UN has launched a Road Safety Trust Fund to address traffic-related injuries and deaths in the developing countries.
- With some 1.3 million drivers, passengers and pedestrians dying each year on the world’s roads, the United Nations took a major step to address this tragedy.
- The launch of this fund was announced at the UN General Assembly where the Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed highlighted the opportunities offered by the UN Road Safety Trust Fund.
- The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on road safety in which it called for a host of measures to prevent road accidents and to minimize the resulting damage.
Trust Fund
- The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is the Organisation's development arm in the continent.
- UNECE is the secretariat for the Trust Fund.
- According to the UNECE, every $1,500 contributed to the Fund could save one life, prevent 10 serious injuries and leverage $51,000 towards investments in road safety.
- The Trust Fund will support efforts along the five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
- These include strengthened road safety management capacities, improved safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks, enhanced safety of vehicles, improved behaviour of road users and improved post-crash care.
- The Road Safety Trust Fund will serve as a catalyst for much-needed progress towards the road safety targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Dealing specifically with road safety, SDG targets 3.6 and 11.2 aim to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents; and to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems as well as improve road safety for all, respectively.
- The Trust Fund has the potential to galvanize the global efforts to address the road safety situation.
