On 16 March 2022, the Special Envoy launched the first Kofi Annan Road Safety Award in Accra, Ghana with the President of Ghana, Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Africa, and the Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation. The Award aims to motivate key stakeholders – governments, private sector, and civil society organisations – to develop and implement innovative and outstanding ideas/initiatives to save lives on Africa’s roads. The Award is named after the late UN Secretary-General and founder of the Kofi Annan Foundation, in recognition of his contribution to the area of road safety. Annan brought the issue of Road Safety and Road Traffic Victims to the UN agenda at the beginning of the 2000s.
Five countries received the Award for outstanding performance based on the evaluation of the regional road safety action plan of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020: Ghana, South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria and Morocco. Ghana was honoured with the award of Excellence in the implementation of the Africa Road Safety Action Plan. South Africa received the award of Leadership in Mobilising Resources for Road Safety, while Nigeria received the Excellence in Road Safety Management award. The Leadership in Road Safety Data Management and the Leadership in the Ratification of the Africa Road Safety Charter awards went to the Kingdom of Morocco and Namibia respectively. The regional award will be given annually through the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030).
On the margins of the above, the Special Envoy met with the following in Accra, Ghana:
• H.E. Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana;
• H.E. Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Minister of Transport of Ghana;
• H.E. Mr. Fikile Mbalula, Minister of Transport of South Africa;
• H.E. Mr. Irchad Ramiandrasoa Razaaly, Ambassador of the EU;
• Mr. Benacer Boulaajoul, General Director, National Road Safety Agency of Morocco;
• Mr. Charles Abani, UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana;
• Heads of Transaid and Amend NGOs.