Skip to main content

Third African safety conference – held in Addis Ababa

IRF providing input for the revision of the African Decade of Action Plan As part of the preparations for the second Global High Level Conference on Road Safety to be held in Brasilia later this year, UNECA, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), African Transport Policy Programme (SSATP), the Global Road Safety Facility of the World Bank, the International Road Federation (IRF-Geneva) and other partners, organised the Third African Road Safety Conference on 9 and 10 July 2015 at the U
August 18, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A key conference conclusion was that better data would help deliver improved road safety
IRF providing input for the revision of the African Decade of Action Plan

As part of the preparations for the second Global High Level Conference on Road Safety to be held in Brasilia later this year, UNECA, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), African Transport Policy Programme (SSATP), the Global Road Safety Facility of the World Bank, the International Road Federation (1201 IRF Geneva) and other partners, organised the Third African Road Safety Conference on 9 and 10 July 2015 at the United Nation Conference Centre in Addis Ababa.

The objective of this conference was to review the progress made towards the objectives of the African Road Safety Action Plan (2011-2020). As part of this review, the conference covered the progress made by member states have in implementing the African Road Safety Action Plan; and identifying the challenges to the implementation of the Action Plan.

The conference was kicked off with address by Tekletsadik Reba, State Minister of Transport for Ethiopia, Jean Todt, and the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, and Kiran Kapila, IRF Geneva chairman. Todt highlighted the need to collect more and better data in his address. Kapila, IRF Geneva chairman, gave a keynote address in which he emphasised the need to improve road safety not just on new roads, but also on existing roads. According to UNECA, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa are the “top three performers among 23 countries” in terms of carrying out the activities of the African Road Safety Action Plan. While progress has and is being made, the performance of countries in implementing the Plan and improving road safety has been mixed. Meanwhile, around 40% of the countries are implementing road safety management activities. But more than 30% of the countries have not even take steps to harmonise data formats and use international standards for reporting road safety data.

One of the key conclusions of the conference was that the availability and quality of data needed to be improved. Better, and more data, the conference concluded would greatly help in designing evidence based interventions and improving road safety.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Road safety seminar 'a great success'
    July 12, 2012
    The first of a series of Road Safety Seminars being organised in Central and Eastern Europe has confirmed the need for more investment in road safety. The European Union Road Federation, the Brussels Programme Centre of the International Road Federation (ERF-IRF BPC), organised the recent seminar in the Czech capital Prague. Endorsed by the Czech Presidency of the European Union, the seminar proved a tremendous success, attracting over 50 participants as well as a plethora of keynote speakers. The seminar'
  • Roads to Recovery after the pandemic
    January 11, 2021
    IRF president Bill Halkias shares the Federation’s view on post-Covid
  • IRF Geneva holds high level roundtables on intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in India
    June 14, 2017
    The economic boom witnessed in India in the last two decades has led to an exponential increase in motorisation, urban traffic congestion and a dramatic deterioration of air quality. ITS can potentially alleviate many of these urban transport problems. IRF Geneva is organising a series of four roundtables on Intelligent Transport Systems, over a 12-month period, in India. These roundtables are a collaborative effort between companies and Indian government bodies and agencies to improve market conditions for
  • 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