THE Philippines will participate in the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Morocco in February next year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said, as he reiterated the government’s commitment to make the country’s roads safer for all Filipinos.
The President met with United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt in Malacañang on Thursday to discuss the Philippines’ progress toward road safety.
“We welcomed UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr. Jean Todt, back to Manila to discuss the progress we’ve made and the steps ahead to enhance road safety across the Philippines, aligning with the 2021-2030 Decade of Action for Road Safety Goals,” Marcos said.
“In Bagong Pilipinas, our roads are built to connect and protect, bringing people together safely. We are committed to making our roads safer for all Filipinos, and the Philippines will proudly join the global dialogue at the upcoming Ministerial Conference in Morocco,” he added.
The global road safety conference will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, from Feb. 18 to 20, 2025, to assess the progress made in implementing the Global Plan 2021-2030 during its initial five-year period to generate support for the new vision of safe and sustainable mobility.
Marcos appreciated meeting with Todt in the Philippines, highlighting the urgency of reducing road crashes in the country, particularly those involving motorcycles.
He said the UN envoy, who has been traveling to advocate for road safety, could guide the Philippines on making its roads safer.
“I’m happy to meet you because I have been watching you over the years … and because we have safety concerns, especially for motorbikes. We have approximately 15 million Filipino riders in the country,” the President told Todt.
“They have the highest percentage of accidents, both fatal and non-fatal. It’s really on two wheels. So, it’s really that we are very concerned about,” he added.
The President also agreed to Todt’s proposal to establish a task force — members to be drawn from the sectors of education, health, and both public and private entities — to work alongside the UN on road safety initiatives.
Regarding Todt’s recommendation for producing more durable helmets to ensure riders’ safety, Marcos said that collaboration with the private sector would be essential, with government support in place to ensure a stable market.
This initiative could potentially involve government subsidies to reduce costs, encouraging riders to use helmets that meet safety standards, he added.
Todt also visited the Philippines in April last year to advocate for the effective implementation of the UN’s Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.
The World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018 showed an increasing trend in road traffic deaths in the Philippines, with a fatality rate of 12.3 per 100,000 population, compared to a fatality rate of 9.3 per 100,000 population in Europe.
The Philippines’ cooperation with the UN Development System is outlined in the Philippines 2024-2028 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).
The UNSDCF serves as a strategic framework for UN’s collaboration with the Philippines, aimed at supporting national development priorities, including the country’s transition to upper middle-income economy status and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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