Leaders, ministers, and officials from over 100 countries have gathered in Marrakech, Morocco, for the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety
Hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco and the World Health Organization (WHO), the conference is set to progress global efforts to address the growing crisis of road traffic deaths and injuries.
Road safety worldwide
The key focus of the event is to advocate the ‘Marrakech Declaration on Global Road Safety,‘ which urges governments to prioritise road safety and take action to reduce road fatalities worldwide.
Road crashes remain a major global issue, claiming nearly 1.2 million lives each year, equivalent to more than two deaths every minute.
These crashes can also cause an economic burden on countries, costing them 3 to 5% of their GDP.
The transport sector also contributes to about a quarter of the world’s harmful greenhouse gas emissions, showing the ongoing challenges of road safety and environmental sustainability.
Applying the Marrakech Declaration
A key part of the Marrakech Declaration is the dramatic increase in efforts to achieve the ambitious goal of halving global road deaths by 2030.
This target is part of the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and is aligned with the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The declaration shows the need for governments to implement key strategies, including improving road safety laws, enhancing infrastructure, and increasing collaboration among national agencies.
It also shows the importance of making transportation options such as walking, cycling, and public transit safer and more accessible.
Road safety measures
Throughout the three-day conference, delegates explored critical topics related to road safety governance, emerging mobility trends, and financing of road safety initiatives.
Experts are also discussing how public and private sectors can work together to create safer road environments and how data and technology can be used to improve road safety measures.
The particular focus is on Africa, the first region to host a Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. Road safety remains a big challenge in many African countries, and the conference aims to boost efforts to address this issue.
The WHO’s Global Status Report on Road Safety, released in 2023, reveals that while road deaths fell slightly to 1.19 million per year in 2021, the overall reduction is still far from where it needs to be. Since 2010, fatalities have decreased by just 5%.
Several countries have successfully reduced road deaths by 30-50% over the past decade, proving that substantial improvements in road safety are achievable with the right political will and resources.
A need for greater investment in road safety
In addition to discussions on road safety measures, the conference addresses the need for increased cross-border knowledge sharing and the development of new technologies to make roads safer. There is also a push for greater investment in road safety, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where most road fatalities occur.
The Marrakech event has attracted around 2,500 participants, including ministers, government officials, heads of national road safety agencies, and experts from various sectors such as transport, health, and the environment. The conference is an important platform for leaders to share best practices and commit to concrete actions to help save lives on the world’s roads.
