Analysis of commitments made at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety
Introduction
The Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety (Ministerial Conference), called on stakeholders to formally commit to achieving the global target of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030. Government delegations were invited to make national commitments that were “based on the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and previously agreed upon Global road safety performance targets”. It was stated that “ideally, commitments will be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.” Examples were provided including “new road safety policies or legislation; improvements to road infrastructure or vehicle regulations; strengthened trauma care or data collection systems; as well as additional funding.”
The Alliance designed a Commitment Assessment Form (Form) to monitor the commitments made in the plenary. The form enabled real-time documentation and independent assessment of each commitment. These completed forms have been analyzed and compiled into the summary below. The summary aims to guide members in their Conference follow up and keep governments accountable for their commitments.
Methodology
Two Alliance staff members listened to each of the two 30-minute commitment sessions in the Conference program to actively listen and record key details using the Forms. They independently noted down all the key details to ensure consistency. Another Alliance staff reviewed all the completed forms and cross-checked information between the two recorded forms then further validated by listening to the recordings available on the NARSA Youtube channel. A fourth Alliance staff member reviewed the analysis to identify and resolve any ambiguities.
Disclaimer
The analysis in this summary is provided on an ‘as is’ basis based on the Alliance’s interpretation as per the methodology above and may be subject to other interpretations. We actively encourage you to listen to the commitments to form your own assessment and to effectively follow up with your government.
Assessment results
Over the two commitment sessions during the Conference, a total of 30 countries were called to the stage but four of those countries were not present to come to the stage (Kyrgyzstan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and the UK). A total of 25 countries came to the stage to publicly announce their commitments. All but one (Sudan) was from a government representative (Sudan’s commitment was made by a UNESCO representative).
Who Made the Commitment? (N=25)
A total of 25 countries publicly announced their commitments across the Alliance’s four regions:
Africa: 12 countries (48%) – Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.
Asia: 8 countries (32%) – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Philippines Thailand, and Vietnam.
Europe, North America, and Australasia: 5 countries (20%) – Czech Republic, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden.
Latin America: None (0%)
See Figure 1. No country from Latin America made a commitment.
Figure 1: Regional representation of countries making commitments (N=25)
Did the commitment mention an evidence-based action?
The commitments were reviewed to assess whether they covered the five Alliance’s Priority Interventions proven to reduce road deaths and injuries, as outlined in the Alliance Accountability Toolkit. They include 30 km/h, Lower speed limits, Traffic calming, Pedestrian facilities, and Motorcycle helmet law, enforcement, and promotion (including helmet standard). Other actions mentioned in the commitments were also noted.
15 of 25 countries (60%) mentioned at least one Priority Intervention (Figure 2a) and 21 of 25 countries (84%) mentioned other evidence-based actions (not mutually exclusive), meaning 24 of 25 countries mentioned at least one evidence-based action. However, at the same time, 16 of 25 countries (64%) also mentioned at least one action where the evidence base is uncertain based on the available literature or due to the commitment wording being insufficiently clear. See Figure 2b.
Figure 2a: Number and proportion of commitments including at least one Alliance Priority Intervention (N=25)
Figure 2b: Mentions of evidence-based interventions (N=25)
30 km/h (1 country, 4%): Portugal mentioned 30 km/h in the context of their Vision Zero strategy to reduce road deaths and serious injuries to zero by 2030.
Lower speed limits (1 country, 4%): Cambodia mentioned reducing deaths and injuries by 50% through reduced speed by 2030. Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, and Norway did not specifically mention lowering limits but mentioned management of speed.
Traffic calming (1 country, 4%): Portugal mentioned traffic calming in its Vision Zero strategy.
Pedestrian facilities (4 countries, 16%):
India mentioned prioritizing pedestrian safety by integrating pedestrian infrastructure into road planning and design.
Philippines mentioned improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, including protected bike lanes.
Thailand mentioned enhancing road safety standards for pedestrians and cyclists.
Zambia mentioned improving walking and cycling infrastructure, as pedestrians and cyclists account for 50% of road traffic fatalities.
Bangladesh mentioned developing standard helmet implementation and enforcement guidelines by 2026.
Burkina Faso mentioned enforcing helmets for two and three-wheel vehicles in 2030.
Côte d’Ivoire committed to 90% of motorcyclists wearing UN-standard helmets by 2027.
Gabon mentioned ensuring that a second helmet must be provided with every motorbike purchase, with regular enforcement checks.
Malawi mentioned ensuring all motorcycles always have standard approved helmets and two helmets while operating on roads.
Nepal mentioned enforcing comprehensive helmet use for both motorcycle drivers and passengers.
Philippines mentioned enforcing key policies including the Motorcycle Helmet Act.
Thailand mentioned increasing the percentage of motorcyclists wearing helmets to 100% by 2030.
Togo mentioned making helmet use mandatory for two- and three-wheelers with continued enforcement.
Vietnam mentioned increasing helmet use to 100% and strictly handling violations.
Zambia mentioned strengthening motorcycle helmet laws as part of broader road safety measures.
Additionally, Cambodia mentioned aligning road safety strategies with UN legal instruments by 2030, Eswatini mentioned reviewing and strengthening road safety legislation, ensuring it applies to all road users, and Guinea mentioned reforms with regard to roads’ legal framework, introducing rigorous traffic laws and setting up a road safety agency for enforcement. All of these may potentially include motorcycle helmet law and/or standards, but they were not specifically mentioned.
Active transport: Thailand (improving road safety for cyclists)
National coordination: Nepal, Madagascar, Philippines, Uganda. We judged Guinea and Nigeria as possible but unclear and therefore not included in the count.
