Good afternoon.
The 104th plenary meeting of the General Assembly is called to order.
I declare open the high level meeting of the Assembly on improving global road safety under the overall theme of scaling up and accelerating implementation of commitments to halving road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
This meeting is held in accordance with Resolution 80 Stroke 247 of March 10th, 2026, and takes place under agenda item 12 entitled Improving Global Road Safety.
The documentation under this item is listed in the Journal of the United Nations.
I will now make a statement as a president of the General Assembly.
Welcome to this high level meeting of the General Assembly on global road safety.
Obviously, since you're here, it means that each of you had to navigate the streets of Manhattan to reach First Avenue.
Whether you came by car, by bike or simply walked, you were nonetheless, part of the complex choreography of New York's traffic system.
And while I'm sure or at least I hope you were paying attention to your surroundings, it is reassuring for each of us that the systems required to keep that environment operating smoothly and safely are in place.
We trust that there are rules and standards, laws, and policy that make navigation roads possible, whether here in New York, in New Delhi, or in Nigeria.
Most of the time we barely think about those systems.
We simply assume they will work.
Traffic lights turning from red to green, sometimes in between yellow and some parts of the world.
But while most journeys and safely, far too many do not.
When I was a child, I personally remember my mother telling me about her sister.
My aunt, had died.
It had been raining and she ran to the store to buy a ruler.
She was hit by a tram when she was still a child.
She died before I was born, so I never mourned her personally.
But the legacy of that loss lingered.
It shaped my grandparents, it shaped my mother, and it became one of those stories parents tell their children hoping they might take just a little more care when they just go out to buy a ruler.
I forgot about this story, but I thought about that just last month here next to the General Assembly during our multi stakeholder hearing on road safety.
Because one of the participants, miss Vivian Perrone, spoke about exactly this morning and this situation for her own family, about losing her child, her son, Kevin.
24 years ago in Argentina, but still feeling it till that day.
She described what she called the never ending ripples of devastation and how she continues to carry his agonizing absence in her heart.
Listening to her, I think all of us who were in the room, we were reminded that while every road fatality is recorded as a statistic, every single one leaves behind a family like us, whose lives are never quite the same again.
I know some of you may nevertheless be asking, well, why is this the United Nations focus on road safety? Are there wars that need to be addressed? Is this really a priority of the United Nations? Frankly speaking, this question is understandable and this is why we have to speak about it.
Because peace and security is, for sure, one of our most essential pillars, but it is not the only one.
If we look back to the charter as we did a couple of weeks ago, our responsibility is also to protect lives on a daily base, to protect health and to promote well being.
The stark reality, as highlighted by the special envoy, is that road traffic crashes have become a silent pandemic.
Every year, more than 1.2 million people are killed on our roads, just doing daily life.
Another 50 million are injured.
Think about these numbers.
That is more than the number killed in direct conflict.
That is more than the number of people murdered, more than the number who die from malaria.
That means every 24 seconds, another person loses their life on or because of the roads and highways.
Since I began speaking, at least half a dozen more families like Vivian's have received news that will change their lives forever.
The strategy is not simply the scale of these losses.
The strategy is also the fact that different than other deadly global challenges, so many of them are entirely preventable.
Therefore, it is so important to raise road safety also right here in this hall, especially where for once, we are dealing with an issue far from contentious.
As for all the issues we discussed in this hall and for all the divisions that can sometimes arise, I guess nobody is against the desire to keep our families, the ones we love safe while going to work or to school.
As I also suspect, there are very few people in this hall who have not been touched by a similar story by this silent pandemic as miss Vivian Perrone.
Whether it was a family member, a friend, or a neighbor.
Most of us know someone whose life changed forever because the journey that should have ended safely did not.
None of us wants our children playing besides dangerous roads.
None of us wants to drive cars that fail basic safety standards.
None of us wants to see pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists suffer because of their poor infrastructure or preventable negligence.
None of us, speaking as a woman, understands why airbags who are supposed to protect our bodies are designed for men, so they're actually hurting many of the female drivers in a car crash.
So this progress Declaration before us, shepherded by our esteemed co facilitators, Ambassador Aida Kazimla of Kyrgyzstan and Ambassador Peter Holey of Slovakia, offers practical recommendations that can make a real difference.
It calls for stronger national leadership on road safety in their own sovereignty, but in the understanding of being better together.
Better by collecting data and use data together, better in securing safer roads and vehicles, improve post crash response, and greater investment in road safety education.
There's nothing contentious about any of this.
Dear colleagues, distinguished representative, let us capitalize on this moment of unity and this rare opportunity for consensus.
Let us commit to this declaration and more importantly, to delivering on its 48th recommendations.
Not only in this hall, but out there on the 42nd Street.
In New Delhi or in Nigeria, in every city, big or small, in every community.
Let us do it for ourselves and for those we love, for our children on their way to school, and for parents like Vivian Perrone, who continue to carry the absence of a child every single day.
I thank you.
In accordance with Rule 70 of the rules of procedure of the Assembly, I now give the floor to the special envoy of the Secretary-General for Road Safety, Mr.
Jean Tot, to deliver remarks on behalf of the Secretary-General.
Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I'd like to thank the President of the General Assembly.
Excellency, misses Ali Barbck for convening this high level meeting on road safety.
I'm pleased to address you today on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General.
Ten years ago, I warned this assembly that road crashes were one of the great emergency of our time, a silent pandemic.
In 2016, one person lost their life on the road every 25 seconds.
More than 90% of those deaths occurred in low and middle income countries.
We adopted an ambitious objective to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50%.
Today, hardly anything has changed.
2010-2021, road has declined by only 5%.
The verdict is clear, we are far off track.
Resolution have been adopted, commitments have been made, declarations have been endorsed, but actions are still to pull.
Between today and the end of this year, more than 84,000 children will be killed on the road.
The global economy will lose another 1.6 trillion.
None of this is inevitable.
In my UN capacity, I've traveled to more than 100 countries.
I've visited hospitals filled with people whose lives have been changed forever by road crashes.
I've spoken with grieving family members after they lost a child.
They may not understand why their loved one was taken from them.
We do.
There are the consequences of not acting enough.
Eight years ago, the American President Harbry Truman reminded leaders that confronting road crashes required leadership and responsibility at every level of society.
Unfortunately, we are still learning the same lessons today.
We understand the risk speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol drugs, distracted driving, and the failure to use proper helmets, seat belts, and child restraints.
The solutions are equally clear.
Safer infrastructure, safer vehicles, lower speed, stronger enforcement, better post crash care.
The challenge has never been knowing what to do.
It has been finding the determination to do it.
This year, we have passed the second midpoint of the second decade of action for road safety.
We cannot afford to continue at the current place.
On the world road, business as usual is a business of this.
In the next five years, the number of motor vehicle worldwide is expected to increase nearly 25%, plaing enormous pressure on transport systems already struggling with rapid urban growth.
Without decisive action, we will face more congestions, worse pollution, greater inequality, and more preventable deaths.
By 2050, nearly 17% of the world's population will live in cities.
The demand a different vision for mobility, where roads are designed for people instead of vehicles, public transport is prioritized and every child can travel safely to school and every worker can return home safe.
Governments have the primary responsibility.
Today, road safety observatories do exist, but are under equipped.
Every country should establish a lead road safety agency with the authority, resources, and political support to coordinate action across government.
Governments must also know where lives are being lost.
Strong national crash data system are essential to identify risk, major progress, and direct investment where they will have the greatest impact.
Safe speed limits must be adopted and enforced, particularly around school and residential areas.
National legislation should be aligned with United Nations Road Safety Conventions and internationally agreed vehicle safety standard.
Urban planners and engineers must ensure that safety is built into every road they design.
As macro mobility devices transform our cities, our policies and enforcement must evolve with them.
We also need the private sector in the fight not only by complying with the law, but by driving safety innovation.
Companies should embed safety throughout their fleets, products, supply chains, and business practices.
For example, every motorcycle should be sold with two UN certified helmets.
If cars come with seat belts, motorcycles should come with helmets.
We know that safe helmets can be produced for below $20.
For more of these helmets might be manufacturer in market where they are most needed.
Every passenger car wherever it is sold and operates must meet universally agreed safety and inspection standard.
No aircraft manufacturer will consider fitting aircraft with different safety feature based on the market they serve.
The same must apply to vehicle worldwide.
We also need academia and civil society to continue generating evidence and demanding accountability.
International organization must advance global cooperation and help countries transform knowledge into action.
Young people need to be at the center of our work because they pay the highest price.
Road crashes continue to be the number one killer of people aged five to 29.
That is completely unacceptable.
We have the prescription and the vaccine, but too often we are still not using them.
They are encouraging examples.
Some countries have significantly reduced fatality rates in just a few years.
But for each of them, this was only achieved through making road safety a serious national priority.
Those decision have saved many lives.
Across the UN system, progress is accelerating.
Agencies throughout the UN family are recognizing the urgency of road crashes.
The World Health Organization is improving fatality reporting and ensuring that road safety is internationally recognized as a public health and development priority.
UNIC is providing clear guidance and regulation for AI and automation in transport as the global Cocisn for Vehicle Safety.
The United Nations Road Safety Fund is helping governments turn commitment into results.
Earlier today, the Road Safety Funds Partnership pledging Conference brought together member states, UN agency and the private sector to increase support for the only UN pool funding mechanism dedicated to road safety.
These are encouraging actions, but they need to be matched by stronger political leadership and SAS investment.
Developed countries must extend greater support to those carrying the heavy burden.
And we must build more creative partnership across sectors.
In my office, the special envoy group of friends is a network of over 120 leaders from government, industry, international organization, and celebrities committed to supporting global road safety.
With the advertising company GCDco, we have developed the global campaign for road safety, which is present in early 80s countries and southern cities worldwide.
The ambition of our partnerships must match the scale of the problem.
Over the next two days, I look forward to hearing C's new commitments, but commitments alone are not enough.
The crisis will end when our actions demonstrate that the loss of young life is not an acceptable cost of living in a modern world.
78 years ago, this Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Article 3 stipulates that everyone has a right to life, liberty, and security of person.
Safe mobility is not only an issue of transport or healthy policy.
It is a question of whether we choose to uphold our most fundamental rights.
Together, we can finally address the silent pandemic on our road for all people because every delay cost too many lives.
Thank you, Madam President.
I thank the special envoy of the Secretary-General for Road Safety.
I now give the floor to His Excellency, Log Bardo Chapa, President of the Economic and Social Council.
President of the General Assembly, Secretary-General special envoy for road safety, Director General of Wu, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a pleasure to join you today for this high level meeting on road safety.
Excellencies, road safety is often discussed as a transport issue.
It is, of course that, but it is much more than that.
Clearly, it is a development issues, it is a public health issues, or social justice issues, and climate issues.
Ultimately, it is about implementing the sustainable development goals in ways that improve people's lives.
This meeting comes just days after the conclusion of the high level Political forum on sustainable development, where member states examine how to accelerate the implementations of the sustainable development goal 11.
The review of SDG 11 reaffirmed that Transport cannot be considered in isolation.
It must be planned alongside housing, land use, and public space if cities are to become more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable.
Road safety illused this way.
It is saved not only by how we design our cities and mobility systems, but by the choices we make about how people move safely through them.
Excellencies, road safety also illustrates the value of the ecos mandate.
Our role is to bring together the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of the sustainable development.
Transport decisions have consequences far beyond the transport sector.
They save public health, they save urban development, economic opportunities, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion.
They therefore require coordinated actions across sectors.
As we have heard, every year, More than 1.2 million people lose their lives in the roads with the overwhelming majority occurring in low and middle income countries.
Millions suffer more suffer life changing injuries.
We all know that behind every statistic is a human story, a person's, a family, a community whose future is horrible altered.
Eight, the tragedies are not inevitable, they are preventable.
