UNOPS and the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) will work together to enhance support of the road safety sector by improving the safety of road infrastructure aligned to UN Global Targets for Road Safety.

• UNOPS and iRAP have established a partnership to enhance support for the road sector in planning, designing and building safer roads.
• The partnership aims to improve road infrastructure safety and reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on roads worldwide by implementing iRAP’s globally recognised methodology, tools and training to identify high-risk road sections, inform evidence-based investment in safety upgrades and build road safety capacity in countries.
• By collaborating on advocacy, capacity-building, knowledge sharing, and technical assistance, the partnership aims to support countries in achieving the Global Road Safety Performance Targets and halving road deaths and injuries by 2030.

UNOPS and iRAP signed the agreement today in Manila, Philippines, in the presence of Jean Todt, United Nations Special Envoy on Road Safety and former President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), as part of the Road Safety Initiative.

The agreement will allow UNOPS and iRAP to work together in outreach and advocacy to improve global road safety, capacity-building activities, sharing and transfer of knowledge and technical assistance on projects and project implementation, among others.

Every year, around 1.23 million people are killed and nearly 50 million are injured on roadways around the world. According to the World Health Organization, there is no greater threat to the lives of people between 5 to 29 years old.

The UN has called for greater global efforts to reduce traffic deaths and injuries by half by 2030. “One of the best ways to remember and honour the victims is by doing our part to make roads safer around the world”, said UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in his last message to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, observed annually on 20 November.

In addition, the agreement will augment the mutual capacity and outreach of both organizations, allowing them to support countries towards a more comprehensive and robust road safety management and implementation approach and implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. In doing so, the  agreement will support countries in achieving Global Road Safety Performance Targets 3 and 4 by 2030 which include for all new roads to achieve technical standards for all road users that take into account road safety or meet a three-star rating or better (Target 3) and for more than 75% of travel on existing roads to be on roads that meet technical standards for all road users that take into account road safety (Target 4).

Greg Smith, Global Programme Director, iRAP said: “Eliminating high-risk roads is critical to saving lives, particularly vulnerable road users, and reducing the vast economic and social burden on families impacted by road crashes. Good speed management and infrastructure such as 30km/h speeds in busy built-up areas, bicycle lanes, sidewalks, raised slow-speed pedestrian crossings and safety barriers are like vaccines – with them, we can eradicate road death and serious injury. Through this partnership, we have an opportunity to maximize the life-saving impact of safe road infrastructure in projects around the world, supporting the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Steven Crosskey, Director of Infrastructure and Project Management Group, UNOPS said: “Safer road infrastructure will save lives and reduce the suffering caused by serious injuries. UNOPS has valuable expertise to help governments to increase road safety and this partnership with iRAP will enhance knowledge sharing and enable cooperation towards common road safety goals. UNOPS is ready to get to work on this vital initiative and we are confident that our partnership will, quite literally, build the roads to a better future.”

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 Notes to the editors:

Press contact details: communications@unops.org

About UNOPS
UNOPS mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. We help the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way. Read more: www.unops.org

About the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP)
iRAP is a registered charity with a vision for a world free of high-risk roads, influencing road infrastructure safety in more than 170 countries. iRAP and its partners work with governments, development banks, mobility clubs, industry, research organisations, road safety NGOs, the United Nations and research organisations to provide evidence-based tools, training and support to help them make their roads safe. iRAP’s road safety Star Rating Methodology is free to use and provides a simple and objective measure of the level of safety which is ‘built-in’ to the road for vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. A 1-star road is the least safe and a 5-star road is the safest. iRAP works with partners to: inspect high-risk roads and develop Star Ratings, Risk Maps and Safer Roads Investment Plans; provide training, tools, and support that will build and sustain national, regional, and local capability; and track road safety performance so that funding agencies can assess the life-saving and economic benefits of their investments. iRAP and its partners have influenced the safety of over USD$95 billion of infrastructure investment, Star Rated over 1.4 million kilometres of roads and designs, as well as road locations around 1,028 schools, mapped crash risk across 1.7 million kilometres of roads and trained nearly 60,000 people globally. Read more: www.irap.org