Transport Minister To Lead Delegation At High-Level Road Safety Meeting In New York

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon, Audley Shaw, will lead a delegation to the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) High-Level Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety, from June 30 to July 1, 2022 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Member states will convene the High-Level Meeting on Road Safety under the theme, “The 2030 horizon for road safety: securing a decade of action and delivery”.

The UN High-Level Meeting and First Pledging Conference provide an opportunity to improve Jamaica’s presence on the global stage and identify collaborative opportunities with the UNRSF and other donor agencies. Countries are able to reaffirm their commitment to the UN General Assembly Resolution, “Improving global road safety”, proclaiming the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.

Minister Shaw will deliver Jamaica’s Plenary Statement in support of the Second Decade of Action at the General Assembly Hall at this High Level Meeting. Jamaica is further scheduled to co-host the Pledging Event, serving as an advocate for the replenishment of the UNSRF which targets developing countries road safety projects.

The Transport Minister will also give the keynote address at Panel 1 of the multi-stakeholder panels, with a focus on “Mainstreaming road safety into sustainable development: political will and whole of government approach”.

Minister Shaw, who expects to be fully engaged in the High-Level Meeting, has stated that he is looking forward to participating in the High-Level Meeting to treat with the plague of road crashes and fatalities; and welcomes the efforts of the UNRSF.

The UNRSF was established in 2018 to provide funding to developing countries to support road safety projects, geared towards improving their road safety architecture in accordance with the Safe Systems Approach.