The Abu Dhabi Municipality hosted the 18th Meeting of the UNRSC on 5-6 November, convening around 90 participants, including representatives of 40 UNRSC members, national and local partners from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport from UAE and Qatar, senior administrators from the Abu Dhabi Municipality and observers.
The objectives were to update on progress in the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020; discuss future collaborative activities and events; and review UNRSC membership requests. The opening session featured keynote addresses by Dr E. Krug, WHO; Eng. E. Mubarak Al Mazrouie, Abu Dhabi Municipality; and Mr Bader Al Qamzi, Department of Transport, UAE.
Other plenary sessions focused on the progress and challenges of the Decade of Action; past and future global road safety weeks; and updates on a range of activities supported by members. Project groups convened on the five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action (road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash care) as well as on monitoring and evaluating and work-related road safety.
Among the key decisions taken include: continue to support countries to develop and launch national plans for the Decade of Action; further explore innovative funding mechanisms for the Decade of Action; advocate greater ownership of the Decade of Action by the public health community; create a new project group on road safety for motorcyclists; host activities in the context of the World Day of Remembrance; produce a manual on youth as agents for change for road safety; and welcome the International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA) and the UPS Foundation as new members of the UNRSC.
The meeting was timely in that it took place just days following the release of the UN Secretary-General’s latest report Improving global road safety.