17 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted at the UN Summit this week, including road safety.
Member countries of the United Nations convened for the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015 on 25-27 September in New York to officially adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda (now known as Agenda 2030). At the highly anticipated Summit, global leaders reaffirmed their commitment to international development and formally instated 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to focus on after 2015 until 2030. This Summit marked a momentous occasion for road safety advocates, because for the first time in SDG history road safety was included under not just one but two of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted:
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages:
3.6. By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable:
11.2. By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons
The inclusion of road safety in the Post-2015 Agenda is the result of years of advocacy efforts. Read about the journey towards the inclusion of a road safety development goal in the Post-2015 Development Agenda HERE.
Agenda 2030 is a universal agreement among all member UN countries to prioritize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined, and its successful implementation requires coordinated action across all countries and sectors. The inclusion of road safety in the Agenda presents a monumental opportunity for road safety advocates around the world to ramp up their work and be a significant part of the world’s largest and most comprehensive development initiative.
Read more about the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 adopted at the UN Summit this week HERE.
