GRSP – ESCWA: a strategic partnership
On November 14 and 15, an important road safety event was held in the Jordanian capital of Amman. A regional workshop on the Implementation of the Action Plan for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety in the ESCWA region. This two day, high level workshop was organised by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in partnership with the Arab League, the Arab Union of Land Transport and the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP).
Government delegates, academics and representatives from the private sector, non-governmental organizations and national and regional agencies working in the field of road safety participated in the event.
The main objective was to discuss the state of road traffic safety in the region, review progress in the field of road safety management in the member states and to develop national capacities and strategies for the implementation of the UN Decade of Action 2011 – 2020.
During opening statements, GRSP MENA Regional Coordinator, Simon Bachawati, stressed the importance of deciding upon concrete actions and the necessity of coordinating efforts to achieve a sustainable reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries.
These recommendations were illustrated in another session of the workshop in which Bachawati spoke about ‘Good Practices in Road Safety Management’, citing examples of successful programmes in which GRSP was involved, and which could be adapted to the region, such as ‘The Safe Road to School’ project in Sakhalin, Russia and the ‘Proactive Partnership Strategy’ in Brazil.
GRSP partners also participated. Jordan Oil Shale Company (JOSCo), a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, introduced their advanced monitoring system for truck drivers, and Renault discussed their Corporate Social Responsibility policy crowned by the Road Safety Management Chair recently launched in Beirut in collaboration with Saint Joseph University.
