Civil Society Briefing "Climate Change and Road Safety: Linkages and Challenges"

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Hawa Diallo, Chief of the Civil Society Unit at the Civil Society and Advocacy Section, UN Department of Global Communications has extensive United Nations experience in public information outreach and fostering civil society partnerships, with a particular emphasis on youth and women’s organizations. Ms. Diallo began her United Nations career in 1987 in the Department of Public Information and has served in two United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in Cambodia and Somalia, respectively. She has also worked for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat) in Nairobi, as an Associate Human Settlements Officer and as a Partners and Youth Officer.

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Avi Silverman is the Deputy Director of the FIA Foundation, a UK registered international philanthropy founded in 2001. Avi has also worked for UNICEF as the Global Coordinator of UNICEF’s Child Road Traffic Injury Prevention programme. In this role he has coordinated UNICEF’s global advocacy on child road traffic injury and has managed programming worldwide.

He has played a prominent role in the FIA Foundation-led coalition which successfully advocated for the inclusion of road safety in the UN’s Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Avi also serves as a Trustee of the UK’s Road Safety Foundation.

Prior to joining the FIA Foundation, Avi was a Public Affairs Manager for the Local Government Association (LGA) of England and Wales. He was responsible for communications and policy work in the LGA’s International Unit. Previously, he worked as a journalist, commissioned by The Guardian newspaper in the UK and the Ha’aretz/International Herald Tribune in Israel.

Avi has a Master’s degree in International Relations from Cambridge University, a Postgraduate Diploma in journalism from City University London, and a BA in Modern History from Oxford University.

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Chika Sakashita is responsible for the development and implementation of the Alliance’s [Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety] research, accountability and capacity development work, building the organization’s and NGOs’ impact in road safety. She leads the strategic planning and delivery of research that informs advocacy, develops NGO capacity, and strengthens the accountability for road safety delivery. Chika brings a wealth of experience in road safety delivery – in government (Road Transport Authority in the state of New South Wales, Australia), academic research (the George Institute for Global Health), NGO advocacy (Australasian College of Road Safety), as well as independent consulting to multiple international organisations (WHO, UNESCAP, UNESCWA, UNICEF, GRSP, World Bank, Handicap International) and governments, advising and supporting practical applications of evidence-based policies and interventions for improved road safety outcomes in states, countries, regions and globally. Prior to joining the Alliance Secretariat, Chika made significant contributions to the Alliance’s seminal work “The Day Our World Crumbled: The Human Cost of Inaction on Road Safety” and “Good Practice Guide: Meaningful NGO Participation”.

Chika joined the Alliance team in October 2021. She has a PhD in road safety from the School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney as well as Bachelor of Psychology from School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney. In addition to road safety, Chika is passionate about climate change advocacy and has completed “From Climate Science to Action” offered by the World Bank Group. She currently lives in Sydney, Australia.

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Carly manages the UNEP team for Active Mobility, Digitalisation and Mode Integration working with countries around the world to decouple mobility from increasing emissions.  Carly is also the Regional Coordinator for the Central and Eastern Europe Region.

Carly has been working in the field of sustainable mobility for almost fifteen years in the areas of active mobility, road safety, bus rapid transit, congestion charging, low emission zones, bike share systems and digitalisation.

Prior to her time with UN Environment Carly was the Programme Manager for the UN-Habitat Sustainable Transport for East African Cities Programme supported by the Global Environment Fund.  Working with city leaders in Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Kampala to plan for implementation of bus rapid transit systems.

Before moving to Kenya, Carly worked for Transport for London supporting design, implementation and launch of the London Cycle Hire Scheme and the London Low Emission Zone.

Carly holds a Masters in Business Administration with an elective in management. She also holds the UK Association of Project Management Professional Qualification (APMPQ).

Carly is also a Council member of the World Economic Forum Future Council on Mobility.

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Aissata M.B. Camara is the Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff in the NYC Mayor's Office for International Affairs. In this role, she provides international policy guidance to NYC agencies. She also works to strengthen NYC’s strategic leadership on the global stage through partnerships and best practice sharing with local governments, the United Nations, Consulates General, and civil society, and the private sector focused on cities leadership, the Sustainable Development Goals, equity, sustainability, health, education, technology, and diversity. Aissata also oversees the Diplomatic Parking Program and the protocol for the Mayor. She is responsible for the Office’s emergency response in collaboration with the General Counsel. Aissata is the main point of contact for Consulates from Africa, Latin America, and South America. She is also the liaison for Permanent Missions from Africa and the Americas.  

Aissata is a professional with over a decade of program development and management, strategic planning, operations, and relationship building experience in nonprofit, local government, and private sector. She is a recognized expert and excels in helping turn ideas into actionable steps.  While working in leadership and management positions, she developed and implemented successful programs that impacted the lives of more than 40,000 people, especially women and youth, and those living in extreme poverty.  She also launched the award-winning NYC Junior Ambassadors program reaching more than 3,500 youth and educators across the five boroughs. Aissata also led the movement for cities formal commitment to the SDGs through the Voluntary Local Review and its declaration which has more than 330 local governments committed.

Prior to working in the Mayor’s Office, she co-founded There Is No Limit Foundation, an international nonprofit organization focused on serving people living in extreme poverty, especially women, girls, and people with disabilities.  She previously worked at The Rockefeller Foundation, Grameen America, and the Research Foundation for the City of New York. She graduated from Bernard M. Baruch College (CUNY) with a B.A. in International Relations and Social Policy. She went on to earn a M.P.A. in International Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy at the New York University (NYU) Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. She has received numerous awards and recognition including the Jo Ivey Boufford Award for Innovative Solutions to Public Service Challenges. She was also named a Changemaker by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Aissata is originally from the Republic of Guinea, and she currently resides in Manhattan.

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Shehab Abou Zeid is a Program Manager of the Nada Foundation for Safer Egyptian Roads and obtained a master’s degree in Philosophy of Human Rights from Cairo University. Shehab specialises in Empowerment projects and programs as he believes people come first. Shehab is responsible for community mobilisation and building partnerships on both individual and organisational levels, using a diagonal and holistic approach to advocate for a better future for all.

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Dr. Meleckidzedeck Khayesi is a teacher by profession. He holds a PhD degree in Transport Geography. He was born in Vihiga District, Kenya. He joined the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2002, after being a lecturer at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, for 11 years. He is currently based in the Department of Social Determinants of Health at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. He facilitates the development, implementation and evaluation of road safety programmes in countries; prepares policy guidance; and supports road safety capacity development.  His research focus is on road safety, walking, cycling, public transport and transport policy change. He loves transformative pedagogy and local level-led development change. He greatly supports individuals to nurture their talents to become the best they can be.