Remarks by H.E. Annalena Baerbock
President of the 80th Session of the Â鶹APP General Assembly
at the Interactive multi-stakeholder hearing as part of the preparatory process for
the high?level meeting on improving global road safety
Tuesday, 12 May 2026
ECOSOC Chamber. Â鶹APP
[As Delivered]
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
When we speak about a pandemic, most of us think about COVID ¨C where millions lost their lives¡
When we think about tragedies, where incredible numbers of lives are lost, we think about wars and famines.
Yet, the true silent pandemic is right in front of us¡ happening on our roads and highways.
Indeed, the numbers are incredible, with around 1.2 million people being killed and with over 50 million people injured in road accidents every single year. That is one person injured almost every second.
Today, road crashes remain the leading cause of death of children and young people aged 5 to 29.
No country is immune from this crisis¡ªwhether large or small, developed or developing. It affects every society, every economy, and far too many families.
For this very reason, Member States will convene a high-level meeting on improving global road safety on 20 and 21 July.
But road safety is not solely the responsibility of governments¡ªit requires a whole-of-society approach.
Stakeholders bring essential expertise, lived experience, innovation, and advocacy to this issue.
They help strengthen the evidence base that informs policymaking, while also playing a critical role in implementing solutions on the ground.
Today¡¯s multistakeholder meeting is therefore a vital part of the preparatory process for the high-level meeting.
It is an opportunity to hear directly from:
- NGOs advocating for safer roads and speed management,
- Academics and experts supporting capacity-building trainings,
- Victims and survivors of road crashes,
- Private sector actors building safer roads and infrastructure,
- Philanthropic organizations funding awareness and education initiatives,
- And from youth representative who will shape the next generation of policy and action.
I thank all stakeholders for their participation and contributions which will not only directly feed into the high-level meeting in July, but also promote a whole-of-society approach to improve road safety at the national, regional, and global level.
This process, beginning with today¡¯s hearing, is an important opportunity to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda¡ªparticularly targets 3.6 and 11.2¡ªas well as the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
More broadly, road safety cuts across all three pillars of the UN.
It is a matter of human wellbeing and security.
It is an economic issue, given the immense social and financial costs of traffic accidents.
And it is linked to sustainability through safer, cleaner, and more accessible transport systems.
Excellencies,
Dear stakeholders,
Today¡¯s hearing reflects the Â鶹APP at its best, bringing together governments, civil society, experts, the private sector, and affected communities to address a shared global challenge through dialogue and cooperation.
Because lasting solutions can only be achieved when all voices are heard, and when all sectors work together in common purpose.
Let us use this process to build safer roads, safer communities, and ultimately, save lives.
For in this issue, as in so many others, we are indeed better together.
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