National Societies continue to build their ten-year road safety journey together with their Governments
A joint Pledge to improve road safety signed by representatives of states and National Societies leaders at the 31st International Red Cross Red Crescent Conference last November in Geneva marked yet another global milestone towards improving the situation in road safety in the world – and momentum is continuing to build.
Prior to the Conference the 187 National Societies leaders recognized road safety as a man-made humanitarian crisis that takes lives of 1.3 million people each year and approved a common framework for Red Cross Red Crescent action in road safety, and approved a Pledge on road safety to be presented at the International Conference.
The Pledge supports the implementation of UN Resolution 64/255 on Improving Global Road Safety by committing National Societies and their governments to work together to reduce road crash death and injury, improve road safety through Decade of Action activities and mobilise new resources to implement evidence-based multi-sector programmes.
“We are involving more than ever before, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and States in the solution,” explained Ibrahim Osman, IFRC deputy Secretary General in the Middle East and North Africa region. “Road Safety is no longer a technical or transport problem; it is a community, man-made problem. It is a service, not just an opportunity and it can become a success story for all of us in this world,” he said.
Five joint and 12 unilateral National Society pledges on road safety were signed in November. By January 2012 the number of signatures has grown to 32, including seven states and 25 National Societies. Many other National Societies are determined to do so in the coming months after consultations with their governments. Their colleagues from the Global Road Safety Partnership, the IFRC road safety reference centre, will participate in developing this dialogue when needed.
The Federation will have to report on the implementation of this Pledge at the next General Assembly in 2013.
The photo shows Slovenian Red Cross Secretary General Dr. Danijel Starman (right) handing over the singed pledge on road safety to Andrew Pearce, GRSP Chief Executive (left).31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. November, 2011. Geneva. © Global Road Safety Partnership.
