As part of its role as a leader in the global road safety community, ASIRT serves on the U.N. Global Road Safety Collaboration. ASIRT is active in forums throughout the world, where participants meet to share best practices and consult on new initiatives and policies in the context of global road safety.

The United Nations recognized the need to address the growing worldwide epidemic of road crashes and passed several historic resolutions in May, 2003 (57/309) and in April 2004 (58/289) on improving global road safety. The U.N. General Assembly (58/29) mandated that the World Health Organization (WHO) act as coordinator on road safety issues within the United Nations system.

ASIRT recently participated in the First Global Ministerial Conference hosted by the Russian Federation in Moscow on November 19-20, 2009. Rochelle Sobel was the final speaker of the conference, representing the international road safety NGO community. The conference produced the “Moscow Declaration”, a declaration encouraging the establishment of a Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) and signed by ministers from 150 countries. This declaration served as the basis for a historic resolution (A/64/L.44/Rev.1) passed by the U.N. General Assembly on March 2, 2010.

United Nations Global Road Safety Week

As called for in the October 2005 United Nations General Assembly resolution A/60/5 on improving global road safety, the United Nations Regional Commissions and the World Health Organization (WHO) worked jointly to organize the first Global Road Safety Week in April of 2007. ASIRT was involved in the planning and implementation of a series of events taking place in the WHO headquarters in Geneva, in the U.S. Congress, and in several countries around the world. (See sections on Egypt, Turkey, and Kenya.) The theme for the Week was “young road users”, in recognition of the inordinate numbers of young people involved in road crashes worldwide. While the focus was on young road users, activities were designed to present a range of sustainable and proven initiatives that benefit road users of all ages.

The First U.N. Road Safety Week was launched on April 23rd at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. A large number of local, national and international events were hosted simultaneously all over the world, with the involvement of many partners, including governments, United Nations members and agencies, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector.

In the U.S., ASIRT partnered with MAKE ROADS SAFE to host a briefing on Capitol Hill, sponsored by Congressman Robert Wexler, chair of the U.S. Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety.

World Day OF Remembrance for Road Crash Victims

ASIRT supported the successful efforts of WHO, together with numerous NGOs, to secure U.N. recognition of a day dedicated to victims and their families. The United Nations General Assembly, in Resolution A760/5, designated the third Sunday in November every year as a World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic victims.

ASIRT has taken a lead role in promoting the recognition of this day in the U.S. and abroad. ASIRT advocated for U.S. Congressional support for World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims through the U.S. Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety, and the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 87 and Senate Concurrent Resolution 39 in 2007 which “supports the goals and ideals of a world day of remembrance for road crash victims” and officially designates the third Sunday in November as World Remembrance Day in the U.S. annually. In 2007, the first official year for World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims in the United States, ASIRT hosted a briefing and reception in Congress to further educate staff and members of Congress.