Public education/awareness campaigns: Guinea, Norway, Zambia. Evidence suggests public awareness campaigns can be effective when combined with enforcement.
Other actions but evidence-base is not certain (16 countries, 64%):
Roads/road infrastructure: Burkina Faso, Guinea, Vietnam did not mention safe road infrastructure so it is not clear if the improvement is in relation to safety / reducing deaths and injuries. Some improvements can simply be a road upgrade without taking into consideration safety.
Vehicles: Côte d’Ivoire (create awareness on the importance of vehicle maintenance), Zambia (Fleet Safety Management Program), Togo (acquiring new vehicles) were assessed as not clear enough to judge the evidence base.
Mobile phone use regulations: Norway, Togo, Vietnam. The evidence base is unclear.
Active transport: Philippines (bike lanes) and Zambia (walking and cycling infrastructure). They did not mention safety and some active transport infrastructure can be designed without taking into consideration safety.
Public education/awareness campaigns: Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire (expression not clear), Nepal. Evidence suggests public awareness campaigns can be effective when combined with enforcement but these countries did not make the connection clear.
School-based education and training: Côte d’Ivoire (school-based education), Czech Republic (road safety programs in secondary schools), Kenya (school-based education programs), Madagascar (school-based education programs). Evidence suggests school-based education and training programs are not effective.
Knowledge sharing / international partnership: Cambodia (share best practices and further strengthen global partnerships), Nigeria (engage with other African countries … ensure that African countries … are supported), Slovenia (share our best practices with others as we believe that road safety is a shared responsibility that transcends borders), Sweden (disseminating knowledge and experiences related to Vision Zero). While knowledge sharing and international partnerships can be helpful, we cannot assess if they are directly evidence-based interventions that reduce deaths and injuries nationally.
Did the commitment mention a clear timeline/target date?
The commitments were assessed to see if they mentioned a clear timeline or a target date for actions. We assessed that 14 of the 25 countries (56%) mentioned a timeline (2030 or earlier) for at least one of their stated actions. Five of the 25 countries (20%) mentioned 2030 broadly but did not attach it to specific actions. Six of 25 countries (24%) did not mention any timeline.
Figure 3: Number and proportion of commitments with a timeline (N=25)
14 countries (56%) mentioned a timeline for specific actions: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Philippines, Portugal, Thailand, Vietnam, and Zambia
5 countries (20%) did not mention a timeline for specific actions but mentioned a timeline of the second Decade of Action for Road Safety: Eswatini, Nigeria, Slovenia, Sweden, Togo.
6 countries did not mention any timeline: Czech Republic, India, Madagascar, Nepal, Norway, Uganda.
Did the commitment mention a budget/financing the action?
Aligned to our Call to Action, we assessed whether commitments mentioned financing for their proposed actions. We assessed that 3 of the 25 countries (12%) mentioned financing for a stated action. However, no country mentioned a specific amount.
Figure 4: Number and proportion of commitments that mentioned financing the action (N=25)
3 countries (12%) mentioned financing at least one stated action: Eswatini, Malawi, Uganda
22 countries (88%) did not mention a budget/financing the action: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Thailand, Togo, Vietnam, Zambia
Did the commitment mention NGO engagement?
We assessed whether the commitments mentioned engagement with NGOs in alignment with our Call to Action. Three countries (12%) mentioned NGO engagement.
Figure 5: Number and proportion of commitments that mentioned NGO engagement (N=25)
3 countries (12%) mentioned NGO engagement: Cambodia, Guinea, Uganda
22 Countries (88%) did not mention NGO engagement: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Eswatini, Gabon, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Thailand, Togo, Vietnam, Zambia.
Did the commitment mention victim support?
We assessed whether the commitments mentioned actions to support victims and their families following a crash. We assessed that 6 of the 25 countries (24%) mentioned victim support.
Figure 6: Number and proportion of commitments that mentioned victim support (N=25)
6 Countries (24%) mentioned victim support: Bangladesh, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Nepal, Philippines
19 countries (76%) did not mention victim support: Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Eswatini, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia
Did the commitments mention key frameworks promoted globally?
Ratification of the Africa Road Safety Charter (5 out of 12 African countries, 42%). The Africa Road Safety Charter is a policy framework for road safety implementation and accountability across AU Member States. It aligns with UN Resolution 74/299 and SDG 3.6, aiming to reduce road deaths by 50% by 2030. The Charter promotes lead agencies, data systems, and national strategies. Once ratified by 15 countries, it becomes legally binding, unlocking funding and strengthening evidence-based policies. Currently, 12 countries have ratified.
We assessed that 5 of the 12 African countries (42%) mentioned ratification of the Africa Road Safety Charter. They are countries that are yet to ratify: Burkina Faso, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Togo.
Implementation of the Global Plan (12 countries, 48%)
The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations, aims to reduce global road traffic deaths and serious injuries by at least 50% by 2030, guiding member states and stakeholders on how to achieve this target through proven interventions and best practices. 12 countries mentioned the Global Plan: Cambodia, Eswatini, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Togo, Vietnam, Zambia. While Gabon mentioned a 50% reduction by 2030 it was in reference to road accidents, not deaths and serious injuries, and hence it was not included.
Safe System Approach (5 countries, 20%)
The Safe System approach is a human-centric approach which dictates the design, use, and operation of our road transport system to protect the human road users.[2] 5 countries mentioned the Safe System Approach: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kenya, Nepal, Portugal.
Vision Zero (3 countries, 12%)
Vision Zero sets out to eliminate all fatalities and serious injuries on roads by taking the Safe System Approach, recognizing that these deaths and serious injuries are preventable. 3 countries mentioned Vision Zero: Norway, Portugal, Sweden.
