The Regional Workshop on the Implementation of the Action Plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011- 2020) kicked off today in Amman, Jordan. Government delegates, academics, and representatives from the private sector, non-governmental organizations, national and regional agencies working in the field of road safety are participating in this meeting. The Workshop, which will be closed on Thursday 15 November 2012, aims at presenting the countries of the region with the details of “The Action Plan for the UN Decade for Road Safety” as well as increasing their national capacities in developing plans and strategies for the implementation of its provisions. This meeting also aims to discuss national preparations and proposals for the joint activities in preparation for marking the second UN Week on Road Safety in 2013, in addition to discussing the situation of Road Traffic Safety and the progress occurring in the field of road safety management in member states.
The UN General Assembly has given great importance to the issue of road safety since 2003. Since then, the UN has issued many resolutions in its annual General Assembly meetings for addressing the issue of traffic safety that is deteriorated in the world, the last of which was Resolution 64/255 of 10 May 2010 that is related to improving road safety in the world, and which was passed in light of announcing “the First Ministerial Conference on Road Safety: Time for Action” (Moscow, 19-20 November 2009). ESCWA and its counterparts from the UN committees, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), developed a plan of action for the UN Decade for Road Traffic Safety, which was launched on 17 May 2012 in Beirut, in conjunction with the opening of the twelfth session of the Committee on Transport. The Committee on Transport had, in turn, issued a number of recommendations in this regard, most important of which was calling upon member states to work and coordinate with the ESCWA Executive Secretariat to apply the provisions of the implementation plan of the “Decade of Action for Road Safety” and setting a timetable to implement the provisions of the Moscow Declaration (20 November 2009). Participants also called for the quick formation and activation of institutional committees and national councils that includes all relevant authorities in order to improve road safety, taking into consideration the importance of strengthening financial and human resources aimed at improving road safety in the region. Participants also called for continuing to provide technical support to member states in improving road safety.
For more information: http://www.escwa.un.org/information/meetingdetailsAR.asp?referenceNUM=1934a
