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May 20, 2021
United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) asks Companies Worldwide to Tackle Road Safety Crisis.
Photo: Participants at a UNITAR International Training Program in Geneva. Image Credit: UNITAR.
Photo: Traffic Lights. Image Credit: VÃctor VillamarÃn.
NEW YORK, May 19, 2021 — The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) collaborates with Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) in a joint effort to curb road traffic fatalities in recognition of the United Nations Road Safety Week (May 17-23, 2021).
UNITAR has asked companies and public entities worldwide to download and implement its “Management Practices for Safer Roads Toolkit.” The Toolkit provides government officials, road engineers, and urban planners with a proven methodology and evidence-based solutions to address road safety issues in their communities.
The Toolkit is accessible via desktop on UNITAR’s website or as a Learning App in the Play Store and App Store for Android and iOS devices. UNITAR is also providing dedicated training workshops to assist governments in utilizing the Toolkit and designing their action plans to support road safety.
The Toolkit and its app provide practical solutions to improve existing road infrastructure to benefit all road users. Among its features, the app provides a checklist to support users in monitoring their Road Safety management progress throughout the different stages of the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” Toolkit’s methodology. This week, the partnership hosted a virtual workshop with public officials in South Africa to exhibit how to best apply the Toolkit to existing faults in the country’s roads.
“We hope that this Toolkit and Learning App serve as a substantive contribution to advance our shared goal of making cities safe, resilient, and sustainable,” said Dr. Deisi Kuztra, member of the Board of Trustees for UNITAR. “The Agenda 2030 reminds us of the urgency to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, thus improving road safety with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons,” she emphasized.
For Road Safety Week 2021, celebrated on May 17-23, the United Nations has called on policymakers globally to take action in favor of low-speed streets worldwide, limiting speeds to 30 km/h (20mph) in residential areas. The knowledge and materials available in the Toolkit provide governments with a clear framework for practical speed limitations and black spot management, among others.
“As part of our tremendous efforts to expand the accessibility of this Toolkit, we have now made it available in 6 languages, including English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Portuguese, and most recently in Italian. We hope it will greatly benefit the organizations and governments working to make a positive impact toward improving road safety,” said Catalina Garcia, Global Director of Corporate Affairs at AB InBev. “The app’s methodology has been continuously tested and improved upon through several local projects in countries like Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, India, Mexico, and South Africa. We are certain that its adoption will continue to lead to positive results and save more lives, and especially now that it’s readily available on any mobile device.”
Road traffic-related deaths and injuries have unparalleled health and socioeconomic implications for society, particularly in areas with high death and injury rates. According to the latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.35 million people die on the world’s roads every year, and up to 50 million more are left injured or disabled, a majority of whom are young breadwinners between the ages of 15 and 29. Because of this, the United Nations has set the ambitious goal of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 percent by the year 2030 as part of its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UNITAR and AB InBev’s new app draws from AB InBev’s methodology, collecting data on the number and location of deaths by road user type. It relies on management routines, identifying hazardous and critical road locations where excessive numbers or severity of crashes occur, outlining corrective measures, and implementing and monitoring the appropriate interventions.
The “Management Practices for Safer Roads” mobile app in English is available for free from the App Store for iOS users and the Play Store for all Android devices.
The alliance between UNITAR and AB InBev, through the Partnership for Action on Road Safety, seeks to educate and inform on the importance of road safety. It also facilitates the exchange of experiences and best practices resulting in a long-term collaboration within different factors in society to generate concrete measures that improve mobility and road safety globally and ultimately save lives.
• The partnership’s key objectives are:
- Contribute to the advancement of Global Road Safety Performance Targets
- Mobilize stakeholders in support of road safety initiatives
- Facilitate knowledge and experience sharing
- Conduct innovative road safety intervention in cities with high road traffic death rates
- Support and advise governments and other partners with knowledge-related services, as well as practical tools and solutions
The alliance also seeks to develop projects on road safety that incentivize taking measures that reduce the various risk factors, such as exceeding the speed limit and irresponsible driving, and the vehicle and road infrastructure design. The initiative intends to socialize this methodology of road safety with governments worldwide and support them in designing and implementing local solutions.
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) provides innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations, and institutions to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future. UNITAR was created in 1963 to train and equip young diplomats from newly independent UN Member States with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate through the diplomatic environment. Over the years, UNITAR has acquired unique expertise and experience in designing and delivering various training activities. It has become a leading institute in providing customized and creative learning solutions to institutions and individuals from both the public and private sectors. With a strategy fully focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNITAR supports Governments to implement the 2030 Agenda.
Source: United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:38 AM | Link to this Post
