Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

3 December 2021

 

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

It is my pleasure to convene today’s supporting event towards the 2022 High Level Meeting on Global Road Safety.

The objective of this event is two folds;

  • to build an understanding on domestic and international road safety financing strategies as a pathway for sustainable financing;
  • and to draw on experiences, lessons learned, and best practises for national commitments and multistakeholder partnerships.

Global road safety is a shared responsibility that must be prioritized and integrated. 

Roads are connected to the social and economic development fabric of our society.

In turn, achieving global road safety contributes to the achievement of sustainable development goals under education, health, and the environment, to name a few.

At present, road accidents account for 1.3 million annual deaths and 50 million injuries globally.

We need to address this unnecessary and tragic burden on families, communities and economies.

Road accidents are entirely preventable and our priority must be exactly that, to implement preventive measures.

We now have a Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. 

This global plan sets an ambitious and bold target to halve road deaths and injuries by 2030. 

To complement this target, the document  highlights known and effective best-practices, together with avenues that will guide national and international efforts.

Like so much else, this blueprint is our first step, but unless it is implemented it is nothing  more than a plan of action.

Looking ahead, implementation by national and local governments will  involve two critical elements: financing and the engagement of relevant actors. 

Spotlighting these to elements for global road safety is imperative to ensure that we leave no one behind.

Road statistics underscore this. The numbers imply a divergence in national capacities for road safety, and highlight the notable funding gap in most countries.

It is reported that 90% of road deaths are recorded from low and middle income countries. As such, the realization of the global target and related sustainable development goals will require increased support to these countries.

During today’s event, we will hear from families who have lost loved ones; politicians that have led the way for improved road safety; grassroot youth working on advocacy programs; and both government and non-governmental organizations providing resources for road safety.

Through these shared interventions, we are reminded of the pain and grief, the experiences and lessons that have shaped the discourse on global road safety.   

Each is a story that will foster greater understanding and knowledge on how we can better engage on global road safety.

We have much to do to avert global road deaths and injuries. The consequences of unsafe and inefficient road systems are far too great a price for us to turn a blindeye.

I invite member states, civil societies, and the international community to use today’s exchanges as an opportunity to build collective commitments and strengthened partnerships on global road safety.

I thank you.