What the Ministerial Conference commitments say about walking and cycling

In March, the Alliance published its analysis of the plenary commitments made by countries at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in February 2025.

In alignment to the UN Global Road Safety Week theme of safe walking and cycling, we took a dive back into the analysis to identify what commitments were made for walking and cycling specifically.

1. Out of the 25 countries that made plenary commitments, four countries (16%) mentioned pedestrian facilities: India, Philippines, Thailand, and Zambia:
   • India mentioned prioritizing pedestrian safety by integrating pedestrian infrastructure into road planning and design. 
   • The Philippines mentioned improving pedestrian infrastructure.
   • Thailand mentioned enhancing road safety standards for pedestrians.
   • Zambia mentioned improving walking infrastructure
2. Out of the 25 countries, three countries (12%) mentioned cycling: Philippines, Thailand, and Zambia:
   • Thailand mentioned enhancing road safety standards for cyclists.
   • The Philippines mentioned improving cycling infrastructure, including protected bike lanes. 
   • Zambia mentioned improving cycling infrastructure.
   • It was noted in our analysis that the Philippines and Zambia did not explicitly mention safety (although it may have been implied) and that it is possible to design some active transport infrastructure without taking safety into consideration.

The plenary statements provide a valuable opportunity for NGOs to hold their governments accountable for public commitments made on the global stage. Read the full analysis.