Transport may not have its own sustainable development goal, but it is an indispensable enabler of the sustainable development.
It connects people to educations, it connects to jobs opportunities, and it connects to the healthcare, it supports economic growth, and it supports social inclusion and resilient communities.
Excellency is this delegates.
The recently proclaimed United Nations decade for the Transport for 2026 2035 reinforces these broader regions.
Rather than advancing the parallel tracks, the decade of sustainable transport and the decade of action for road safety should inform a single approach to transport.
One that places safety at the heart of sustainable mobility.
What does this mean in practice? It means planning housing, transport, and public sector space together rather than in isolation.
It means investing in safe, affordable and accessible public transport that expand opportunities while reducing congestion and emissions.
It means designing streets that are safer pedestrians and cyclists, creating healthier, more livable cities.
It means building safety into transport planning from the outset rather than trying to correct dangerous systems.
After tragedy strikes.
This is also the essence of the safe system approach, designing transport systems that recognize human vulnerability and ensure that mistake do not result in death or serious injury.
We also need to rethink how we measure success for decades.
Success has been defined by how efficiently we move vehicles.
The true measures of success should instead be whether people, especially children, older persons, persons with disabilities, pedestrians and cyclists can move safely, affordably, and with dignity.
Let us seize this opportunity.
To build transport systems that put people first.
Let us act with urgency, with ambitions, and with solidarity because every life saved on our roads brings one step closer to the promise of the 2030 agenda, a future that is safer, more inclusive, and more sustainable for all.
The Economic and Social Council remains committed to supporting international cooperation and partnership that advance road safety.
Governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the communities all have a vital role to play in this respect.
No single actor can address this challenge alone.
Together, we can deliver better in the interest of all.
I thank you.
I thank the President of the Economic and Social Council.
I now give the floor to Mr.
Tedros Ad Hamum Gabro Jessus, the Director General of the World Health Organization.
Your Excellency, Annalena Berbug, President of the General Assembly, Your Excellency, Ambassador Aida Casimilva, Ambassador Your Excellency, Ambassador Peter Houlani and my friend, Special Envoy Jean Todd, and the President of EcoSok, Ambassador Tapa, Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends.
Let me start with a survey.
If anyone in the room has ever been in a road traffic crash, please I ask you to stand up personally.
Then while you're standing, I have another question.
If you lost someone you love in a road traffic crash or they were seriously injured, please stand up.
Anyone you know and close to you.
I think almost all of us, thank you.
You may be seated now.
In one way or another, road safety touch all of our lives.
I see it in this room today, and I feel it too.
Last year alone, more than 1.1 million people lost their lives on the world's roads.
That's more than two days every single minute.
That's 1.1 million people who set out on a journey to work, to school, to the shops, or to visit family or friends and never reached their destination.
A parent who never made it home for dinner, a child who never married to school, a friend who never married to say goodbye.
Lives cut short in an instant.
Those who survive often do so with life changing injuries and with families who care for them, grieve with them, and carry on bedside them.
The toll is even more shocking when we consider that every single one of these diseases and injuries could have been prevented.
Behind every static is a name, a face, a story.
We owe it to them to act.
Encouragingly, we have made real progress together.
Since 2011, the number of annual deaths on the world's roads has dropped by 9% and the fatality rate has fallen by 21%.
There are bright spots in every region.
Mexico has made safe mobility a universal right.
Zambia has stepped up data collection and analysis.
Thailand has strengthened emergency care.
Vietnam has adapted strong laws and regulations.
The United Kingdom's new road safety strategy strengthens governance and accountability.
The United Arab Emates was one of the ten countries that have road fatalities in Kenyas The Marrakesh Declaration adopted last year is driving progress and Africa's first legally binding road safety framework came into force this year.
Together, we have shown that development does not and must not mean more road des, but it's not enough.
Road crashes are still the leading cause of death among children and young people aged five to 29.
Every one of those young lives had a future.
We cannot accept losing them on their way to living it.
Our goal is a 50% drop in this by 2030.
At the midpoint in the decade of action for road safety, the time for talk is over.
It's time to deliver.
That's what the declaration you're adapting today aims to do.
I thank Kyrgyzstan and Slovakia for their leadership in negotiating it.
I commend member states for the commitments you're making.
To adapting bold national strategies with targets, timelines, and budgets that ensures accountability, to establishing lead agencies for road safety, to improving data laws, regulations, and enforcement, to strengthening the safety of vehicles and infrastructure, to managing speed, to enhancing rehabilitation and trauma care, and to ensuring safe, affordable and accessible public transport.
The global plan for the decade of action charts the way forward.
Building safe road systems is complicated.
It requires a paradigm shift to make safety a priority.
It means designing streets for people first, not motor vehicles.
It means accepting that people make mistakes and taking action to ensure those mistakes aren't deadly.
It means doing more to protect people who walk, cycle, or ride a motorbike because their lives matter as much as anyone traveling behind the wheel.
This is not a job for the health sector alone.
I hope you'll agree with me.
Every one has a role to play.
We need businesses to put safety at the core of their operations.
We need academia, civil society, and the media to produce evidence and hold leaders to account.
We need youth movements to demand action and help us take it because too often, it's their generation paying the highest price.
If we do this, the rewards are immense.
Safe streets can unlock huge gains for the health of people and planet.
When infrastructure is safe, more people choose to walk or cycle.
Every step and every ride reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
If we give them the chance, more people choose public transport.
This means cleaner and cooler air, less congestion, and more vibrant public spaces.
It opens access to jobs, schools, and opportunities.
It powers the green transition and ensures more people live longer, healthier and happier lives.
All this is possible if we put people and safety first.
Excellence is, dear colleagues and friends.
In a turbulent world of increasing division, we can all agree on safe streets.
We can all agree that everyone who sets out on a journey to work, to school, to see the people they love should reach their destination safely.
Let this declaration be more than words on a page.
Let it be a promise to every family who has stood here today and to every family who is not in this room but is living with loss.
We can make that happen.
Together, let's do it for them.
I thank you.
I thank the Director General of the World Health Organization.
We have heard the last speaker in the opening segment of the high level meeting.
As announced in my letter dated July 13th, 2026, we will now proceed to consider draft resolution A stroke 80 Stroke L 95, entitled Progress Declaration of the High levelvel Meeting on Improving Road Global Safety.
I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.
Thank you, Madam President.
The present oral statement is made in the context of Rule 153 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly.
The present statement has also been distributed to member states.
Under the terms of paragraph 48 of the Declaration entitled Progress Declaration of the High levell Meeting on improving global road safety, annexed to the draft resolution, which would be adopted by the General Assembly, heads of state and government and high level representatives would decide to review progress through the established reporting processes of the General Assembly and to undertake a further comprehensive review no later than 2030.
With regard to the comprehensive review as contained in paragraph 48 of the declaration, in the absence of modalities of the comprehensive review, it is not possible at the present time to estimate the potential cost implications of the requirements.
When the format, scope, and modalities of the comprehensive review are determined, the Secretary-General would assess the budgetary implications and advise the General Assembly in accordance with Rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly.
Thank you.
I thank the representative of the Secretariat before giving the floor for explanations of vote before the vote, as announced in my letters dated January 6th and May 20, 2026, I propose that the time limits for statements in explanation of vote under this item be 5 minutes.
Is there any objection to this proposal? I hear none.
It is so decided.
According to pursuant to Rule 72 of the rules of procedure of the Assembly, when representative exceeds her or his allotted time, the president shall call the speaker to order without D delay, which will be done by means of automatic microphone cutoff.
To assist delegations in managing the time, a countow clock will be displayed on the screens.
Members are also reminded that explanations of vote should be made by delegations from their seat.
I give the floor to the Distinguished representative of the United States.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Under President Trump, the United States is asking the United Nations to return to its core purposes, maintaining international peace through measurable results, not ideological statements.
Resolutions must be concise and actionable.
They should drive outcomes.
The United States voted no on this resolution because it represents the very type of mandate creep that has eroded the credibility of this institution.
Instead of focusing on common sense measures, this text attempts to globalize local governance and hitch domestic transportation budgets to the United Nations sprawling ideological agenda.
Every nation wants safe streets and every parent wants their children protected when they walk to school.
The United Nations has long been a global leader in automotive safety infrastructure, innovation, and rigorous traffic enforcement.
Our nation saw its second lowest traffic fatality record in recorded history at 1.10 fatalities per 100 million vehicles miles traveled.
We value practical efforts to save lives.
This declaration insists on integrating road safety into climate, environmental, and urban policies.
It attempts to treat traffic management as a subset of the United Nations broader 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
Road safety is a practical matter of engineering, sober driving, and personal responsibility.
It should not be used as a backdoor vehicle to enforce global climate pacts or top down environmental restrictions on freedom of mobility.
Additionally, the text pushes for international vehicle safety regulations and the top down deployment of advanced automation technologies.
It explicitly calls for the sharing of new safety technologies on mutually agreed terms with developing countries.
The United States will always protect intellectual property rights and free market enterprise.
Innovation is driven by American companies competing in the private sector, not by UN managed technology transfer schemes or international regulatory boards attempting to dictate automotive design.
The United States is taking a back to basics approach to road safety, as seen in our domestic programs such as pathways to safer streets, Safe Roads Initiative, and Operation Safe Drive, which uses targeted countermeasures and enforcement to remove thousands of dangerous drivers from our roads.
We believe member states should focus their efforts on such practical, results driven actions within their own borders rather than engaging in symbolic global gestures.
United States will continue to reduce traffic fatalities through American ingenuity, robust local policing, information campaigns, medical assistance programs, institutional partnerships, and state of the art infrastructure investment.
We do not need a multi year UN roadmap, a new reporting mechanism to the World Health Organization or international oversight to keep our citizens safe on the road.
We underscore that UN General Assembly resolutions are non binding.
They do not create rights or obligations under international law, nor do they change the current state of conventional or customer international law.
I thank you.
I thank the Distinguished Representative of the United States.
We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote before the vote.
The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A Stroke 80 Stroke L 95, entitled Progress Declaration of the High levell Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety.
As we heard, a recorded vote has been requested.
We shall now begin the voting process.
Those in favor of draft resolution A stroke 80, Stroke L 95, please signify.
Those against abstentions.
The Assembly is now voting on draft resolution A slash 80 slash L 95, entitled Progress Declaration of the High levell Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety.
Will all delegations confirm that their votes are accurately reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed.
Please lock the machine.
The result of the vote is as follows.
In favor 162 against one abstention zero.
Draft resolution eight stroke 80 stroke L 95 is adopted.
Before giving the floor for explanation of vote, after the vote, may I remind delegations that explanation of vote are limited to 5 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seat.
For those of you who are attending not as often as many of the pass because of this high level event, I would like to remind you that there is a automatic microphone cutoff.
You will see the remaining speaking time on screen and also your microphone starts blinking to the end of your speaking time.
As a first speaker, I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Argentina, followed by New Zealand and Paraguay.
Thank you very much, Madam President.
Argentina has joined this high level meeting for its commitment to reducing road casualties and we highlight the technical aspects of the declaration emphasizing the importance of the exchange of best practices, capacity building, technology transfer, and financing based on international cooperation respects the realities and national sovereignties.
As regards the references to the 2020 agenda for Sustainable Development, Argenta recalls that this represents an aspirational framework and is not binding.
Its implementation must respect the sovereign right of each state to interpret and pursue its objectives in accordance with their national legislation, priorities, and development strategies.
In this regard, we reserve our national position on the matter.
We also reserve our position on the role of the WHO Finally, we would call for greater clarity and predictability as regards the procedures for the adoption of documents for meetings of this type, especially as regard the established steps in resolution 80 slash 47 on modalities.
The procedural interpretation applied in this case does not necessarily constitute a precedent for future meetings with similar modalities.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Argentina.
