Launch of Decade of Action for Road Safety in ESCWA

From the UN headquarters in Beirut, and in cooperation with Lebanese actress Carmen Lebbos, ESCWA launched on 17 May the “Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.” The event was held the auspices and in the presence of caretaker Lebanese Minister of Interior Ziad Baroud, and a slew of diplomats and government officials from ESCWA’s 14 member countries. In March of this year, the UN General Assembly adopted the text proclaiming the “Decade of Action for Road Safety,” out of concern at the continued increase in road traffic fatalities and injuries worldwide. Through this decade, the UN seeks to curb these numbers. “Thirty thousand” is the number Baroud precised in his statement for victims of car accidents in the Arab world every year. The losses endured by the region as a result of this number amount to 25 billion US Dollars, according to the minister who was quoting figures from the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior affiliated with the League of Arab States. He added that the root causes of 80 percent of accidents are speeding and drivers’ carelessness towards traffic laws. The solution to this crisis does not lie only in issuing traffic tickets to drivers, Baroud said, noting that “changing this behavior is directly linked to changing an engraved culture and raising awareness.” In her speech, ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf expressed regret over the losses of lives from road accidents, which “can be prevented without much effort or money. This would save our societies colossal human and material losses.” She added that the five UN regional commissions have cooperated with the World Health Organization and the members of the Global Partnership for Road Safety to establish a plan of action, together with a series of activities and awareness campaigns throughout the coming decade. ESCWA introduced this plan onto the agenda of the current session of the Transport Committee, to discuss it and agree on its implementation. The Executive Secretary noted the concurrence of the launch with the opening of the 12th Session for the ESCWA Transport Committee, held under the auspices of caretaker Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ghazi Aridi. Lebbos said in her opening statement that despite the multitude of causes, “distress and death are one and the same, while losses are colossal.” Enumerating some of the causes of accidents, she mentioned the reckless behavior of drivers, driving under the influence, or speeding. The Lebanese actress stressed that such accidents cannot be considered the work of “fate”, calling for active and real solutions to the crisis. The actress concluded by stressing that her cooperation with ESCWA stems from her belief in the efforts of this international organization in curbing the impacts of road accidents and from her belief in the importance and influence of this issue over our societies. Also present in the opening was the representative of Minsiter Aridi, Director-General of the land and maritime transport at the Lebanese Ministry of Transport Abdul Hafith Qaissi. Qaissi tackled the importance of putting together plans for an integrated transport system in the Arab world, and establishing modern road networks that contribute to achieving socio-economic development. On the other hand, he was keen on emphasizing the equal importance that should be bestowed upon the safe transport of individuals who use these roads. He also noted that the ESCWA transport committee is a yearly opportunity to renew energies towards the goal of transport integration among member countries. The launch concluded when Baroud, Khalaf, Lebbos and Qaissi appended their signatures to the special declaration of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety 2011-2020.