UN Road Safety Trust Fund gears up for action

17 September 2018

Story from the UNECE.

The United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund, launched in April 2018, has taken an important step towards becoming operational, with the first meetings of its Advisory Board and Steering Committee having taken place in Geneva.

The Trust Fund aims to catalyze efforts to address the critical global road safety situation by bridging the gaps in the mobilization of resources and ensuring the effective coordination of action at all levels.

Representatives from five Member States representing each of the United Nations Regions – Argentina, Lebanon, Nigeria, Russia, Sweden – have been appointed to the Fund’s Advisory Board, alongside UN, private sector donor, civil society and academic partners, enshrining the Fund’s broad partnership-based approach to improving road safety.

The Global Framework Plan of Action for Road Safety was introduced as a basis for funding criteria and priorities for Trust Fund activities. The Framework adopts the “safe system” approach, integrating the Decade of Action for Road Safety’s Pillars of safe users; safe vehicles; safe roads; and effective post-crash response, together with good management across these areas, as well as the United Nations global voluntary targets for road safety.

This Framework could guide the Trust Fund’s activities to assist low-and middle-income countries in developing and addressing key gaps in National Road Safety Systems. Through this approach, National Systems would be bolstered by international support to achieve results on the ground – including for countries’ accession to and application of the provisions of the UN road safety conventions and coordinated actions among United Nations agencies.

Participating in the Advisory Board’s first meeting, Nigerian Transport Minister Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi welcomed the Global Framework Plan of Action for Road Safety, stating:

“In Nigeria, we are working hard to improve the road safety situation, but major challenges remain to reduce its death toll and heavy economic burden, which stands at approximately 3% of GDP. We are confident that through the comprehensive approach introduced today, the United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund will help to address critical road safety challenges faced on the ground, in countries like Nigeria.”

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