I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of New Zealand.
Thank you, President.
New Zealand voted in favor of this resolution in recognition of the challenge posed by global road safety fatalities and the devastating impacts these have on families and on communities.
We thank the co facilitators and all member states who have contributed to this process and we acknowledge the importance of continued international cooperation to reduce preventable road deaths and serious injuries.
Road crashes impose profound costs on families, communities, health systems, and economies.
For many countries, including in our own Pacific region, road trauma remains an urgent and serious challenge.
New Zealand supports the broad purpose of this declaration to maintain global momentum, share good practice, and encourage practical action to improve road safety outcomes.
New Zealand is committed to playing its part.
A national approach recognizes that safety is critical to a well functioning transport system and that road deaths and serious injuries create significant social and economic costs.
Focused on practical evidence based interventions that target the causal factors of death and serious injury.
New Zealand notes that some elements of the declaration do not fully reflect our own domestic road safety approach.
New Zealand's road safety objectives do not adopt quantified casualty reduction targets.
Our approach is instead shaped by national circumstances and by principles that place emphasis on the highest contributing factors to fatal and serious crashes.
The economic and social outcomes sought from the road system, efficient and cost effective delivery, personal responsibility, and public acceptability.
My delegation kindly requests that this statement be included in the meeting record.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished Representative of New Zealand.
I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Paraguay.
W you hang it up.
Thank you very much, Madam President.
My delegation wishes to deliver a general explanation as regards draft resolution A, stroke 40, stroke 25 that was adopted at this meeting.
As regards references to Agenda 2030 and the sustainable development goals, we wish to highlight that paragraph 74 of Resolution 70 Stroke one of the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted on the 25th of September 2025.
Okay.
Through which the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs were established, we underscore the voluntary nature of the follow up and review procedures of the 2030 agenda, and this must be adjusted to the normative frameworks and national priorities.
Similarly, we also wish to point out in paragraph 55 where the aspirational nature of these, which is to say non legally binding nature of the SDGs is recognized together with the sovereign independence of states as regards their incorporation into their own public policies.
As a result, the national government is implementing Its development plans in relation to the SDGs while fully exercising the national sovereignty of the state of Paraguay while adhering to our constitutional precepts.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Paraguay.
We have heard the last speaker in the explanation of vote after the vote.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Her Excellency Aida Kasimyva, permanent representative of Kyrgyzstan to the United Nations and His Excellency Peter Kali, permanent representative of Slovakia to the United Nations, who ably and patiently conducted the discussions and complex negotiations in the informal consultations on the Progress Declaration.
I am sure members of the Assembly join me in extending to them our sincere appreciation.
Before we begin with the list of speakers for the plenary segment, I would like to remind delegations that pursuant to resolution 80 slash 247, the time limit will be 3 minutes for individual delegations and 5 minutes for statements made on behalf of the group of states.
Accordingly, pursuant to the Rule 72 of the rules of procedure of the Assembly, when the representative exceeds her or his allotted time, the president shall call the speaker to order without delay, which will be done by means of automatic microphone cutoff.
To assist delegations in managing their time, a countdown clock will be displayed on the screens.
Please be aware that the remaining speaking time is displayed on the left hand side of the restroom.
Having said this, I would appeal to all speakers to deliver their statements at a reasonable pace to facilitate interpretation into the six official languages.
I now give the floor to His Excellency, Da O'Brien, Minister of Transport and Minister of Climate, Energy and the Environment of Ireland.
Madam Chairperson, special envoy, Excellency delegates and friends, Ireland aligns itself with the statement of the European Union and its member states.
We very much welcome this high level meeting on improving global road safety and its focus on accelerating a shared commitment to half road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
We thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this meeting and the co facilitators for their invaluable work.
Ireland supports the adoption of today's Declaration.
We strongly support the United Nations decade of action for road safety and the leadership of the WHO and other UN entities and representatives working on global road safety.
Our experience in Ireland shows the value of long term national strategies, cross governmental partnerships, and sustained public engagements to change behavior.
In just over two decades, Ireland reduced road deaths from 472 fatalities in 1997 to 137 in 2021.
But in recent years remind us that we cannot be complacent.
In 2025, tragically, 188 people lost their lives on Irish roads.
Ireland's road safety strategy to 2030 is aligned with the safe systems approach, the EU framework, and importantly, the UN target to half deaths and serious injuries this decade.
It also commits Ireland to vision zero by 2050.
We're acting across safer roads, safer speeds, safer vehicles, safer road users, post crash response and stronger governance while investing in active travel and public transport.
Current priorities include speed limit reduction and safety camera enforcement, better collision data, stronger road traffic legislation, and improved driver education.
These actions are national, but road safety is a shared international responsibility.
People, goods, vehicles, technologies, and standards move across borders and our response must be equally connected.
Ireland supports stronger international cooperation to help all countries implement proven measures, safe road design, speed management, seat belt use, action on drink and drug driving, prevention of distracted driving, vehicle safety standards, emergency care, and reliable data systems.
As we approach the midpoint of the decade of action, Ireland's message is clear implementation and acceleration.
Proven interventions must be applied consistently, resourced adequately, and sustained politically.
Let us leave this assembly with a renewed resolve to put people first, protect the most vulnerable, and ensure safe, sustainable, and accessible mobility for all.
Garmin and Mag Glare, thank you.
I thank the Minister of Transport and Minister of Climate, Energy and the Environment of Ireland.
I now give the floor to His Excellency, Damirbk Osmanov, Minister of Health of Kyrgyzstan.
Madam Chair, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome this high level meeting and thank the United Nations for mobilizing global action on one of the most pressing public health challenges.
We support the objectives of General Assembly resolution 78 slash 290, which reaffirms that road safety is inseparably linked to sustainable development and the protection of human life.
Allow me express our sincere gratitude to the President of the General Assembly for the confidence placed in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Slovak Republic by entrusting our countries with co facilitating the negotiations on the Outcome Declaration.
We work closely to ensure an open, inclusive, and transparent process and to bring the positions of member states closer together.
We thank all delegations for their constructive engagement and flexibility, which enabled the preparation of a balanced and action oriented document.
Kyrgyzstan, protecting the lives and health of citizens is an absolute priority.
In 22.
Five, 8,456 road traffic accidents were recorded, claiming 900 lives and injuring more than 12,000 people.
Every life loss is an irreplaceable tragedy.
Human Kygzstan is implementing the national development strategy until 2040 and the road safety strategy, which aims to reduce road fatalities by 50% by 2027.
This year, a dedicated commission was established under the cabinet of ministers to coordinate interagency action at the highest level.
Also advancing digital solutions.
The Safe City Project has integrated more than 5,000 intelligent cameras while road infrastructure and legislation continue to be modernized.
In June 26, a law was adopted to regulate personal mobility devices, including electric scooters by setting a speed limit of 15 kilometers/hour and introducing administrative liability.
As Minister of Health, I must emphasize that no health system can address this challenge alone.
We are strengthening emergency preparedness, modernizing trauma care, and developing air ambulance services.
The Ministry of Health is also expanding prevention campaigns because road safety begins with the responsible behavior of every road user.
The Kyrgyz Republic remains committed to international cooperation and to implementing the Marrakesh Declaration of 2025.
Our meeting in June 2026 in the UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr.
Jan Tod opened new opportunities for practical cooperation.
We thank United Nations, the World Health Organization, and all international partners for supporting national efforts.
I thank you.
I thank the Minister of Health of Kyrgyzstan.
I now give the floor to His Excellency, Abdel Shad Kyu, Minister of Transport and Logistics of Morocco.
Ibrahim.
In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate Your Excellencies, ministers, delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great honor to take part in this high level meeting that is dedicated to safety on road safety, which is a very important topic that poses many challenges in public health, sustainable development, and international cooperation fields.
We reiterate our firm commitment to achieve the objectives of the decade for action for road safety to have the road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
To achieve this objective, the Kingdom of Morocco in view of the royal vision of His Majesty, King Muhammad six seeks to strengthen road safety By adopting an integrated strategy that is in line with the 2030 plan for sustainable development and for road safety.
This new plan is based on several periods such as good governance to coordinate among the different agencies and professionals as well as the components of civil society organizations and to actively engage them in implementing projects for prevention and law enforcement, as well as improving infrastructure in order to take care also of the injured as well as education and awareness raising and adopting technology and artificial intelligence, as well as the efforts to enhance road safety that are based primarily on protecting the most vulnerable groups, whether they are pedestrians or cyclists.
Who constitute 70%, unfortunately, of the victims of road incidents in Morocco.
We have dedicated $1 million to implement the adopted strategy.
The fourth Ministerial Conference on road safety in Marrakesh last year.
Under the auspices of King Muhammad six that was co organized by Morocco and World Health Organization, as well as relevant international organizations.
It was a landmark event whereby there were more than 500 people, 146 countries and more than 100 ministers that are responsible for traffic and transportation in their respective countries.
The Marrakesh Declaration is considered a strong pillar for continuing the implementation.
The microphone got cut off.
I thank I thank the Minister of Transport and Logistics of Morocco.
I now give the floor to Her Excellency Lillian Greenwood, Minister of Local Transport of the United Kingdom.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
The United Kingdom welcomes this high level meeting and its declaration and we thank the ambassadors from the Kyrgyz Republic and Slovak Republic for steering this progress, building on commitments made last year in Marrakesh.
I again thank the Kingdom of Morocco for being such a welcoming host.
That meeting called on us to make road safety a political priority.
Since then, we have published our first road safety strategy in more than a decade, which aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads by at least 65% and 70% for children by 2035.
It builds in the safe system approach, structured around four themes, safer road users, safer infrastructure, safer vehicles with innovative tech as standard and effective enforcement.
In England, the cycling and walking investment strategy also builds in safer, greener and more accessible routes.
And sets a target for 55% of short journeys in towns and cities in England to be walked or cycled by 2035.
But the success of our national efforts will rely on international partnership.
The United Nations Regional Economic Commissions play an important role in developing international vehicle regulations, data standards, and road safety frameworks.
The United Kingdom is contributing to global road safety through UNECE processes, such as the Global Forum for Road Safety and World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations.
We also offer expertise in vehicle safety assessment programs such as Euro NCAP, and we play a pivotal role in advancing research on global road safety through our funding and support to the World Bank's Global Road Safety Facility and IE Connector Impact Program.
The new UN decade of sustainable transport offers further opportunity for us to put safety at the heart of policy.
We look forward to continuing to work with you each to save the 1.2 million lives lost globally on roads each year.
Thank you.
I thank the Minister of Local Transport of the United Kingdom.
I now give the floor to Her Excellency Medina Sisoco Danbelle, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure of Mali.
Madam President.
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to convey warm greetings to you, those of His Excellency, the General of the Army, Simi Gota, President of the Transition Head of State and of the Republic of Mali.
Mali also hails the stellar work of the co facilitators in national capacity under the guidance of the Head of State, the government of Mali has launched the decade of action for Road Safety 2021, 2030.
Its goal is to cut in half the number of victims of road traffic accidents.
To that end, Molly has carried out for its first pillar, we've set up an inter ministerial road safety committee, and for Pillar two, we've launched an improvement of infrastructure and equipment to improve areas that are prone to accident.
And we've also underscored an awareness of vulnerable users.
For Pillar three, we've strengthened technical automobile controls, and we've strengthened our legislation on the awareness of child safety.
For pillar four, We have taught to the rules of the road in educational institutions, and we've introduced ongoing training of commercial chauffeurs and other drivers.
And we've also established for pillar five, rescue posts on intercity routes, and we have also strengthened the technical dashboards of hospitals and health centers to care for road traffic victims.
However, the challenges remain.
Especially difficulties in standardizing imported vehicles and the dearth of dedicated road infrastructure for certain types of uses.
