ΝΕΑ από την Global Alliance NGOs for Road Safety

 H ΕΥΘΥΤΑ-ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΡΙΟ ΟΔΙΚΗΣ ΑΣΦΑΛΕΙΑς είναι ενεργό μέλος της.

Also in this edition, we spotlight recent regional road safety developments aligned to the Calls to Action in Africa and Asia Pacific. You can read each of the regional Calls to Action HERE. LATIN AMERICA CHAPTER LAUNCH On 31 August 2022, Alliance NGOs will launch the Alliance Latin America Chapter at an online event. This is the second Alliance regional Chapter and a significant milestone. NGOs in Latin America play a pivotal role in promoting, advocating, and achieving the adoption of measures that stand to contribute to the 50% reduction in road traffic injuries and fatalities. In recent months, NGOs have seen significant legislative wins in Mexico and Colombia. National road safety strategies with aggressive fatality and injury reduction targets have been developed and published in Ecuador and Colombia. The Latin America Chapter will provide a platform to further support, strengthen, and unite NGOs in the region working on road safety, mobility, and with road victims; recognizing synergies between countries, leveraging joint expertise, and amplifying NGOs’ voices with increasing strength. The Latin America Chapter will be underpinned by its strategic plan and build on the recommendations set out in the Latin America Call to Action defined by members earlier in the year.  Join us and be part of the collective construction of this Chapter. Register HERE and read more about the Latin America Chapter HERE.

NEW REGIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR ASIA PACIFIC During the Alliance's regional consultations in March 2022, member NGOs agreed to use regional fora, including the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), to push the Asia Pacific Call to Action. This month, Chika Sakashita, the Alliance's Research and Accountability Director, and Puspa Pant, Board Member of Alliance member NASA Nepal, were among experts invited to present to ESCAP member governments to help them agree on the actions needed to implement the new Regional Plan for Asia and the Pacific: the Second Decade of Action. The Regional Plan sets out the actions required by ESCAP's 54 member countries to achieve the Decade of Action 2021–2030 and tailors the Global Plan to the specific cultural and geographical needs of the Asia Pacific Region. “I believe having a regional plan describing the Global Plan is an important step in advancing the issue of road safety at country level through regional links,” says Puspa.  NGOs' participation at the UNESCAP meeting for the first time is significant; it shows recognition for civil society's role in the Decade of Action and was an opportunity to present again the recommendations in the Asia Pacific Call to Action. Chika says, “NGOs in the Asia Pacific region should seize this opportunity, arising from our increasing visibility and influence, to more powerfully advocate for evidence-based interventions, track government actions against the Regional Plan and hold them accountable.” Read the draft of the Regional Plan and its significance for NGO advocacy HERE.

WALKING AND CYCLING BASELINE FOR AFRICA Up to a billion people in Africa walk and cycle for 56 minutes every day. More people on the continent walk than any other form of transport. Yet, according to a new report, “many of the people who walk and cycle in Africa feel that they are overlooked and undervalued by traditional transport decision makers.”  Walking and Cycling: Evidence and Good Practice in Action, published by UN Environment Programme, UN Habitat, and Walk 21, contains data, including country-level profiles for each of the 54 African countries, recommendations, and examples from across Africa to help governments support and promote walking and cycling. Many of suggested measures align to the Africa Call to Action defined by Alliance member NGOs, notably regarding data, land-use and modal shift, and involvement of civil society in decision making. NGOs were among those who contributed to the data gathering survey for the report. Read more about the report and how it supports the Africa Call to Action and NGO advocacy HERE. In collaboration with the Africa Network for Walking and Cycling (ANWAC), the Alliance Africa Chapter is mapping member NGOs’ walking and cycling work to support implementation of the Pan African Action Plan for Active Mobility (PAAPAM). Africa Chapter members are reminded that the closing date to complete the walking and cycling survey is today (Friday 26 August 2022). Read a practical NGO example from Namibia where Alliance member Namibia Road Safety Forum is advocating for safer walking and cycling HERE.

SAFE ROADS ENABLE RIGHT TO CLEAN, HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT On 28 July 2022, the UN General Assembly declared access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a universal human right.  Safe roads are an enabler for this right. A shift toward walking and cycling is key to making our environment cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable, decreasing air and noise pollution and fossil fuel use, and increasing activity levels. But sustainability cannot be achieved without safety. Unsafe transport modes will never be truly sustainable. Certain key recommendations in the Global Plan and in the NGO Call to Action, such as 30 km/h limits where people move, live, and play, can be directly linked to the environmental benefits, while many more support it by improving conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.  Read more about why the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment matters for NGOs’ road safety advocacy HERE.

THE ALLIANCE WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS  The Alliance is delighted to welcome seven new members that joined us recently. Full members Teens Learn to Drive Inc., Canada OHANA 503, El Salvador National Safety Partnership of Liberia, NASAPAL Inc., Liberia Associate members Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), Bangladesh Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Bangladesh Zéro Pauvre Afrique, Guinea Improve Your Society Organization (IYSO), Yemen Read more about our new members HERE and find out about joining the Alliance HERE.