becoming a major concern,” said Dr Khuat Viet Hung, President of the Transport Development and Strategy Institute, on behalf of the Viet Nam Ministry of Transport.  

The International Conference on Motorcycle Traffic Safety: Challenges and Lessons Learned was held in Ha Noi by WHO and the Traffic Development and Strategy Institute at the Ministry of Transport in November 2024. It was supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) and the Centre for Injury Research and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 

“Viet Nam has made great strides in making roads safer for its motorcyclists through new legislation, policy changes, awareness programmes and improvements to infrastructure. These measures have helped to significantly reduce deaths and injuries. So, there is a great deal of rich experience to share but of course there is still much more to do,” said Dr Angela Pratt, WHO Representative to Viet Nam.

Earlier this year WHO convened Global Advisory Board on Powered Two- and Three-Wheeled Vehicle Safety to help shape laws, policies and research into motorcycle safety globally. The group recommended focusing on improving the safety of child passengers as a priority.

WHO is engaging with industry and experts to find ways of reducing the risks, including assessing the impact of crashes on child passengers, and testing emerging products, such as straps and child seats for motorbikes. WHO and the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) are set to undertake a study on child passengers on electric bikes (e-bikes] in Shanghai, China.

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L’article WHO convenes global motorcycle safety experts in Viet Nam est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.

The Global status report on road safety, launched by WHO in December 2018, highlights that the number of annual road traffic deaths has reached 1.35 million. Road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of people aged 5-29 years. The burden is disproportionately borne by pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, in particular those living in developing countries.

The report also indicates that progress to realize Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.6 – which calls for a 50% reduction in the number of road traffic deaths by 2020 – remains far from sufficient.

More than half of all road traffic deaths are among vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Pedestrians, cyclists, and riders of motorized 2- and 3-wheelers and their passengers are collectively known as « vulnerable road users » and account for half of all road traffic deaths around the world. A higher proportion of vulnerable road users die in low-income countries than in high-income countries.

That day

The communication campaign for this year tells the stories of THAT DAY when traffic collisions stopped or changed the course of the victim’s lives forever. Each victim has her/his own story of that day, which their relatives, friends and acquaintances carry in their memory. The emotional charge of that day is so strong that it remains in our memory forever. Therefore, on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2024, we remember the stories of “that day”.

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Origins and significance of the Day

Since the adoption of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 60/5, the observance has spread to a growing number of countries on every continent.

The Day has become an important tool in global efforts to reduce road casualties. It offers an opportunity for drawing attention to the scale of emotional and economic devastation caused by road crashes and for giving recognition to the suffering of road crash victims and the work of support and rescue services.

The objectives of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims are to provide a platform for road traffic victims and their families to:

• remember all people killed and seriously injured on the roads;
• acknowledge the crucial work of the emergency services;
• draw attention to the generally trivial legal response to culpable road deaths and injuries
• advocate for better support for road traffic victims and victim families;
• promote evidence-based actions to prevent and eventually stop further road traffic deaths and injuries.

A dedicated website was launched to make the Day more widely known and to link countries through sharing common objectives and the remembrance of people killed and injured in crashes.

In September 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 « Improving global road safety », proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. WHO and the UN regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration, have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action.

Also, to highlight the plight of children on the world’s roads and generate action to better ensure their safety, the UN organizes the Global Road Safety Week.

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L’article World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims | 17 November 2024 est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.

Globally and in China, road traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5 to 29. Child safety restraints can reduce deaths in crashes by up to 71% among infants.

China’s new standards require children to be seated in a rear or side-facing child restraint below the age of 15 months. This significantly reduces the chance of death or severe injury in a crash. It includes new measures to enhance impact protection, including more protection for the vulnerable head and neck for infants, as well as guidelines on the correct use and installation of child safety restraints from the International Standard for Attachment Points for Child Safety Seats in Cars (INSOFIX).

The new standards also make it easier for parents or guardians to choose the correct restraint based on a child’s height. Using height as the main determinant to assess which type of restraint is needed will also make it easier for the standards to be included in national law and to be enforced nationally.

“China’s new standards on child safety restraints will save lives and prevent serious injuries. WHO is proud to have played a part in supporting these vital amendments that are in-line with WHO and other UN recommendations. The research, knowledge and experience in selecting and adopting these changes will be valuable to China and many more countries that are developing standards for child safety restraints,” said Mr Martin Taylor, WHO Representative to China.

The latest standards were adopted by China’s National Standardization Administration and State Administration for Market Regulation on 29 September 2024. WHO will support the implementation of the standards when they come into force on 1 July 2025. Around 80% of the world’s child safety restraint systems are made in China, so the amendments could contribute to child safety globally.

