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

  • IRU secretary general awarded IRF Professional of the Year 2015
    August 17, 2015
    The secretary general of the International Road Transport Union, Umberto de Pretto, has been awarded the International Road Federation's highest and most prestigious individual distinction Established in 1951, the Professional of the Year Award recognises eminent public, private and education sector professionals with an outstanding track record of leadership and commitment to the road transport industry. Throughout the years, the award has recognised some of the world's most influential transport leader
    Read More
  • The UK is working with Jamaica to drive down its road deaths
    April 11, 2013
    A new partnership between Jamaica and the UK is intended to reduce road deaths in the Caribbean country. This novel agreement on improving road safety forms part of international twinning programme. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD are joining forces for this twinning initiative. Under the programme Jamaica and the UK will promote the implementation of best practices in road safety data collection. The goal of the twinning is to help Jamaica a
    Read More
  • Innovation is delivering better mobility systems: highlights from the IRF Annual Conference 2023
    January 7, 2024

    The IRF Annual Conference 2023 proved to be once again an enlightening experience for the road and transport community, welcoming participants from 105 countries, and 40 distinguished speakers from leading organisations including the IDB, UNECA, the World Bank, ERTICO, ASECAP and many more.

    Read More
  • International Road Federation holds general assembly in Paris
    April 13, 2015
    2015 IRF General Assembly convenes in Paris, France The General Assembly, board of directors and executive committee of the International Road Federation, as well as a joint meeting with council members of the ITACET Foundation (pictured) were held on February 24th in Paris, France, under the chairmanship of Eng Abdullah A Al-Mogbel. Against a backdrop of fast-paced change and innovation within the road and transportation industry, IRF has continued to expand programmes and services, and the 2015 IR
    Read More

Highlighted Content