In order to remedy these shortcomings, we've committed to implementing goal 11.2 of the 2030 agenda to ensure access to transport systems that are safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable for everyone and to improve road safety.
With that in mind, Molly remains ready to commit together with its technical partners and financial partners to tackle the challenges of road traffic accidents which compromises the development of our country.
I remain convinced that international cooperation will allow us to achieve SDG 3.6.
Thank you.
I thank the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure of Mali.
I now give the floor to His Excellency, Sheikh Rabel Alam, Minister of Road Transport and Bridges of Bangladesh.
Miss Miller nominated him.
Your Excellency, distinguished delegates, colleagues and friends.
It is an honor to address this high level meeting.
On behalf of Bangladesh, I reaffirm our commitments to reducing road traffic, deaths and injuries in line with the global plan for the decay of action for Road Sty 2021 to 2013.
Bangladesh has taken significant steps to strengthen its road safety frameworks.
We have enacted the Road Transport Act 2018, the Rules 2022, Bangladesh Helmet Standard 2022, and the Speed Management Guidelines 2024.
We are going to add up the Speed Management manual and helmet implementation and enforcement guideline by 2026.
Besides, government is implementing AI Annabel Speed Management, quicker post crash response system, and safety intervention on highways, particularly for PedestTans.
Today, I am pleased to reaffirm Bangladesh government's commitment to finalizing, endorsing, and passing the comprehensive road safety law by December 2027, in line with the SAP system approach and global best practices.
Bangladesh government acknowledges the critical support of the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Global Road Safety Partnership, the Global Health Advocacy In Kuben.
Incubator and our national civil society organizations.
Finally, Bangladesh reaffirms its commitment to make road safety a political priority to achieve the 2030 targets of a 50% reduced reduction in road crash, death and injury.
Road safety EJ shared responsibility.
Together, we can build a safer, healthier and more equitable future for all road users.
Thank you all.
I thank the Minister of Road Transport and Bridges of Bangladesh.
I now give the floor to His Excellency Fernando Grande Mlasque Gomez, Minister of Interior of Spain.
Madam President, Excellencies, in Spain, we know that road accidents can be avoided and we have even proven this.
Over the last 20 years, we have gone from having amongst the highest mortality rates in the European Union with 128 deaths per million inhabitants to among those countries showing the best improvement with a rate falling to just 37 deaths per million.
This progress has been based on three pillars.
Firstly, we have placed victims and their families at the center of our road safety policies, recognizing their essential role in promoting a culture of prevention.
We have also promoted the commitment of a society as a whole, government companies, social organizations, and user associations, road user associations, because we are convinced that road safety is a shared responsibility.
Thirdly, we have ensured compliance with regulations through effective surveillance and control.
Prioritizing the main risk factors, use of seat belts, helmets, alcohol and drug use, speed, distractions, and repeat offenders.
I would also like to point out some recent measures that continue contributing to our common goal here, which is saving lives.
The points based licensing system is now 20-years-old and this is one of the measures that has most helped us save lives, but also establishing a speed limit of 30 kilometers/hour on urban roads with just one lane in each direction.
Similarly, replacing emergency triangles with connected light beacons and this reduces the risks of accidents, preventing the driver from having to get out of the vehicle in the event of a breakdown and reducing the maximum permitted alcohol level while driving to point 1 milligram per liter of exhaled hair.
We are working on legislation for this and we hope that this will be passed soon.
Excellency, countries with the greatest experience in road safety should share their knowledge and cooperate with other states and the creation of effective structures for regional cooperation in this area is absolutely key to reducing overall global action levels.
For this reason, we will continue to promote the Ibero American Road Safety Program, working on the harmonization of driving licenses and on a common framework of regulations for the next Ibero American Summit to be held by heads of state in November in Madrid.
This includes clear commitments on road safety.
I conclude with a firm conviction, we know that measures save lives.
It is now up to us to implement them with the ambition, determination, and urgency that this challenge demands of us.
I thank you.
I thank the Minister of Interior of Spain.
I now give the floor to his Ecells Excellency Naduza Naduanw, Minister of Public Works and Transport of Escoini.
Madam President, on behalf of the ingdom of Eswatini, I thank you for convening this high level meeting to address a matter that touches every aspect of human life, road safety.
The elevation of this subject to this high level discussion reflects the commitment of the United Nations on fellow member states to advancing global road safety.
Sarin also commends the dedication of the UN Secretary-General Special Envoy on road safety, Mr.
Jentot, whose efforts continue to yield meaningful results.
Eswatini is proud to be among the first countries to ratify the African Road Safety Charter, which is derived from the global framework on road safety.
Beyond ratification, Sadin went further to develop its first national road safety strategy 2023 2030 to guide all road safety stakeholders towards zero traffic deaths by 2063 and reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.
The strategy adopts the safe system approach, and its quality was recognized through an award under the road safety management category of the coffee and non road safety Awards held in Marrakesh, Morocco in 2023.
Since 2023, Eswatini has recorded steady decline in road deaths and with mid year figures of 2026 showing continued positive trend.
We are committed to pushing these figures even lower because road deaths are surely preventable.
Madam President, we will not rest on our laurels.
Progress demands, even greater effort.
To strengthen road safety, SOT has begun improving driver learning, training and testing to align standards under the Tripartit Transport and Transit facilitation Program, developed by three regional blocs in Africa, supported by the European Union.
National road safety strategy identified weaknesses in this area and the reforms underway demonstrate our determination to achieve successful turnaround.
Vehicle testing is equally critical STN is enhancing vehicle testing and fitness systems by transitioning from conventional methods to electronic platforms.
Strengthening both driver competence and vehicle safety will significantly advance our ability to meet national and global road safety targets.
To ensure safer roads, Eswatini has enacted the Roads Authority Act of 2023, establishing the Eswatini Roads Authority to improve road maintenance.
A dedicated road fund has been created to ring fence resources.
I thank the Minister of Public Works and Transport of Eswatini.
I now give the floor to His Excellency, Damian klin, State Secretary of Infrastructure and Energy of Slovenia.
Dear President of General Assembly, dear UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr.
Jean Todd.
Excellency's, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
Slovenia warmly welcome the political declaration adopted today and thank the co facilitators, Slovakia and Kyrgykstan for their outstanding work.
Its central message, scaling up governments, financing and implementation to have road traffic deaths and injuries by 2020 captures the urgency of our common mission.
Road fatalities in Slovenia have fallen from 506 in 1994 to just 68 in 2024, the lowest number in our history.
This progress is extraordinary and has been achieved despite 80% increase in traffic volumes over the past two decades.
However, the first half of 2026 brought a serious warning.
While the overall number of road crashes decreased by 30%, fatalities increased by more than 35%.
This paradox shows that although our prevention measures are reducing the number of crashes, these more severe crashes are becoming more frequent.
Excessive speeding often combined with alcohol remains the leading cause of fatal crashes.
At the same time, we are witnessing growing vulnerability among motorcyclists.
Over the past decade, the number of the registered motorcyclists in Slovenia have increased by 74%, making this group one of the greatest road safety challenges.
We have significant progress, but still not enough.
Every country faces its own challenges.
Road safety is a shared global responsibility and sustainable financing is essential.
Slovenia does not only advocate for action.
We are proud to have pledged 30,000 euro to the UN Nation Road Safety Fund for the period 26, 2028.
We believe that sharing knowledge, expertise, and the good practices through the Fund can help save lives where the need is the greatest.
Road safety is a global goal that unites us all, regardless of nationality, religion, and political differences.
Let us use that shared commitment to accelerate action, strengthen cooperation, increase investment, and turn today commitments into measurable lifesaving results.
Thank you.
I thank the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Energy of Slovenia.
I now give the floor to Her Excellency, Maria Pierre Vedran, Minister delegate to the Minister of the Interior responsible for citizenship of France.
Madam President.
Madam President, Excellency dear colleagues.
At the outset, I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly for having convened this high level meeting.
Furthermore, I wish to hail the commitment of Her Excellency Ada Kasim Aliyev, permanent representative of the Kyrgyz Republic and His Excellency Peter Oleany permanent representative of the Slovak Republic.
Their involvement allowed for the adoption of the Declaration, which France wholeheartedly supports.
This declaration brings a simple but essential ambition, saving lives.
Every year, over 1.2 million people die on the roads in the world.
Millions of others are injured sometimes severely.
Behind these figures, there are families torn apart, there are lives interrupted, destinies that are thrown into upheaval in several seconds.
No society can consider these tragedies to be inevitable.
Road safety is not a technical policy.
It is a policy to protect lives.
This is why France supports the goal set in the UN decutive action, that is having the number of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
To achieve this goal, we must favor a comprehensive approach as the WHO promotes.
We need to address infrastructure, vehicles, speed, protective equipment, controls, and certainly behavior.
It is above all, responsible behavior that saves lives.
We need to build a genuine culture of road safety that is learned and passed on.
In France, we've made that choice for over 50 years.
Road safety is part of the education of every student from the primary school up until the lyse.
With a view to curbing high risk behavior.
Learning to move in traffic means learning to live together, to respect others, with a view to being a good citizen and being responsible.
This policy is vital, but it is never achieved.
In France, young people 18-24 are still the category the most vulnerable to fatal accidents.
The prevention always needs to be updated and we need to continue to promote a culture of road safety by teaching young generations responsibility about vulnerable users like pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
The challenges are allegiant, and we share the same responsibility, building public policy grounded in the realities of each territory that can adapt to new challenges and continue to protect road users.
Ultimately, road safety is one of the most tangible expressions of public policy.
We need to ensure that this ambition guides all of our decisions.
I thank Minister delegate to the Minister of the Interior responsible for citizenship of France.
I now give the floor to His Excellency, Set D Set, Deputy Minister of Interior of Thailand.
Madam President, Excellency, as the heads of delegation, Thailand possess safety at the very center of our nation.
Now agenda, our target to cut law traffic fatalities and injury by a lead 50% by 2030.
The load safety mechanism of Thailand is driven by multilevel governance.
The national load accident prevention load deduction policy committee serve as the policy making body.
The dialing Center for Law Safety at the national and provision levels function as coordinating mechanism.
The District Law Safety Obolation Center and the local administrative organization, Law Safety Ablation Center serve as the ablational mechanism, On the ground, the government partner with the local administrative organization to operate community checkpoint keeping overload sever to local monitoring and improve diving discipline.
Under our 5-year-old safety master plan adopted in 2022, Thailand is working to reduce load fatalities to 12 deaths per 100,000 population by 2027.
It rely on ptical intervention, multi stakeholder collaboration, revising the law and regulation to lead international standard, as well as provide enough budget allocation, excellency, Thailand's commit to work closely with other country and development partner, and we stand ready to conduct our success Thailand campaign.
This project includes Ministry of Interior, the Royal Thai Police, the Ministry of Justice, administrative bodies from local to regional Laws, coordinated effort.
I thank Deputy Minister of Interior of Thailand.
I now give the floor to His Excellency, Sotia Nim, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Public Works and Transportation of Cambodia.
Madam President, distinguished guest Cambodia remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing in the road safety, guided by the global plan for the decade of action for road safety 2021 2030.
Today, I am honored to share Cambodia's recent achievements and commitment in promoting road safety.
One, in line with the commitment made at the fourth Global Ministerial Conference on road safety held in Morocco in 2025, Cambodia has acceded to the 1958 agreement concerning the adoption of hazardous technical United Nations regulations for wheel vehicles, equipment, and parts.
Two, Cambodia is firmly committed to strengthening road safety through safer and more sustainable transport systems.
Including the adoption and implementation of measures to improve the road safety of the daily commute of factory workers in the garment, footwear and travel goods sector.
We have set a national target to phase out the use of unsafe standing trucks for factory worker transportation by 2027 and to support the transition to safer collective transport vehicle with appropriate seating and safety features.
