A/78/PV.92 General Assembly

I now give the floor to the representative of Morocco to introduce draft resolution A/78/L.78.

I am pleased to introduce draft resolution A/78/L.78, entitled “Improving global road safety”. The draft resolution is the first overview of progress since the 2022 high-level meeting on road safety and the adoption of its political declaration, as well as of the road safety agenda considered by the General Assembly since 2003. The main aim of the new text, introduced under agenda item 12, is to strengthen our collective commitment and accelerate and intensify efforts to implement the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030, by making road safety a political priority for all Member States and ensuring that it is part of the broader sustainable development agenda. We are approaching the halfway point of the Decade of Action, and despite the fact that some progress has been made, there is still much to be done to accelerate action. Approximately 1.2 million lives are cut short by road accidents every year, and between 20 million and 50 million others suffer non-fatal injuries, many of them left with disabilities. In addition, road accidents are the leading cause of death among children and young people aged between 5 and 29 years old, and the second-leading cause of death for all age groups. The draft resolution reflects some of the progress that has been made, including a reduction in road-related deaths. It reaffirms the importance of continuing work towards the road-safety-related targets 3.6 and 11.2 of Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 11, which are vital to achieving those Goals. We also call for accelerating these efforts to assist in achieving other Goals, including poverty eradication, gender equality, climate action, decent work and innovation and transport. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that in view of the increase in road accidents generally, the Kingdom of Morocco, as instructed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has been a pacesetter in implementing a number of flagship actions for fostering road safety. Our first national road-safety strategy was established between 2004 and 2013, with the aim of achieving a sustainable reduction in the trend of increasing annual road deaths and serious injuries. A second road-safety strategy was launched for the period from 2017 to 2026, with a view to reducing the number of road-accident deaths by 50 per cent by 2026. In addition, in 2018 we created our National Road Safety Agency to manage and govern road safety-related issues. Morocco has also established Government bodies for managing road safety at every level, including an interministerial committee for road safety, chaired by our Head of Government, a standing committee on road safety, chaired by the Minister for Transport and Logistics, a committee for monitoring and evaluating roadside checks, and a regional committee on road safety, chaired by governors of our regions. Furthermore, Morocco’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection, as a key actor in road safety, in concert with all stakeholders, has overcome major challenges relating to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3, on health, through its efforts aimed at reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents by 2030. Draft resolution A/78/L.78 is based on this global vision for strengthening Member States’ commitment to ensuring sustainable and safe transport, which forms an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is the outcome of three rounds of negotiations and a number of bilateral discussions. Morocco’s facilitator took a transparent, open and inclusive approach with the aim of rallying people around the draft resolution’s noble cause. The current text, which I have the honour of introducing, seeks to encourage Member States to establish interministerial coordination mechanisms across their departments of health, transport, infrastructure, the interior and the environment, with a view to addressing cross-cutting issues that affect every sector relevant to road safety. The draft resolution also welcomes Morocco’s offer to host the fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, to be held from 18 to 20 February 2025 in Marrakech. This important conference will make it possible to put in place significant measures in the area of road safety and to identify new challenges that may arise in the coming years. It also seeks to strengthen cooperation and ties across a broader range of stakeholders, in particular the private sector and financial institutions. The conference will be the first of its kind on the African continent, and particular attention will thereby be given to Africa as a region in which the number of road-related deaths continues to rise and where transportation systems are developing very quickly. Unfortunately, very few African countries have technical standards aligned with the United Nations standards for road safety infrastructure. In 2010–2021, the number of road-related deaths in Africa increased by 17 per cent, and vulnerable road users represented 50 per cent of all deaths, while, in most other regions, the rate has fallen. The text also deplores the fact that road safety continues to be significantly under-financed in terms of both public and private funds. Although a majority of Member States are equipped with a national road safety strategy, most of those strategies are not financed or implemented. The draft resolution highlights the evolving nature of transport and notes with concern the challenges brought about by these changes, including an increasing number of deaths among riders of powered two- and three-wheelers, electric bicycles and micromobility devices. I cannot conclude without expressing warm thanks from the Kingdom of Morocco to all the delegations that have contributed constructively to enriching this draft resolution throughout the process of its negotiation. I would also like to warmly thank all the delegations that have already sponsored this initiative, and I look forward to seeing support and sponsorship from the delegations that have not yet done so.

