A defining milestone for Caribbean cooperation

Over 200 delegates from 31 countries took part in the 1st IRF Caribbean Regional Congress, a new platform for dialogue at the service of a region with fast-evolving infrastructure needs. As they address the questions of development and global integration, many of the Caribbean region's island nations are adopting visionary measures to adapt their highway infrastructure to the needs of a booming economy, growing regional trade and an increasingly mobile population.
July 20, 2012 Read time: 3 mins

IRF congress fulfils critical missing link between Caribbean stakeholders

Over 200 delegates from 31 countries took part in the 1st IRF Caribbean Regional Congress, a new platform for dialogue at the service of a region with fast-evolving infrastructure needs.

As they address the questions of development and global integration, many of the Caribbean region's island nations are adopting visionary measures to adapt their highway infrastructure to the needs of a booming economy, growing regional trade and an increasingly mobile population. With this regional Congress, 3918 IRF Washington’s goal was to help policymakers transform these strategic objectives into planning and investment decisions, based on a shared understanding of safer road design and asset management principles. Key to the extraordinary success of the Congress was the support of all the multilateral development banks present in the region as well as major regional and international stakeholders.

The opening session was marked by a keynote address delivered by Dr Omar Davies, Jamaica’s minister of Transport, Works & Housing who noted the Congress is being held as Jamaica and the Caribbean region prepare to implement the United Nations Road Safety Resolution declaring 2011-2020 as the Global Decade of Action for Road Safety. “Our commitment to Road Safety is clear and unambiguous”, the minister added, “we are beginning to see the benefits, as there has been a 20% reduction in road fatalities between January and March this year”. Citing the work of IRF, the minister also encouraged Caribbean nations to work with international stakeholders in developing world-class traffic road infrastructure and institutions.

Also opening the Congress, IRF president & CEO C. Patrick Sankey read a statement prepared by IRF Washington chairman Abdullah Al-Mogbel, deputy minister of transport of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The chairman hailed IRF’s sustained commitment to enhanced regional dialogue among road stakeholders, as witnessed by the extraordinary success of previous regional congresses in Latin America and the Middle-East. “This congress is truly a collaborative endeavor”, Sankey concluded, “and we intend to give maximum international resonance to its key findings.”

Both addresses were followed by a panel discussion with senior representatives of international institutions (4833 Caribbean Development Bank, 2791 Inter-American Development Bank, 2332 World Bank and Organization of American States) which explored the use of road asset management tools and dedicated funding instruments at the service of the region’s strategic infrastructure priorities.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Gulf congress focuses on infrastructure challenges
    April 12, 2012
    The Kingdom of Bahrain will host the 3rd IRF Middle East Regional Congress & Exhibition which runs January 9-11, 2012.
    Read More
  • Jamaican ministry wins landmark road safety prize
    May 18, 2012
    The Ministry of Transport, Works, and Housing (TWH) in Jamaica is the first recipient of the International Road Federation’s (IRF) ‘Decade of Action Find a Way’ Award. IRF chairman, His Excellency Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel, has introduced the award to recognise the value of political leadership in driving road safety strategies as part of the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. Under the leadership of Dr, the Hon. Omar Davies, the Jamaican TWH Ministry has overseen an ambitious regulator
    Read More
  • Plenary sessions to serve key role at 17th IRF World Meeting in Riyadh
    June 24, 2013
    Plenary sessions will set the stage for and are at the core of activities for the 17th IRF World Meeting & Exhibition. The opening session will celebrate the host country of Saudi Arabia, as well as the IRF’s first 65 years, including the federation’s many accomplishments throughout the decades and its commitment to professional training, education, road safety and the sharing of information and knowledge. This session will also remind those in attendance about the powerful links between a strong and stable
    Read More
  • Safety first at IRF Caribbean Regional Congress in Jamaica
    July 7, 2015
    The wealth of experiences and ideas shared during the recent 4th IRF Caribbean Regional Congress underscored the International Road Federation’s value in shaping policy contributions to global transportation challenges ranging from resilient infrastructure to road safety. The regional congress coincided with the start of the 3rd United Nations Global Road Safety Week, an initiative aimed at fostering discussion and awareness-raising in more than 100 countries. The event was run by the IRF Washington office
    Read More

Highlighted Content