Initiative funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund and implemented by Alo Be Factories, Cambodia and AIP Foundation, the national policy is being translated into concrete actions that directly benefits the worker at enterprise level.
Three, in parallel, Cambodia continues to strengthen child's road safety through the advancement of safe school zones initiative.
Building on our national commitment to establish safe school zones by 2027, Cambodia has developed national guidelines on safe school zones to support consistent implementation throughout the country and establish the multi stakeholder technical working group on safe school zone initiatives to further strengthen coordination and Sustainability.
Moreover, Cambodia is collaborating closely with relevant stakeholders and NGOs to identify and to mobilize resources to accelerate significant progress toward out of our 2027 commitments and to achieve tangible results.
Four, by 2030, Cambodia commits Thank you.
I thank Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Public Works and Transportation of Cambodia.
I now give the floor to His Excellency Ogalvi Kakalv Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan.
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished colleagues, at the outset, on behalf of the delegation of Turk and Ministan, I want to express imment gratitude to the Office of the presidency of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly for convening this event and for allowing us to speak on a topic of ensuring road safety, which is very important to Kyrgyzstan.
I want to reiterate my country's commitment to achieving the decade on road safety for 2021 to 2030.
We are confident that all of the issues under consideration at today's meeting, such a high level meeting will galvanize our solutions and ensure that we swiftly achieve all of the goals that we've set in order to decrease road traffic casualties.
Every year on the world's roads, a large number of crashes take place.
Turkmenistan views this problem as a national and human problem, which requires an intergovernmental approach.
Turkmenistan every year carries out a meeting on road safety.
During that meeting, there are events on ensuring the rules of the road.
Our government has adopted a national plan to ensure road safety in Turkmenistan.
The implementation of that in every ministry and agency, there is a special plan to curb crashes.
Over the last period, Turkmenistan has taken concrete steps.
On the 11th of April, we signed a law That law has substantially changed our code of road violations.
It governs the penalty for road violations.
This is not a natural disaster.
We need swift coordinated action.
However, we're aware that further progress will require closer international cooperation.
Turkmenistan is actively cooperating with many international organizations.
We're working with the countries of the CIS and in Central Asia on road safety, and we're taking active part in measures to share experience, set framework policies, and to decrease road accidents.
By way of conclusion, I want to thank everyone and wish everyone fruitful work.
And Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be working to curb mortality and injuries on the roads and to have road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
I thank the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Turknistan.
I now give the floor to His Excellency Arnaldo Manuel Carlos, Secretary of State of Home Affairs, Ministry of Interior of Angola.
President.
Mr.
President, the Republic of Angola aligns itself with the statement delivered by the African Group and congratulates Your Excellency on the conduct of this important high level meeting, the holding of which reaffirms the commitment of the international community to one of the most important priorities and the global development agenda, road safety.
We are halfway through the decade of action of the road safety 21 2030.
This moment calls for more than an assessment of the progress achieved.
It requires determination and political will accelerate the implementation of the commitments undertaken in the Stockholm Declaration, reaffirmed in the New York Political Declaration in 2022 and reinforced by the Market Declaration in 2025.
Achieving by 3.6 sustainable development goals to half the number of deaths and serious injuries resulting from the road traffic crashes by 2030 will depend on our collective capacity to transform political commitments into corporate results through sustainable investment, through institutions, and more effective international cooperation.
Every year, the road crashes claim more than 1 million lives and cause tens of millions of injuries worldwide, constituting one of the leading causes of death among children and young people.
Their impact extends beyond public health.
Undermining economic growth, deepening inequalities, and hampering the achievement of the sustainable development goals.
In Angola, road traffic crashes are concentrated mainly in the major urban centers and step with growing mobility and urbanization.
In response to this reality, the Angola executive has been implementing an integrated strategy based on strengthening the legal and institutional framework, intensifying enforcement, promoting and road safety, education and awareness, progressively improving infrastructure, modernizing traffic management systems, and strengthening emergency response and assistance to victims.
The Republic of Angola considers that the success of the decade of action will depend on strengthening international partnerships, expanding technical assistance, transferring knowledge, fostering innovation, and mobilizing predictable and sustainable financial resources, particularly for developing countries.
Road safety must continue to occupy a central place in public policies and development, mobility, health, education, and spatial planning, reflecting a truly integrated and people centered approach.
Republic of Angola reaforms reaffirms its full readiness to continue working with the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and all international partners in building safer, more resilient and inclusive road transport systems.
Because every life saved means a family preserved, a community strengthened, and a decisive step towards more human and sustainable development.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
I thank Secretary of State of Home Affairs, Ministry of Interior of Angoa.
I now give the floor to His Excellency Usdan Muhammad Al Suleiy, Secretary-General of the Ministerial Committee for Traffic Safety of Saudi Arabia.
Rahim.
In the name of God, the merciful and compassionate.
Your Excellency President of the General Assembly.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, may the peace of God be upon you.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would like at the outset to express its appreciation to the United Nations and to the WHO and all our international partners for their relentless efforts to reinforce our global commitment to exchange experiences and support collective efforts for safer roads and more sustainable societies.
We reiterate our commitment to work alongside the international community for safer roads and more sustainable transportation and to preserve the safety and dignity of the human being.
Your Excellcy' Road safety is one of the most pressing human and developmental issues.
It is closely linked to preserving life and achievements and to improving the quality of life, increasing the efficiency of economies and preserving our communities.
Avoiding car crashes are not limited to roads.
It encompasses families, health systems and national development processes in light of the great support granted to this dossier by His Majesty, the King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bel Abdul Aziz Al Saod.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has enhanced its road safety system as part of our Saudi Division 2030 and in line with our international commitments and the goals of the decade for action.
Your Excellencies, the Kingdom thanks to our integrated national efforts, has achieved tangible progress in road safety.
We have achieved a drop in this compared to 2016 and in addition to the safety of the infrastructure, the Kingdom has granted great importance to adopting international approaches to improve road safety, including applying IRA road safety and the safety on roads has increased 81.5% in 2025, exceeding the global average of 75% by 2030.
In addition to census including 75,000 kilometers of roads.
Your Excellencies, this meeting is an opportunity to reiterate our global commitment and accelerate implementation and to exchange experiences and move from planning to measurable results.
We wish all success to all our partners and may the peace of God be upon you.
I thank Secretary-General of the Ministerial Committee for Traffic Safety of Saudi Arabia.
I now give the floor to Brazil.
Thank you, Madam President.
Brazil's most important achievement in advancing road safety has been the development and continuous improvement of penetrance, our national road safety plan.
For a country as large and diverse as Brazil, having a single national strategy is already a significant accomplishment.
Penetrans was established in 2018 and importantly, it's established by law.
This gives the plan continuity and makes road safety a long term national commitment.
During the major review of penne Trans in 2023, we transformed the planning process.
Instead of asking states and municipalities only to implement the plan, we invited them to help design it.
Local governments began contributing their own experiences, successful policies, and lessons learned from implementation.
This change was particularly important because around 80% of road fatalities in Brazil occur on state and municipal roads, not on the federal highway network.
A truly national road safety strategy must therefore be built together with those responsible for most of the road network.
Our experience has also reinforced another important lesson.
Good planning must go hand in hand with effective implementation.
In 2025, Brazil achieved a significant reduction in fatalities on federal highways, reversing the upward trend that had continued since 2019.
These results demonstrated that public investment in safer infrastructure combined with data driven enforcement can save lives.
This experience also taught us that a plan without a budget is only an intention.
For this reason, the next phase of penetrans will focus on linking public budgets to the priorities of the plan.
Our objective is to strengthen accountability by ensuring that investments at every level of government are aligned with our rational road safety goals.
At the same time, Brazil faces an urgent challenge.
Fatalities involving motorcyclists continuing to increase.
Adré this challenge, we require better public transportation so that people have safe and affordable mobility options.
Our goal is simple to link priorities, budgets, and results so that every investment contributes to saving lives.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Brazil.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Qatar.
Ana Elena Berbg President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Excellencies ladies and gentlemen, first, extend my gratitude to the PGA for convening this important meeting.
We extend our appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the facilitators for the declaration.
We thank Kyrgyz and Slovakia and we thank the United Nations and all of our international partners who are working for road safety and to reduce economic and human losses.
We believe road safety is a matter of development, public safety and safety.
It's also linked to the implementation of the SDGs.
We underscore the importance of implementing the second decade for road action, 2021 to 2030, which aims to have road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
The state of Qatar is convinced that the protection of human lives requires a comprehensive approach rooted in the modernization of infrastructure, strengthening of legislation and controls.
We need technology and innovation in addressing road traffic as well as the promotion of the safety of road users.
The state of Qatar is continuing to shoulder its national and international commitments to its national strategy for road safety 2025 to 2030, which aims to decrease road mortality.
This in keeping with UN goals and the national vision of Qatar, our vision 2030.
The state of Qatar attaches as well.
Particular attention to the protection of the most vulnerable categories like pedestrians and cyclists and motorcyclists through programs such as the ambassadors of Road Safety Program in schools, which aims to root road culture among the young generations.
There are challenges related to road safety.
These require strengthening cooperation at the international level, in particular, through trading experience, through capacity building, and ensuring the transfer of knowledge to developing countries so as to contribute to curbing the mortality and injury rate internationally.
We underscore the importance of providing the resources needed to accompany international efforts to improve road safety.
Including through voluntary partnerships, aiming to achieve this common humanitarian goal.
In closing, we reiterate our commitment to supporting international action for road safety and to work together with all partners to craft safer and more sustainable societies while guaranteeing a better future for future generations.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished Representative of Qatar.
I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Argentine.
Madam President, Distinguished representatives, Argentina has joined this high level meeting and reaffirms its commitment to the second decade of action for road safety and the goal of reducing road casualties by half.
Since 2008, our country has had a national road safety agency as an institution with legal and economic autonomy in charge of coordinating national policy as regards transport and road safety.
In order to ensure a federal approach, we work together across the 24 provinces in the country and they are represented at the Federal Council where we agree on common guidelines and goals.
The agency is also assisted by an advisory committee made up of representatives of the private sector and NGOs with a recognized track record.
Our system is based on the principles of a safe system.
We start from the premise that no life can be lost due to human error.
In this framework, Argentina is making progress on four clear strategic priorities.
Firstly, evidence based management.
We have strengthened accident data collection systems across our territory.
This allows us to identify risk factors and to assess the impact of our policies.
Secondly, the protection of vulnerable users.
In Argentina, like in almost all countries, 46% of fatalities are motorcyclists.
This is why our strategic plan has a specific access for motorcycles.
We're working on a comprehensive schedule for the safety of motorcyclists and amongst other actions, this prioritizes the licensing, training, supervision and control of the use of protective factors as well as targeted awareness campaigns, specifically aimed at motorcyclists.
Third, Safer vehicles.
We're promoting vehicle safety standards, including advanced braking systems, CBS and ABS in motorcycles regardless of their cylinder capacity.
In addition, self driving modules for all types of vehicles modernizing current legislation.
Fourth, is free national coverage for a post emergency victim care.
This line is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year providing guidance and comprehensive assistance to victims.
We know that road accidents continue to be the leading cause of death amongst young people between the ages of five and 29 and they generate an economic cost of around 2.6% of GDP.
The challenge is a great indeed, but we have the political will, the institutions, and the commitment to tackle this challenge.
Argentina welcomes the technical aspects of this declaration and a call to step up implementation of its commitments from our perspective and from our approach, which is one of constructive participation.
We require greater international cooperation, exchange of good practices, technology transfers, and financing to sustain actions in the remaining years of the decade.
I thank you.
Representative of Argentina, I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uruguay.
Thank you, Madam President of the General Assembly Excecies, Distinguished participants.
It is an honor to be here representing Uruguay at this high level meeting on improving global road safety.
