The 4th Road Safety Ministerial Conference held in Marrakech last week was a pivotal event bringing together key leaders, stakeholders, experts, and policymakers to accelerate efforts toward halving global road deaths by 2030 globally. Under the theme of “Commit to Life”, the event underscored the importance of improving road safety worldwide and fostering cooperation for a sustainable future.

Moldova made a significant impact at this conference, where the official delegation, represented by the Prime Minister's Office and the State secretaries of the Ministries of Health and Internal Affairs, attended ministerial roundtable & panels and spoke at various side events with such themes as launch of the Global Status Report on child and adolescent road safety of UNICEF, introduction to the Eastern Partnership Road Safety Observatory, WHO session: overcoming obstacles to effective road policing and speed management; challenges of policy implementation, post-crash response, etc.

The Automobile Club of Moldova (ACM) played an essential role too. As a leading organization dedicated to promoting road safety in the country, ACM has been a strong advocate for 30km/h speed limit policy change, enhancing road infrastructure, implementing safety education campaigns, and supporting international partnerships aimed at improving road safety standards. 

One of the key moments was Tatiana Mihailova, Director of ACM, presenting @MRSMoldova at the NGO Symposium of the @RoadSafetyNGOs as part of the Panel on Roles and Commitments among other Panel Speakers: Paola Carvajal, Founder of Movidana, Ecuador; Juan Carlos Muñoz Abogabir, Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Chile; Oliva Nalwadda, Global Road Safety Youth Ambassador, Uganda; Dipak Dash, Senior Assistant Editor, Times of India; Afef Ben Ghenaya, Founder and President of l'Association les Ambassadeurs de la Sécurité Routière, Tunisia.

Tatiana spoke about how NGOs can strengthen collaboration with governments and international organizations to improve road safety. Her emphasis on innovative advocacy approaches, along with ACM's successes in Moldova, added valuable perspectives to the global conversation.

 Key Achievements highlighted:

• *  Promoting 30 km/h Speed Limits in School Zones – ACM successfully advocated for the introduction of these speed limits nationwide, creating safer environments for children.
• *  Supporting Data-Driven Decision Making – ACM pushed for policies grounded in reliable data, enhancing the safety of the road system.

During her panel, Tatiana also stressed the urgent need for dedicated funding for road safety, nationwide educational campaigns, strict enforcement of speed limits, and data-based policies to guide road safety decisions.

Tatiana Mihailova also was one of the contributors & reviewers to the report "Life Support: Advancing the Global Agenda for Financing & Action on Road Safety" presented at the FIA Foundation & FIA pre-events, and the NGO Alliance Symposium. The report made a strong case for increased, interconnected, and accessible financing for road safety initiatives, noting that a global step-change in financing is crucial to achieving the 2030 challenge, as millions of lives depend on it.

The FIA Road Safety Index, supported by the FIA Foundation, emphasizes the private sector’s role in road safety, expanding to include five key areas. Companies like Amazon, Honda, IKEA, and Shell received a 3-star rating for their outstanding contributions to enhancing road safety.

This year’s event also witnessed the introduction to Eastern Partnership Road Safety Observatory - a groundbreaking initiative aimed at improving road safety across the Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine. Supported by the World Bank and the European Commission, the Observatory will be instrumental in tackling high road casualty rates in the region.

The Automobile Club of Moldova, working in close collaboration with local and international organizations, reaffirms its commitment to saving lives through continuous awareness, advocacy, and action. The Club's participation at the conference exemplifies Moldova's dedication to road safety, ensuring that the voices of Moldovan citizens are heard on the global stage.

Key highlights from the conference included:

• *  Commitments to Action: Governments, private sector leaders, and civil society committed to several actionable road safety targets. These include ensuring safer road infrastructure, advancing vehicle safety technologies, making mobility safer and greener: walking, cycling, public transport and promoting road safety education.
• *   Innovative Solutions: Various sessions focused on innovative solutions, including the role of NGOs and local organizations in advocating for change. ACM, as an NGO, presented its approaches for reducing traffic accidents and enhancing road safety awareness at the national level.
• *  Partnerships for Change: The event served as a platform for enhancing public-private partnership; as well as global & international collaboration, with Moldova engaging in meaningful exchanges on best practices with other countries. This is key for adopting effective measures that can drive down road fatalities in the region.

Youth was a major focus throughout the week, with several key initiatives launched to address the safety of young road users. The 'Child Health Initiative Manifesto 2030 Progress Report' was unveiled, emphasizing the need for continued efforts to protect children on the roads.

The fifth anniversary of iRAP's Star Rating for Schools programme highlighted its ongoing success in improving school zone safety worldwide. Additionally, a new FIA Foundation-funded UNICEF report, 'Protecting Young Lives: A Global Status Report on Child and Adolescent Road Safety', shed light on the urgent need for action to reduce road risks for children and adolescents.

The ACM played an integral role in these initiatives, actively contributing to the Manifesto 2030, the Star Rating for Schools Programme, and the UNICEF project, furthering its commitment to ensuring safer roads for the younger generation in Moldova and beyond.

Fortunately, during the conference week, the ACM team joined meetings of all EASST partners where we reflected on the key take ways, lessons learned, and opportunities that have arisen.

At the conclusion of the event, Ministers from 100 countries endorsed the Marrakech Declaration for Global Road Safety that calls on governments to make road safety a political priority, ensure sustained funding and advance actions to achieve the goal of halving road deaths by 2030 as set out in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Republic of Moldova is set to approve the National Road Safety Program 2030 and National action plan, which represent the government's vision and priorities for improving road safety across the country. The ultimate goal is to create safer roads for all users, including drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, while ensuring the long-term sustainability of these improvements.

As we continue working toward safer roads, it’s essential that all stakeholders - from governments to NGOs and local organizations like the ACM - join forces to create meaningful change.

Let’s continue to support global road safety efforts and make our roads safer for everyone!