Road safety leaders unite at UN General Assembly for Morocco Ministerial

Child and Youth Rights Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) UN Decade of Action for Road Safety

25th September 2024

The FIA Foundation, World Health Organization and the Government of Morocco brough together leading road safety advocates with UN delegates and local activists in New York to promote the forthcoming Marrakech Ministerial Conference.

Morocco's Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohammed Abdeljalil, was keynote speaker at a reception organised by the FIA Foundation on the fringe of the UN General Assembly high level session. The Minister (centre, photo above) outlined the need for stronger international collaboration and pledged that Morocco would work for a successful conference and commitments. Dr Etienne Krug, WHO Director of Social Determinants of Health, urged countries to send senior ministers to the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, which will be held in Marrakech on 18-20 February 2025, and called for renewed momentum towards the SDG and Decade of Action targets.

Senior institutional leaders spoke at the reception, and called on member states to contribute to making the Ministerial a success: Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean; Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure; Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary, UNECE; and Jean Todt, UN Special Envoy for Road Safety. The event was moderated by the FIA Foundation's Executive Director Saul Billingsley.

Speakers included Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure, Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary, UNECE, and Jean Todt, UN Special Envoy for Road Safety.

Reminding delegates of the human cost, Amy Cohen, co-founder of Families for Safe Streets, a US pressure group, described the 'cost of inaction'. Her young son Sammy was killed in 2014 on the street outside his home, and Amy has campaigned relentlessly for safer streets and lower speed limits. Earlier this year the NY Senate approved 'Sammy's Law', giving New York City the power to reduce speed limits to 20mph where necessary to improve safety. "You do not want a law named after your child", Amy Cohen warned.

Amy Cohen, founder of Families for Safe Streets.

Closing, Saul Billingsley called on all stakeholders to work together to make the Ministerial a success and springboard for action and thanked the Moroccan Government for stepping up to host and provide this important platform for progress towards safer roads.

For details of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference: www.roadsafetymorocco.com

Photo credit: Johnathon Henninger