I'm pleased to share the progress in our country in this area in line with the 2030 agenda and the decade of action for road safety.
Uruguay welcomes the adoption of the Declaration of Progress.
This is an encouraging sign of the international community's willingness to redouble its efforts and make progress towards meeting the global road safety goals and prevent avoidable loss of life.
Traffic accidents are a major public health issue with more than 1 million people losing their lives as a result of it every year globally.
This is why in Uruguay we put people and the protection of life at the heart of our public policies.
We hold the certainty that road safety must be integrated into health policy, transport policy, education, urban development, and infrastructure.
With a vision that is underpinned by evidence, with institutional leadership and a sustained commitment from state and society.
In this regard, UNICEF has strengthened its role as a governing body of national road safety policy in Uruguay, fostering coordination across national agencies, sub national governments, enforcement agencies, the justice system, academia, and civil society.
For us, governance constitutes the main instrument for achieving results.
Within this framework, we have developed a work plan with six strategic lines that we have been actively applying and developing.
Firstly, strengthening the presence of road safety on the public agenda by promoting a culture of prevention and respect.
Secondly, by deepening oversight and effective compliance with the rules.
This includes coordination between the distinct levels of governments and different institutions.
Thirdly, expanding social and territorial participation.
This allows us to identify concrete specific problems or to design solutions adapted to the realities in the country.
These three initiatives together have allowed us to reduce deaths by 12.5% in the first half of this year.
Fourthly, incorporating road safety into the education program.
Fifth, strengthening a responsive the justice system seeking a coherent, effective of the regulations, and finally, continue developing specific management tools such as the points based driver's license speech management and other systems.
Uruguay also gives special importance to international regional cooperation.
Currently, we hold the presidency of the Ibero American Road Safety Observatory.
There is a network made up of 22 Ibero American countries.
This promotes exchange of experiences, strengthening technical capacity and the production of comparable information, as well as the development of common public policy for the region in June 2026, I'll approve the Madrid Declaration, this will be submitted to heads of state and government.
We know that achieving the global goals requires political leadership.
I thank you.
The Distinguished Representative of Uruguay.
I now give the floor to distinguish the representative of Greece.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Greece fully supports the objective of the second decade of action for road safety to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50% by 2030.
For us, this is not only an international target, it is a national commitment and it is measured in lives.
Road safety is not only a transport issue, it is public health, law enforcement, infrastructure, education, and above all, culture.
In Greece, we have chosen to move from commitment to implementation.
Adopted a new road traffic code focused on the behaviors that cause lives, speeding, alcohol, non use of helmets and seat belts, red light violations, and dangerous driving.
We have strengthened enforcement through targeted police controls and the deployment of AI road cameras.
At the same time, we are making safe choices easier.
In Athens, 24 hour public transport every Saturday night helps thousands of people, especially young people return home safely after going out.
We are also investing in safe infrastructure with major upgrades across the national road network and new projects currently under construction.
These efforts are producing results.
In 2025, Greece recorded 517 road fatalities, the lowest number since 1963, and one of the strongest reductions in fatal crashes in Europe.
But we are not satisfied.
Every life lost is one too many.
Next priorities are clear, protecting motorcyclists and pedestrians, tackling speeding and drink driving, improving safety during peak travel periods, and using better data to guide every intervention.
Greece is advancing an integrated national road safety strategy that brings together government, local authorities, police infrastructure operators, and civil society.
We believe that effective governance, reliable data, and accountability are essential to saving lives.
Our message today is simple, road deaths are not inventable, they are preventable.
2030 target will not be achieved through declarations alone.
It will be achieved through implementation, enforcement, safer infrastructure, better data, and international cooperation.
Greece remains fully committed to contributing to this common effort, sharing our experience and learning from others.
I thank the distinguished representative of Greece.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Dominican Republic.
Excellency, Madam President of the General Assembly of the United Nations on behalf of the Dominican Republic, I want to say that I'm grateful for this opportunity to participate in this high level meeting on road safety.
This is an issue that calls on our responsibility as governments as well as an international community.
We express our support and our readiness and support for the declaration adopted today.
It calls on us to take on this global commitment.
Allow me to begin with a reality that can leave no one indifferent.
In the year 2025, 2992 individuals lost their lives in traffic accidents in the Dominican Republic, more than 65% of them, precisely 1,995 of them were motorcyclists.
This is why we are implementing a new technical norm of approved standardized helmets, which guarantees that only helmets capable of saving lives for the driver and the passenger enter the country.
At the same time, we are working to ensure that in the Dominican Republic, no motorcycle is sold without a certified helmet and we have a slogan for this one motorcycle, one helmet.
On November 2024, our president signed the National PAC for road safety signed by 121 public and private entities and road safety has been declared a priority of high national interests through Decree 656 24.
This also initiated the National Strategic Road Safety Plan 2025 through 2030.
Road safety also requires the involvement of young people and this is why in coordination with the Ministry of Education, we have launched the Traffic Guardians program.
Where all high school students this year will take virtual education virtual practice for road safety with the aim of achieving 300,000 students trained by 2028.
Madam President, no plan will be sufficient without the financial commitment of member states.
This is why we are making progress with a road safety program approved by the Board of Directors of the Inter American Development Bank in July 2025, with an investment of $200 million to improve our road infrastructure.
Road safety is not, however, the exclusive responsibility of government.
It requires a commitment from civil society and also from academia.
This is why we are working to ensure that private companies also implement road safety labor plans in the Dominican Republic.
We are reaffirming our commitment to this global agenda.
We will continue acting decisively and to continue to place the production of life at the center of every public policy.
There is no more noble mission than saving lives.
I thank you for your attention.
I thank the distinguished representative of the Dominican Republic.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kenya.
Excellence is distinguished delegates.
Road safety remain one of Kenya's foremost public health and development challenge.
Over the last five years, Kenyans continue to record approximately 4,000 to 5,000 road fatalities annually with more than 20,000 people injured.
We recognize the burden of road safety road traffic injuries remains unacceptably high.
Vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians and motorcyclists account for majority of these fatalities, together contributing well over half the deaths on our roads.
Road crashes are not only transport issue, but economic and social development issue.
Kenya estimates that road traffic crashes account for 5% of the GDP annually.
In response to this challenge, Kenya's embraced safe systems approach anchored on three pillars, basically of implementation, engineering, enforcement, and education.
We continue to invest in safer road infrastructure through emphasis on non motorized transport facilities, road safety audits, safer school zones, and the obsession of international road safety assessment standards.
In enforcement, we strengthen evidence based enforcement through technology based traffic management, improved driver vehicle regulations, and enhance compliance monitoring.
We also modernize driver licensing and vehicle inspection and digital enforcement system to improve accountability.
Education in education, public awareness remains central to our strategy.
Kenyans intensified nationwide road safety campaigns targeting schools, public transport operators, and employers, communities, and vulnerable road users.
We are embedding road safety education into learning institution while promoting behavioral change among road users.
Implementation of National Road Safety Action Plan aligned to UN Decade of Action for road safety is also a key pillar of our approach.
We therefore welcome today's adoption of progress declaration of the high level meeting on improving global road safety as an important international milestone and look forward to implementing it.
Your Excellency, Kenya remains fully committed to delivering safe roads through stronger partnership, smarter technologies, safer infrastructure, effective enforcement and sustained public education.
At the core of this approach is partnership where we look forward to continued collaboration with all of you and ensure safe road for all.
Together, through shared commitment and global cooperation, we can save lives, protect livelihoods, build safer, more sustainable transport system for the present and future generations.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Kenya.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Japan.
Madam President, Excellency, Distinguished delegates.
Japan welcomes the adoption of the progress regulation, which emphasizes stronger governance and evidence based action with accountability through follow up and merging.
Load safety is a matter of the utmost importance to Japan as a dimension of human well being and sustainable development.
Over the past decades, Japan has achieved a substantial reduction in load of traffic fatalities by comprehensively addressing load safety, focusing on human vehicles and mobility systems and the load environment.
This progress has been achieved through a sustained form of government approach grounded in clear legal mandates, institutionalized coordination across ministries and the level of government, supported by the active engagement of the private sector and civil society.
As a result, Japan now records the lowest level of traffic fatalities in its history.
Japan's approach rests on three mutual reinforcing fields.
The first is a robust governance framework.
Japan's load safety system is anchored in the Basic Act on traffic safety measures, which defines responsibilities across all levels of government and provides a legal basis for successive five year national plans and which defines the credit across the government and legal basis for successive five year national plans.
The National Council for Traffic safety measures chaired by the prime minister ensures high level political leadership and cross ministerial coordination.
Posting shared responsibility to translate national policy into concrete measures at both national and sub national levels.
Japan tours Traffic Safety Basic Plan launched in April this year, is grounded in this framework and sets forth targets and measures through 2030, subject to new asocial challenges including emerging demographic and technical changes.
The second is evidence based policy making.
Structured data collection and analysis enables the identification of risk, targeted interventions, and the measurement of outcomes.
Third is a human standard approach to traffic safety, supported by lifelong traffic safety education and the public awareness sing.
As society and the mobility environment become increasingly diverse and complex.
Japan is placing greater emphasis on tailored measures that reflects the different needs, behaviors, and the risks of road users, including older persons, children, pedestrians, cyclists, users of new forms of mobility, and foreign visitors and residents.
Reflecting this approach in partnership with subnational governments, civil societies, the government of Japan has promoted nationwide load safety campaigns.
In closing, Japan is fully committed to advancing global load safety through the utmost collective efforts of the government and private sector.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Japan.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sierra Leone.
Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished delegate, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of Araalea, I extend our profound gratitude to the president of the General Assembly for convening this important high level meeting under the the scaling up and accelerating implementation of commitment to having road traffic deaths and injury by 2030.
The team is more timely and urgent with less than four years until 2030.
This is a moment of accountability.
It requires us to assess whether our action at the national, regional, continental, and global level have been translated to a safer road for all users.
CLM align ins with a statement delivered on behalf of the African group.
The African Union has demonstrated leadership by positioning member states to domesticate and implement the Africa Road Safety Charter in line with its Agenda 2063, in West Africa, in particular, the aquas Road Safety Charter is in force, which is in line with the group vision 2015.
Madam President, CRN remain fully committed to the global target of having road traffic death and injury by 2030 as articulated in SDG 3.6 and the global plan for decade of action for road safety 2021 to 2030.
Under the visionary leadership of Excellence, the President, doctor Jus Mabo, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, outgoing chairman of the EcorS Authority of Heads of State and Government, and coordinator of the Africa Union Committee of ten on UN Security Council Reform, road safety has been integrated into our medium term national development plan 2024 to 2013.
This plan prioritize human capital development, youth empowerment, and inclusive growth.
We recognize that these gains will be eroded if we fail to address preventable death and injury on our roads.
We therefore welcome the political declaration at this higher level meeting.
CL reaffirm its commitment to provide safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport system for all.
We call for strengthening regional and continental mechanism to support member states, particularly in low and medium income country to reduce the vulnerability to road traffic injuries.
We urge the international committee and development partner to provide technical and financial support for the full implementation of the decade of action and related instruments, including the Marrakech Declaration.
Madam President, CLA remain committed to the second decade of action for road safety 2021 to 2013.
The I thank the distinguished representative of Seattle alone.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Serbia.
Thank you.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished delegates.
On behalf of the Republic of Serbia, I would like to reaffirm our strong commitment to improving global road safety and achieving the targets of the second decade of action.
Serbia fully supports the global road safety framework established through the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, the global plan for the decade of action for road safety, and the relevant United Nations resolutions.
Our national road safety policy is based on the safe system approach and on the principle that no death or serious injury on a road is acceptable.
In line with this vision, Serbia's National Road Safety Strategy 2023 2030 sets ambitious goals to reduce road traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 50% by 2030 and to achieve vision zero for children with the ultimate objective, no child loses their life in road traffic.
