Located in Central Asia, Kyrgyz Republic is a landlocked country with the population of nearly six million (World Bank). It belongs to middle income countries’ group with the per capita income of $1,108. According to the WHO estimate, Kyrgyz republic suffers from 1,220 fatalities annually, the second highest in the region following Kazakhstan. The Kyrgyz Main Road Safety Department notes that passengers and drivers comprise 39% and 28% of road users’ deaths, respectively. According to the WHO data, their national seat-belt law is strong, but laws addressing other top risk factors (drink driving, speed, child seats, and helmets) need further improvement.
Kyrgyzstan is a contracting party to 1968 Road Traffic Convention and 1968 Convention on Road Signs and Signals. However, Kyrgyzstan has not acceded to other UN road safety conventions, such as 1958 Agreement concerning the Adoption of Uniform Technical Prescriptions for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and parts, 1997 Agreement concerning the Adoption of Uniform Conditions for Periodical Technical Inspections for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts, 1998 Agreement concerning the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts, and 1957 Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR).
On 13 September 2016, the Special Envoy met with the below stakeholders in Bishkek:
Mr. Almaz Orozaliev, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
Mr. Almaz Orozaliev, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
The Special Envoy presented his role and mandate as Special Envoy and introduced the objectives of the Decade of Action for Road Safety plan with its five pillars. He underlined the importance of law enforcement, mandatory insurance and education to curbing the number of fatalities. The Special Envoy highlighted that Kyrgyzstan was a signatory to only two of six UN Road Safety Conventions and encouraged accession and implementation of conventions, especially given the high traffic fatality rate in the country. Mr. Orozaliev expressed his interest to work together towards reducing the number of fatalities while highlighting the paradox between the improvements of road infrastructure and the increase in the number of fatalities on the roads.
United Nations Country Team of Kyrgyzstan
The Special Envoy provided an overview of his mandate and briefed the UN Country Team on the recent UN GA resolution which calls for the establishment of a UN Road Safety Trust Fund. The Special Envoy encouraged the UN Country Team to advocate and collaborate with high officials and government representatives for improved road safety. The UN Country Team agreed that road safety is a big issue in the country with UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) representative sharing the UN drivers’ training as his priority. Among the concerns raised during the meeting were absence of mandatory insurance for road users, lack of quality road infrastructure, law enforcement and education. The following members of the Kyrgyzstan UN Country Team participated during the meeting:
• Mr. Andrez Chlebowski, UN Department of Safety and Security
• Ms. Yukie Mokuo, UNICEF
• Mr. Oskonbek Moldokvlov, WHO
• Ms. Maki Shinohara, UNHCR Representative
• Mr. Andrez Chlebowski, UN Department of Safety and Security
• Ms. Yukie Mokuo, UNICEF
• Mr. Oskonbek Moldokvlov, WHO
• Ms. Maki Shinohara, UNHCR Representative