First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety
On 19-20 November 2009 the Government of the Russian Federation will host the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. The Ministerial Conference - requested by the UN General Assembly - represents a historic opportunity to make progress on addressing an important public health problem. The Ministerial Conference, which will be held at the International Trade Centre in Moscow, is expected to convene as many as 1000 participants including Ministers of Health, Transport, Education, Foreign Affairs and others; representatives of United Nations agencies; leaders from nongovernmental and civil society organizations; representatives from private companies; and many other of the world's leading road safety experts. It is anticipated that participants will issue a clear call for action.
The objectives of the Ministerial Conference are to:
· Draw attention to the need for action to address the large and growing global impact of road traffic crashes, in particular in low and middle income countries
· Review progress on implementation of the World report on road traffic injury prevention and the UN General Assembly resolutions
· Provide a high-level global multisectoral policy platform to share information and good practices on road safety
· Propose a number of actions for the future, including a discussion of the resources needed to fulfill these actions
A National Organizing Committee - chaired by the Minister of Interior of the Russian Federation with support from an International Consultative Committee - co-chaired by the Russian Government and WHO - has lead preparations for the Ministerial Conference, including development of the program and preparation of the declaration to be adopted during the event by all Member States. The members of the UN Road Safety Collaboration are actively involved in planning and supporting the Ministerial Conference. The UN Road Safety Collaboration’s good practice manuals will be important elements in the discussions. The program will feature statements from dignitaries, plenary presentations on best practices and panel discussions on a wide range of road safety related topics. A road safety exhibit will also be held in conjunction with the Ministerial Conference. It is hoped that the outcomes of the Ministerial Conference will feed into preparations for a Decade of Action on Road Safety which may be decided upon by the UN General Assembly in 2010.
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[ World Road Safety Partnership (WRSP) Key words: Road Safety; Road Traffic Accidents; Traffic Safety; Road Safety Awareness; Road Safety Education; Road Safety Training; Road Safety Enforcement; Road Safety Engineering; Road Accident and Trauma Care; Road Safety Scenario; Road Safety Audit; Road Safety Data; Road Safety Activities; School Road Safety Programs]
