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Ph/DR: Morocco receives the Kofi Annan Road Safety Prize in Marakesh for its resilience in the latest unfortunate events in this city
The city of Marrakech in the Kingdom of Morocco hosted the 2th edition of the Kofi Annan Prize on road safety on September 25 and 26, 2023. This edition, organized jointly by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics of Morocco, the National Road Safety Agency (NARSA), the Economic Commission for Africa, the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Road Safety and the Kofi Annan Foundation, was held under the theme, “Digital transformation and innovations for safer roads”.
The Kofi Annan Prize on Road Safety 2023 will bring together high-level political leaders, senior road safety officials and experts from the host country, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Road Safety , the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and representatives of various organizations and agencies from other African countries.
This award ceremony took place following the earthquake that struck Marrakech and its region on September 8. The objective is to highlight the resilience of the Moroccan people and the solidarity of the regional and global community.
The main objective of the Kofi Annan Road Safety Prize is to motivate key stakeholders – governments, the private sector and civil society organizations – to develop and implement innovative and exceptional initiatives to save lives from road accidents. the road in Africa.
This goal aligns with the goal set by the United Nations General Assembly of: “Reduce road traffic deaths and serious injuries globally by 2030.” This Objective is taken up by the African strategic orientations of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, adopted by the African Union in 2021.
The Award also aims to recognize Kofi Annan’s significant contributions to road safety, inspire leadership and mobilize influential figures to address the road safety crisis, particularly in Africa.
“It is with great pride and impatience that the Government of Morocco awaits the ceremonies of the second edition of the Kofi Annan Prize on Road Safety. We look forward to recognizing the exceptional efforts of individuals and organizations working to promote road safety on the African continent »indicated the Minister of Transport and Logistics of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Abdeljalil.
“Kofi Annan’s vision and determination to raise awareness about this terrible hidden pandemic have paved the way for significant advances in road safety policies and initiatives. His legacy is a testament to what can be achieved through strong leadership for positive change on a global scale. The Kofi Annan Road Safety Prize is a crucial platform to recognize and celebrate those who are implementing innovative solutions to address this crisis in the worst-affected region,” said Mr. Jean Todt, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Road Safety.
“African countries must significantly step up their road safety efforts to have a chance of halving road deaths by 2030. They must strengthen their road safety management capacity and use innovative technologies to significantly reduce the number of road deaths on the continent. This is why it is important to recognize African governments and organizations that stand out for exceptional road safety practices,” explains Mr. Antonio Pedro, Acting Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa.
This Award recognizes governments, the private sector, civil society, other organizations, as well as individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to road safety in Africa. The second edition of the Award particularly commends those governments that have implemented serious measures and actions to achieve the goals of the Second United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, aimed at halving the number of road deaths by 2030.
The criteria for selecting the winners include several core elements of global and regional road safety action plans, such as road safety management, innovation in road safety areas, data management system reliable, effective communication efforts for the prevention of road accident collisions, a National Road Safety Fund.
The rewards of the 2th edition of the Kofi Annan Security Prize is awarded to the winners of the different categories:
- Innovation, particularly in digitalization: Ministry of Transport – Ivory Coast;
- Road Safety Management: Ministry of Works and Transport – Kingdom of Eswatini;
- Data management: Ministry of Living Environment and Transport, responsible for sustainable development – Republic of Benin;
- Safer Vehicles: Ministry of Infrastructure – Republic of Rwanda;
- Public Transport/Modal Shift: Ministry of Transport and Logistics – Republic of Ethiopia;
- Communication (Private sector, NGOs, Universities, Ministry of Transport, CEO – SECUROUTE – Cameroon.
Road safety prize / Honorary prize: NARSA – Morocco.
Numerous sessions and workshops are organized during this event which covers topics such as building a digital approach, defining the technical, regulatory and financial environment and experiences across Africa in the use of the digitalization and management of road safety and the action and work plan of the African Observatory on Road Safety.