At the outset, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this timely meeting, as well as to congratulate Antigua and Barbuda, Cameroon, Morocco and Turkmenistan for the initiative of bringing back this important resolution, entitled “Improving global road safety”. Angola has proudly sponsored this draft resolution (A/78/L.78) to signal the strategic significance it attaches to this pertinent topic. According to the statistics of the World Health Organization for 2023, approximately 1.2 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes, while road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5 to 29 years. Moreover, road traffic crashes cost most countries 3 per cent of their gross domestic product. Target 3.6 of the Sustainable Development Goals seeks to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents. On the other hand, target 11.2 aspires to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, in particular by expanding public transport, with attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations: women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons. Road safety is a development issue that needs to be addressed in a holistic manner and requires involvement and collaboration among multiple key stakeholders, such as those in transport, infrastructure, police, health and education. Angola pays special attention to road safety throughout the national territory and is taking decisive initiatives to lower mortality rates caused by road accidents. Last year, the Government approved the National Plan for Road Safety and Prevention 2023– 2027, in line with regional, continental and international recommendations on road safety, to reduce by half the number of road accidents and place the country in the top 10 African States with the fewest road accidents. The plan intends to improve the training process for vehicle drivers, develop a culture of road education, guarantee efficient management and increase the level of safety of infrastructure, vehicles and road users. It also seeks to improve and expand rescue and assistance to victims of accidents through reducing the death toll resulting from road accidents. To conclude, allow us to reiterate Angola’s commitment to continuing to improve road safety, seeking to achieve the goal set out by the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030, which has the ambitious target of preventing at least 50 per cent of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

We would like to thank Morocco, the coordinator of the negotiation process towards reaching an agreement on draft resolution A/78/L.78 on improving global road safety, for its work. Despite the noteworthy progress in the area of road safety, achieving road safety remains a priority in the modern world that requires urgent attention. It has already been said today that fatalities and injuries as a result of road traffic accidents are a pressing global problem that has an extremely negative impact on socioeconomic progress and upon countries’ ability to achieve sustainable development. It is important to note the role of the first Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, which was held in our capital, Moscow, in 2009, and which brought together delegates from 150 States. In the Moscow Declaration that was adopted there, the participating countries recommended that the General Assembly proclaim the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020. Subsequently, the Russian side facilitated the launch, within the context of the first Decade, of large-scale actions to stabilize and subsequently reduce forecast fatalities as a result of road traffic accidents. We also support the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030. The World Health Organization plays a leading role in helping countries to implement it, in partnership with United Nations regional commissions and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Road Safety, Mr. Todt. The steps taken by the global community aimed at reducing fatalities caused by road traffic accidents have already shown positive results. Significant progress was seen between 2010 and 2021 in reducing such deaths by 50 per cent in 10 countries — Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, Denmark, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, the Russian Federation, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Thirty-five other countries saw fatalities reduced by between 30 and 50 per cent. Further efforts in this area will not only prevent many thousands of people from dying in road-related accidents but will also support sustainable socioeconomic development around the world. We are sincerely grateful to all the delegations that participated actively in the negotiations on the draft resolution, and in particular we would like to thank our colleagues from the World Health Organization for their significant contribution to the work on the draft. We call on all Member States to support the resolution and to become sponsors of it.

Ukraine has always supported international and national efforts in the area of road safety and considers it very important to uphold all commitments to the road safety targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They formed the basis for the strategy for improving road safety in Ukraine that our Government adopted in 2020, aimed at reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries through a multifaceted approach focusing on improving road infrastructure, enforcing traffic laws, enhancing driver education and promoting public awareness about road safety. However, our progress has been severely undermined by the Russian troops that have invaded Ukraine and have used Ukrainian roads for their offensives. The destruction of our infrastructure has been catastrophic. Heavy artillery, mines, drones and missiles have targeted and devastated our roads and bridges. Thousands of kilometres of roads and hundreds of bridges have been destroyed or damaged since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Specifically, as a result of the hostilities, 25,400 kilometres of Ukrainian roads and 344 bridges have been destroyed. How can we speak about road safety in cities without roads? Sadly, that seems to be the case in many Ukrainian cities and towns along the front lines in our territory. But despite those challenges, Ukraine has remained steadfast in its commitment to road safety. Our road services and law-enforcement agencies are taking the measures needed to improve it throughout the country. We also believe that international cooperation and solidarity in that area are more important than ever. Ukraine confirms its commitment to improving global road safety and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/78/L.78. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I would like to announce that since the submission of draft resolution A/78/L.78, and in addition to the delegations listed in the document, the following countries have become co-sponsors of the draft resolution: Andorra, Angola, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Colombia, the Republic of the Congo, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Maldives, Malta, Monaco, Paraguay, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, Uruguay and Viet Nam.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/78/L.78, entitled “Improving global road safety”. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt the draft resolution?

The exercise of the right of reply has been requested. I would like to remind members that statements in the exercise of the right of reply are limited to 10 minutes for the first intervention and five minutes for the second and should be made by delegations from their seats.

Regarding our understanding of the procedure, Mr. President, we were under the impression that we could exercise our right of reply earlier, but now we will indeed do so. We regret that the Ukrainian delegation has once again exploited this unifying agenda item for political purposes and in order to make accusations that we cannot accept. We have said again and again that the Ukrainian authorities began a war against their own people in 2014, simply because of those people’s desire to speak Russian. That war has also been waged on the infrastructure of the regions in question. It is also telling that the Ukrainian delegation did not even participate in the negotiations on resolution 78/290 but has merely used this rostrum in order to make accusations. The Ukrainian authorities have continued their inhuman policies, including in the form of several terrorist attacks on civilians holidaying in Crimea over the weekend. We will continue to discuss these issues on the relevant platforms, and above all in the Security Council.

May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 12?