The UN Road Safety Fund has unveiled ten new projects that will target key gaps in the road safety systems of 12 countries. With a total budget of nearly USD 4 million, these projects will scale the Fund’s geographical and programmatic footprint in the coming months.

This announcement took place at a Ministerial Lunch organized by the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr. Jean Todt, at the 3rd Global Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm on 19 February 2020.

Reflecting at the occasion, Mr. Todt stated “When the Fund launched the 2019 Call for Proposals, the Advisory Board, of which I am a member, had one clear priority – projects must demonstrate a chain of results leading to tangible impact on the number of fatalities and injuries on the road. I am convinced that these selected projects will accelerate progress in this direction.”

These projects are being launched at a time when the need for action has never felt stronger. Globally, almost 1.35 million people die on the roads each year, and an additional 50 million are injured. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years. Unfortunately, the scale of this challenge has not received the attention that it has deserved and the funds for road safety have not kept pace with the demand.

This was reflected in the funds available for the UN Road Safety Fund’s 2019 Call for Proposals. A total of 73 projects requesting support for 52 countries were submitted. USD 62.5 million would be needed to finance all these projects.

With limited financing available, the Fund’s Steering Committee made a concerted effort to direct resources where they would be most needed. It is for this reason that 50% of the funds went to five projects in seven countries in Africa, where road traffic death rates are highest (26.6/100,000 people).