On February 18-20, Marrakech will host the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, a major event bringing together decision-makers, experts, economic stakeholders and representatives of civil society organizations, to respond to an emergency behind over 1.19 million deaths yearly.
Through this conference, Morocco, a regional model in road risk management, aims to promote innovative solutions and enhanced cooperation on an international scale, Morocco's National Road Safety Agency (NARSA) says in a press release, noting that the Kingdom stands out for an integrated strategy combining investment in modernized infrastructure, strengthened regulations and large-scale awareness campaigns.
These efforts, in line with the objectives of the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030), have already contributed to significantly reducing the number of fatal accidents.
At the conference, the Kingdom will share its best practices, focusing in particular on South-South cooperation to pool resources and know-how, NARSA points out.
This conference is held in a context of profound regional disparities. In Africa, road mortality rate can reach 19 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, almost three times higher than in Europe.
Inadequate infrastructure, non-compliance with regulations and a lack of resources dedicated to prevention and education are just some of the challenges to be overcome in order to diminish these inequalities.
“Road safety is a priority for people, the planet and prosperity. It is the foundation of individual opportunities and sustainable development on a global scale”, Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdessamad Kayouh emphasized, quoted in the press release.
“The Marrakech Declaration calls for a radical shift in efforts to reduce road deaths and ensure safe, sustainable mobility for all. No road deaths are acceptable nor necessary, and we must strive towards applying proven solutions”, he insisted.
For his part, Director of WHO's Department of Social Determinants of Health Etienne Krug noted that “road deaths are preventable, and making roads safe for all is within our reach”.
“We know what needs to be done, and this conference is a clear call for urgent action. Leaders are making new commitments and putting forward measures to save more lives, but much remains to be achieved”, he observed.
The conference will focus on several strategic themes to propose concrete solutions to the challenges of road safety, notably public policy and governance, inter-ministerial coordination, implementation of effective legislative frameworks, as well as technological innovation, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence and big data.
Particular emphasis will be placed on sustainable and inclusive mobility, with the aim of developing safe transport accessible to all, mainly through facilities dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists.
Beyond human tragedies, road accidents are also a major economic challenge as they cost around 3% of the world's GDP per year, particularly in low and middle-income countries, accounting for 90% of fatalities despite having using only 60% of the world's vehicles, according to WHO.
With road accidents as the leading cause of death among young people aged 5 to 29, this conference aims to put road safety at the top of the global political agenda, and to lead to concrete commitments to make mobility a driving force for progress, free from danger, the press release concludes.