In the past decade, Serbia has been building highways with higher safety standards, but what we realize is that protecting children and vulnerable road users requires more than legislation and infrastructure.
Serbia therefore invests continuously in road safety education, awareness campaigns, and preventive programs.
We help children develop safe behavior from an early age and create a strong road safety culture for future generations.
Effective governance and multi sectoral coordination are at the core of our efforts.
National Road Safety Coordination body established by the government brings together seven ministries and the Road Traffic Safety Agency, ensuring action across all relevant sectors.
This cooperation is further strengthened to partnership with academia, local authorities, civil society organizations, international partners, and the private sectors.
Evidence based policymaking guides our actions.
Serbia has developed an integrated national road safety database geolocated and publicly available.
It's run by Road Traffic Safety Agency and it covers all local self government units, enabling systematic monitoring of road safety performance, identification of risks, and evaluation of the effectiveness of implemented measures.
Over the longer term, Serbia has recorded a positive trend in reducing road traffic fatalities.
Annual fatalities have declined from around 900 before the adoption of the law on traffic safety in 2009 to 599 in 2015 and 488 in 2025, despite the number of registered vehicles increasing from approximately 1.8 million to more than 3.1 million.
Nevertheless, further efforts are needed to achieve our 2030 targets.
Behind the data, behind every number is a person, a family member, a friend, which is why we work towards vision zero.
Every debt on our roads is unacceptable.
Therefore, Serbia remains committed to working together with all partners to accelerate progress towards safer mobility because every life saved is a shared success.
Thank you for your attention.
I thank the distinguished representative of Serbia.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nigeria.
Thank you, Madam President.
It is my singular honor to present the commitment of the Federal F of Nigeria under the leadership of President Blamed Tb Safar in advancing global ad safety.
Guided by Marrakech Declaration 2025, Nigeria remained resolute in accelerating the implementation of the global plan for the decade of action for safety 2020 and 2030.
Deeply concerned by the findings on the WHO global Status Report on road safety, which identified Africa as a region with the highest road safety fatality rate, Nigeria has invigorated the implementation of the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy 20 and 20 2030.
This whole government multi sectoral strategy enjoys the full support of the federal government and is coordinated through the National Road Safety Advisory Council chaired by the vice president of the Federal Nigeria.
Following Nigeria accession to the Sixth United Nations Convention, we have strengthened fleet safety and reinforced evidence based road safety management through the National crash reporting Information System NCRs, while enhancing post crash care with the state of the art National Emergency Call Center and a 24 hour ambulance service to ensure prompt respond to crash Nigeria also launched Nigeria Road Assessment Program, Nigeria Arab, in partnership with International Road Safety Assessment Program, Arab to advance the safe system approach and improve road infrastructure safety.
Nigeria is equally privileged to host the Secretariat of the African Association of Road Safety lead agencies, Ala, providing a platform for continental collaboration, knowledge exchange, and sharing, and institutional strengthening among Africa road safety institutions.
In line with our commitment to sustainable mobility, Nigeria is implementing the present Initiative on compressed natural gas and electric vehicles while developing robust safety standard for heavy goods vehicles and emerging transport technologies.
While Nigeria has recorded significant progress, Important gaps remain, particularly intelligent enforcement technologies, road infrastructure, safety assessment, and institutional capacity development.
Nigeria therefore calls upon the international community to strengthen technical cooperation, facilitate technology transfer, and support sustainable capacity building initiative to accelerate the the achievement of our shared road safety goals and vision.
Nigeria remains stead fast in making road safety a national priority.
We reaffirm our support for the outcomes of this meeting and pledge to continue working with partners to build safer roads, save more lives, and I thank the distinguished representative of Nigeria.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union speaking on behalf of the EU and its member states.
President, Excellencies, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its member states.
The candidate countries, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia, as well as Armenia, Andorra, San Marino, and the United Kingdom align themselves with this statement.
We thank the president of the General Assembly for convening this important high level meeting on improving global road safety.
We also express our sincere appreciation to the co facilitators, the permanent representatives of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Slovak Republic for their dedicated efforts in guiding the negotiations towards a consensus based progress declaration.
The EU and its member states are pleased to support the adoption of the Progress Declaration today, and we remain firmly committed To the global target of halving road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030, achieving this objective requires ambition, accountability, and effective implementation.
Every day, more than 3.5 thousand people lose their lives on the world's roads while tens of millions more suffer injuries that often have lifelong consequences.
Road traffic accidents remain one of the leading cause of death among children and young adults worldwide and disproportionately affect vulnerable road users and low and middle income countries.
These tragedies are preventable.
They require sustained political commitment, effective policies, and collective action at all levels.
The EU would like to highlight three priorities.
First, while human error is inevitable, deaths and serious injuries are not.
Road transport systems must be designed to anticipate human mistakes and ensure that they do not result in fatal or life changing consequences.
Experience has shown that lasting progress depends on comprehensive action, Safer infrastructure, high vehicle safety standards, appropriate speed management, effective enforcement of traffic rules, high quality post accident care, and evidence based policy making must all work together.
Second, road safety is a shared responsibility.
Governments, local authorities, civil society, the private sector, academia, and international organizations all have an essential role to play.
No country can address this challenge alone.
International cooperation, knowledge sharing, and strong multilateral partnerships remain indispensable for accelerating progress worldwide.
The EU is committed to strengthening cooperation with the UN, the WHO, the UN Regional commissions and other international partners to promote the implementation of global road safety standards and support capacity building where it is needed most.
Through the Global Gateway strategy and other international partnerships, the EU supports sustainable transport infrastructure that integrates road safety from the earliest stages of planning and design.
We also invest in technical assistance, institutional capacity building, and knowledge exchange to help partner countries develop effective and sustainable road safety systems.
Finally, innovation and digital transformation offer significant opportunities to improve road safety.
Connected mobility, intelligent transport systems, artificial intelligence, and better use of data can contribute to safer roads, more effective traffic management, and improved emergency response.
At the same time, technology must complement, not replace strong institutions, sound legislation, and responsible road user behavior.
Particular attention must continue to be given to vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
Safe mobility should be accessible to everyone and transport systems must be designed with the needs of all users in mind.
President, colleagues, this high level meeting should reinforce our collective determination to implement the commitments we have made.
The lies behind the statistics remind us that road safety is ultimately about protecting people, strengthening communities, and promoting sustainable development.
The EU stands ready to work with all partners to accelerate implementation, share experience, and mobilize the political will necessary to achieve our common objective, roads that are safe for everyone everywhere.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union.
I now give the floor to the distinguished Representative of Canada, speaking also on behalf of CS.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates.
I have the honor to deliver the statement on behalf of Australia, New Zealand, and my own country, Canada.
We thank the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly, the World Health Organization, the Secretary-General Special Envoy for Road Safety, and all partners for convening this important high level meeting on improving global road safety.
Road safety is a public health, economic, and sustainable development priority.
Every death and serious injury on our roads is preventable and carries profound consequences for individuals, families, communities, and societies.
As we enter the second half of the decade of action for road safety, we must accelerate progress if we are to achieve the global target of reducing road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand will do our part to help achieve that goal.
We welcome the declarations focus on leadership, accountability, data, financing, implementation, and international cooperation.
Meaningful progress will depend on sustained action grounded in evidence.
While progress has been made, road traffic deaths and serious injuries continue to have devastating impacts on individuals, families, and communities.
These challenges reinforce the need for renewed action, sustained investment, and strong partnerships.
Our three countries continue to advance national road safety strategies, grounded in the safe system approach and the long term vision that no death or serious injury on our roads is acceptable.
Canada's road safety Strategy 2035 plus Australia's new road safety Strategy 2021 to 2030, and New Zealand's road safety objectives all recognize that while human error is inevitable, deaths and serious injuries are not.
Across our countries, governments are working with regional and local authorities, indigenous communities, law enforcement, public health organizations, researchers, industry, and civil society partners to deliver better road safety outcomes.
We recognize that road safety is a shared responsibility requiring action across all levels of government and society.
We continue to support evidence based measures to address key risk factors, including impaired driving, fatigue, speeding, and distracted driving while responding to emerging challenges across transportation systems.
Data, research, and innovation remains central to our efforts.
We are strengthening road safety data systems to better identify risks, measure performance, and support evidence based decision making.
We appreciate the adoption of the Progress declaration, which will help drive progress towards our collective road safety goals.
That said, we are discouraged that it was not possible to adopt this resolution by consensus.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand have worked closely together throughout the negotiations of this Declaration and on broader multilateral road safety efforts.
We believe that international cooperation, shared expertise, and mutual learning are essential to accelerating progress and supporting implementation across all regions.
As we enter the second half of the decade of action for road safety, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will play our part and work with partners to strengthen implementation and save lives.
Together, we can accelerate progress and build safer roads for everyone.
Thank you.
Yes.
I thank the distinguished Representative of Canada.
I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Egypt.
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, our meeting comes at a very critical moment in the second decade of action for road safety while there continues to be a gap between international commitments and progress achieved toward the objective of halving the road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030, which requires us to move from political commitments to actual implementation according to measurable objectives and clear follow up mechanisms.
Ladies and gentlemen, Egypt has adopted a comprehensive approach to enhance road safety that is based on improving infrastructure, enhancing institutional coordination, the National Project for roads and developing the bridges and improving infrastructure of existing roads, enhanced connectivity across the country and to prevent bottlenecks and traffic jams across the country.
We continue to use intelligence systems and use technology in management of traffic and for enforcement supporting also emergency and post accident services.
We reiterate that safety on roads requires a comprehensive approach that includes the safe design of roads, the safety of vehicles, as well as control on speed, as well as care after accidents.
We need to give priority to four pathways in this sense.
First, provide sustainable and affordable financing to countries to develop infrastructure and implement their national road safety strategies.
Second, enhance technology transfer and build capacities of developing countries, particularly in smart transport as well as data systems and quick response frameworks, support the development of data systems at the national level to understand the reasons for accidents and channel resources to address them.
Fourth, enhanced coordination among the international organizations, the governments, as well as civil society organizations and the private sector support for the African Union Observatory for Road Safety, that is a platform for exchanging expertise, particularly with the African Charter on road safety has become effective this year, which is the first African framework in this regard.
We believe that improving road safety requires political will and sufficient funding as well as international cooperation that takes into consideration the needs of developing countries to interpret and translate into commitments into actions that save lives and do not leave anyone behind.
Thank you, Madam President.
I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kazakhstan.
Madam President, Excellency's Distinguished delegates.
Kaahsan welcomes the high level meeting and the Progress Declaration on improving global road safety.
We firmly believe that road safety must be a long term national priority supported by civil society and private sector in alignment with global plan for the second decade of action for road safety, Kazakhstan is implementing an integrated safe system approach.
Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan has enacted a comprehensive interagency action plan up until 2030.
It provides the systemic measures ranging from healthcare infrastructure development and professional staff training to strengthening interagency coordination and maximizing the efficiency of crash responses.
Next year, Kastan will launch a new national road safety strategy.
This Landmark document aims to reduce road mortality by at least 30% within five years.
This strategy will introduce mandatory road safety audits and inspections at all stages from initial design and planning to daily operation and maintenance.
Kazakhstan has successfully reduced its road traffic mortality by 8.5% over the past three years.
In 2025 alone, the fatality rate in Kazakhstan decreased by almost 10%.
Central to this success is our rigorous adherence to the golden hour principle.
Currently, accident victims are delivered to specialized medical facilities within an average of 34 minutes.
It plays a crucial role in saving lives and mitigating trauma severity.
Our digital ecosystem serves as the technological backbone for this ongoing reforms.
The smart traffic control and video monitoring system, which proved its efficiency in major cities, has been now scaled nationwide.