WHO has supported the development of the new standards for several years, working with the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC), and the National Technical Committee of Vehicle Standardization to provide recommendations based on evidence and global best practice.

China’s experience will support similar technical assistance that WHO is providing to other countries. The development comes in the run up to the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, which will bring leaders and experts together to accelerate action towards the Sustainable Development Goals’ target of halving global road deaths by 2030.

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L’article China sets new standards to advance child safety in vehicles est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.

Meaningful youth participation goes beyond simply involving young people in discussions—it’s about systematically embedding ideas, experiences, and expertise into decision-making processes. Young people aged 15-29 are disproportionately affected by road traffic injuries and have the unique ability to bring fresh, innovative solutions to this global health crisis. To truly harness this potential, youth participation must be systemic, impactful, and continuous, ensuring that their voices contribute meaningfully to addressing the challenge through policy design, implementation and social accountability.

Achieving meaningful youth participation requires a shift in mindset and ways of working. It starts by acknowledging young people as credible societal stakeholders who can drive change, spur action and contribute depth to road safety solutions. This involves building long-term relationships with youth groups. We must create spaces where youth can actively engage, invest in their leadership development, and collaborate to find innovative solutions to road safety challenges. The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 stresses the importance of recognising young people as key stakeholders in achieving the targets of #50by30. When we invest in young people and create equitable spaces for participation, integrated into national road safety strategies and plans, road safety policies become more inclusive, effective, and benefit all road users through increased compliance.

To embolden and champion the case for meaningful youth participation in road safety Youth for Road Safety (YOURS), through its Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety (GYC) program, is organising the 3rd World Youth Assembly for Road Safety, an official side event of the 4th Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. Engagement and capacity on road safety work both ways; we need stakeholders, decision-makers and policy planners to work with young people, but we also need skilled young people who fully grasp the scope of the road safety challenge and understand how sustainable mobility impacts their lives and futures. This is why we are gathering young road safety activists before the Ministerial conference to gather and unite youth in our common mission of tackling road traffic crashes and sustainable mobility, a global scourge that kills more young people than any other public health concern.

The Assembly provides a platform for young leaders to come together, learn about each other’s realities and the solutions that have worked, exchange knowledge and gain new tactics to engage directly with policymakers and multiple stakeholders while taking action back home. Young leaders are committed to advocating for road safety policies that reflect their lived experiences and community needs, pushing road safety up the political agenda. This gathering will adopt the second Global Youth Statement for Road Safety and demonstrate how youth-led actions can significantly influence the global road safety agenda and drive localised action to achieve our global targets.

As part of our mission in Morocco, YOURS will continue to equip young advocates and policymakers with essential tools to support the implementation of intergenerational cooperation in the policymaking process for road safety and sustainable mobility. At the Ministerial Conference, we will champion the Policymaker Toolkit, which offers a roadmap for establishing or improving meaningful youth participation mechanisms within the policymaking cycle for health, road safety, and active mobility policies. At the same time, the Advocacy & Campaign Toolkit empowers young people with the skills and strategies needed to communicate and work hand in hand with decision-makers and to drive sustainable policy change effectively to save lives together.

As the global road safety community gathers in Morocco for the Fourth Ministerial Conference, the 3rd World Youth Assembly will stand as a powerful reminder of young people’s role in shaping a safer future. Young leaders will be present in great numbers, bringing with them the direct experience of the numerous challenges faced on the world’s roads, as well as the pain of being the age group that has lost friends, peers, and family members all too often. They will be actively engaged in being part of the road safety solution, ready to meet with decision-makers, hold them accountable, and collaborate meaningfully to address this global cross-cutting cause.

Their meaningful participation is a necessity for creating inclusive, effective, and lasting solutions to the road safety challenges we face today. By fostering collaboration between youth and policymakers and being recognised as key stakeholders in the road safety ecosystem, we can ensure that the next generation has the tools, resources, and platforms to drive the change we need for a safer world.

For more information about the 3rd World Youth Assembly and how to get involved, visit www.wyaroadsafety.org

If you want to learn more about YOURS work and publications, you can check out those academic articles at BMJ (BMJ Journal- Injury prevention section, September 2024) Bridging the gap between youth and policymakers: a toolkit for policy change on sustainable mobility – Youth-driven actions of road safety in the sustainable development agenda

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L’article Global young leaders to bring road safety innovation, collaboration and accountability to Morocco; one meaningfully engaged voice at a time est apparu en premier sur News Road Safety Morocco.