To align our efforts with global standards, Kazakstan launched a national Road Assessment Program.
In close partnership with the International Road Assessment Program, the Kazakh Road Safety Research Institute is evaluating our infrastructure using the star rating system to bring our roads to a safer level.
Additionally, Kazakhstan is joining the UN Global Information campaign, make a safety statement.
It fosters further a national culture of safe behavior on the roads.
Kazakhstan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the UN targets.
Our new national strategy, combined with cutting edge technologies and robust interagency cooperation will form the foundation of a resilient, sustainable system dedicated to achieving our shared goal, reducing by half road deaths and injuries by 2030.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Kazakhstan.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Paraguay.
Thank you very much, Madam President.
The Republic of Paraguay welcomes the convening of this high level meeting.
We recognize the importance of strengthening collective action in order to prevent road accidents and to promote safer mobility for all.
Road safety represents a pressing issue for public health and for the protection of life.
Its social and economic consequences transcend the lives of those directly affected as it also impacts families, communities, and the state itself.
Cognizant to this reality, the government of Paraguay has decided to make road safety a national priority.
On June 23rd of this year, the president of the Republic of Paraguay enacted law number 7676-26.
This declares a national emergency situation in terms of road safety across the country.
This decision will make it possible to accelerate the implementation of comprehensive measures aimed at prevention, inspection, and control with a view to reducing road accidents.
Under this framework, the National Transport and Road Safety Agency will be in charge of implementing operational and technical actions.
This includes the use of technological tools to strengthen checks coordination with competent institutions, as well as rolling out awareness campaigns and road safety education aimed at drivers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians.
Paraguay is convinced that reducing road accidents is only possible through solid institutions, sustained public policies, and a coordinated involvement of all sectors of society.
We also value international cooperation, technical assistance, and the exchange of experiences and good practices.
These are fundamental instruments for complementing and strengthening national efforts in this area.
Madam President, distinguished colleagues, the government of Paraguay reaffirms its commitment to continue working to prevent road accidents, to promote safer mobility, and to protect the lives of all.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Paraguay.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China.
President, China welcomes the convening of this meeting jointly by the China Assembly and the World Health Organization.
At present, road traffic accidents claim approximately 1.19 million lives worldwide each year, about 3,200 lives every day and roughly two lives every minute.
Countless others suffer injuries and disabilities.
The resulting economic losses average around 3% of GDP across countries and in some cases nearly offset an entire year's economic growth.
These staggering figures remind us once again that road traffic accidents are not only a major public health and social safety issue, but also a sustainable development challenge, which requires serious attention, systematic governance, and coordinated action.
China advocates building a comprehensive road safety system and offers hereby three recommendations.
First, develop and ensure safe transport infrastructure.
As many developing countries still have room for improvement in infrastructure development and maintenance, the international community should provide them corresponding support.
Second, establish sound legal and regulatory frameworks to effectively regulate and guide road user behavior.
Third, foster a strong culture of road safety by continuously promoting public education and safe travel so that risk awareness, law abidance and child contribution to and shared benefits from safe travel become collective action.
As a major transportation country, China consistently puts people and life first, balances safety and development and continues to improve road safety.
China has incorporated road traffic prevention international plans, such as the Healthy China 2030 blueprint that has integrated into prevention and control into policy frameworks across sectors and established a nationwide intercibil network, thereby minimizing road traffic fatalities and disabilities to the greatest extent possible.
China is also an active contributor to global road safety efforts.
President Xi Jinping has proposed the Belton Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, which through concrete actions help developing countries accelerate connectivity and improve road safety.
China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with the WHO other international organizations, support transportation capacity building in developing countries and make greater contributions towards achieving the global road safety goal under the sustainable development goals by 2030.
I thank you, President.
I thank the distinguished representative of China.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Philippines.
Excellencies, the Philippines welcome the adoption of the Progress Declaration on improving global road safety and reaffirms its steadfast commitment in making our roads safer for all.
Road traffic injuries remain one of the world's leading public health and development challenges, particularly in low and middle income countries.
Beyond the tragic loss of lives, road crashes place immense strain on health systems, impede economic growth, and disproportionately affect the most vulnerable and at risk, including children, older persons, persons with disabilities, cyclists, motorcyclists, and low income communities.
Guided by the global plan for the decade of action for road safety, the Philippines launched its road safety action plan 2023 to 2028, which seeks to reduce road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 35% by 2028.
The action plan is anchored on five strategic pillars.
One, strengthening road safety management through improved governance, data systems, and stakeholder engagement.
Two, investing in safer, more inclusive, and climate resilient road infrastructure, including safe school zones and accessible facilities.
Three, enhancing vehicle safety through stricter inspection systems and harmonized standards.
Four, promoting safer road user behavior through stronger enforcement, road safety education, and sustained public awareness, and five, improving emergency medical trauma, rehabilitation and post crash response services.
We continue to strengthen road safety governance through enhanced cross sectoral coordination, recognizing that safer roads require a whole of government and whole of society approach that engages the private sector, civil society, and communities.
We are likewise strengthening traffic enforcement, modernizing driver licensing and vehicle inspection systems, and expanding digital enforcement initiatives.
In November 2022, the Philippines acceded to the UN 1958 agreement, Vehicle regulations to further align national vehicle safety standards with international UN regulations.
We value our close cooperation with the WHO, UNICEF, and the UN Secretary-General special envoy for road safety in advancing evidence based people centered solutions.
At the global level, the Philippines supports stronger international cooperation, particularly in capacity building, technology transfer data systems, and sustainable financing for low and middle income countries to accelerate progress towards safer mobility.
Excellencies, the true measure of our commitment will not only be the declaration we just adopted, but the lives you save and protect.
Let us match our shared ambition with sustained action so that safe mobility becomes a reality for all.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished Representative of the Philippines.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.
Madam President, Russia has been consistent in its advocacy for enhancing international efforts to ensure road safety.
We're proud of the fact that this issue has been among the chief priorities of the UN agenda.
After all, it was our country in particular in 2011 that initiated the holding of the first ministerial conference on road safety in Moscow that laid the ground for forming a machinery of international cooperation in this area.
We welcome the fact that this work is ongoing today as well, already in the context of the second decade for action on road safety in the period up to 2030.
We trust that today's meeting will be an additional contribution toward further advancing this agenda.
Russia has significant expert capacity in terms of enhancing road safety, and we are prepared to share it with all interested partners.
Our country is a donor to the United Nations Road Safety Fund.
With Russian financing support, a number of projects have already been implemented to curb mortality on the roads in the states of Central Asia.
Speaking of national efforts, we want to note that the strengthening of road safety has been among the key priorities of state policy in Russia and is among the national development goals of our country.
November of last year saw our President Putin adopt a corresponding strategy.
It covered the period through 2030 and for the period beyond that to 2036.
The document sets out a goal of decreasing by a factor of 1.5, the deaths in crashes by 2030, and we want to have those deaths compared to 2023 levels by 2036.
What's more, in May of this year, the Russian government adopted a plan for implementation of this strategy, which consists of a set of 266 measures.
These seek to improve state administration in terms of road safety.
The adoption of the strategy to road safety to a qualitatively new level, laying the ground for consolidation of political, financial, and staffing resources for achieving the aforementioned goals.
Its implementation will allow us to build on existing gains and ensure a further reduction of road crashes.
Most importantly, it will protect human lives and the health of our citizens.
Today, we can note that the Russian Federation is moving confidently toward the aforementioned milestones, drawing on systemic changes in a comprehensive interagency approach.
I thank you.
Distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Road safety is fundamentally a development and public health issue.
Every serious road crash places immense pressure on emergency medical services, trauma care, rehabilitation systems, and national health budgets.
Beyond the tragic loss of life, road traffic injuries diminished economic productivity.
Disrupt families, and undermine sustainable development.
Reducing road traffic deaths and injuries is therefore integral to strengthening resilient health systems and advancing the 2030 agenda for sustainable development as well as Zimbabwe's vision 2030.
Despite progress in global road safety, fatalities remain unacceptably high.
In Zimbabwe, a traffic crash occurs approximately every 15 minutes.
More than 35,000 crashes are recorded annually, resulting in over 1,800 deaths and more than 10,000 injuries.
Behind these statistics are lives lost, livelihoods disrupted, and national potential diminished.
For many developing countries, these challenges are compounded by inadequate infrastructure, limited fiscal space, and the growing impact of climate change transport networks.
Road safety must therefore be pursued alongside investments in sustainable and climate resilient infrastructure.
In response, Zimbabwe is implementing comprehensive institutional and legislative reforms guided by its national development strategy and the recommendations of the Road Safety performance Review.
We are strengthening enforcement, modernizing transport systems, and enhancing public awareness and education.
An integrated road traffic authority will soon be established to strengthen regulation and oversight.
Zimbabwe is also developing smart technologies to improve road safety compliance, aligning its regulatory framework with international standards, and operationalizing a road accident fund to support post crash medical care and survivors.
Zimbabwe believes that road safety must be recognized as an integral component of sustainable infrastructure financing.
Investment in transport systems should be measured not only by the roads we build, but by the lives we save.
We therefore call for predictable financing, capacity building, and technology transfer to support nationally determined road safety priorities, particularly in developing countries.
Zimbabwe remains committed to achieving SDG target 3.6 and implementing the United Nations decade of action for road safety.
Together, let us build transport systems that are safe, resilient, and inclusive for all.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mauritius.
Madam President, Excellency, distinguished delegates.
The Republic of Mauritius fully aligns itself with the global target to half road traffic, death, and injuries by 2030.
Road safety remains a national priority for the government of Mauritius.
Mauritius recognizes that every life lost or injury sustained inflicts severe, long lasting social and economic consequences.
Over the past 18 months, Mauritius has strengthened its legislative and enforcement frameworks on multiple fronts.
Following the constructive visit of Mr.
Jen Tod, the UN Secretary-General Special envoy for road safety in April 2025, we officially launched the UN Global campaign for road safety in Mauritius.
Guided by his advice, we are currently reviewing our legislation regarding motorcycle helmet standards to better protect two wheeler riders who are among the most vulnerable road users.
We have successfully reintroduced the penalty point system to deter reckless driving.
This system will adopt dynamically utilizing data driven adjustments to maximize road safety.
Regulations have also been promulgated to strictly monitor oversized structures used in public processes.
In our continuous effort to modernize enforcement, we are transitioning from standard automated speed cameras to advanced integrated safe city cameras.
At the same time, legislative amendments are underway to allow for the impoundment of vehicles when drivers are found operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol and a legal framework will soon be established in regard to electric cycles and scooters.
Guided by the safe system approach, MSS is also finalizing its national road safety strategy, 2026 2030.
The strategy will provide for an evidence based framework aimed at reducing road traffic fatalities through strengthened institutional coordination, safer infrastructure, safer vehicles, and enhanced post crash response.
It will also embed robust road safety education into our primary and secondary school curricula.
Madam President, achieving the ambitious target of the second decade of action requires sustainable financing, technological innovation, and robust capacity building.
For CTs in particular, continued international cooperation, technical assistance, knowledge sharing, and targeted financial support remain indispensable.
Moria stands ready to share its own experience, adopt global best practices, and strengthen in I thank the distinguished representative of Mauritius.
We have heard the last speaker for this meeting.
We shall hear the remaining speakers tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 P.M.
In this hall.
Members are reminded that panel discussions one and two will take place tomorrow morning at 10:00 A.M.
And 11:30 A.M.
Respectively in the trusteeship council chamber.
The meeting is adjourned.
GA
General Assembly
General Assembly: 104th Plenary meeting, 80th session
Improving global road safety - Item 12: high-level meeting of the General Assembly on improving global road safety.
Description
- Draft resolution (A/80/L.95)
Opening segment
Adoption of the Progress Declaration
Plenary segment
Full transcript en transcript
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