iRAP has joined the World Health Organization (WHO) and AIP Foundation in celebrating the first anniversary of Vietnam Project 2000 Road Safety Partnership, a growing multi-sector collaboration working towards a future where no child or young person is killed on Vietnam’s roads.
During the Anniversary event on 20 October in Ha Noi, the Partnership welcomed three new members: the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), Honda Vietnam and Volvo Cars Vietnam.
Launched in 2025, the Partnership was established in response to the ongoing toll of road traffic injuries among children and young people in Vietnam. Approximately 2,000 children and young people lose their lives on the country’s roads each year, making road traffic injuries one of the leading causes of death among young people.
Convened by WHO Vietnam and AIP Foundation, the Partnership brings together Government agencies, civil society, international organizations, academia and the private sector to support evidence-based action to improve child road safety in the country.
iRAP is proudly supporting the partnership through the Star Rating for Schools programme and in-kind support for capacity building and advocacy.
“The growth of the Partnership over its first year demonstrates increasing recognition that road safety is everyone’s responsibility,” said Dr Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam. “No single organization can solve this major challenge alone. By working together, we can accelerate progress towards safer roads and help ensure that children and young people are protected whether they are travelling to school, work or home.”
AIP Foundation Founder and President Sir Greig Craft said, “Today is both a celebration and a call to action. We are encouraged by the momentum generated during the Partnership’s first year and delighted to welcome three respected new members. Their expertise and commitment will help strengthen our collective efforts to protect children and young people on the roads.”
Over its first year, the Partnership has helped strengthen collaboration around three key priorities: improving motorcycle safety for children, supporting the introduction and use of child restraint systems in vehicles, and promoting safer school environments through safer speeds and improved infrastructure.
The partners’ key activities have included providing technical support for the development of child-specific helmet standards; supporting the implementation of new regulations on child restraint systems in vehicles; generating evidence and providing technical advice to inform the development of national standards and guidance on speed management and safe school zones; facilitating technical workshops, expert consultations and the exchange of international experience and good practices across localities; and promoting the integration of child road safety into broader agendas on child rights, child well-being and sustainable development.
The addition of the Global Road Safety Partnership, Honda Vietnam and Volvo Car Vietnam broadens the Partnership’s expertise and further reinforces its commitment to fostering collaboration across sectors to address Vietnam’s road safety challenges.
Despite significant progress in reducing road traffic deaths over the past decade, Vietnam continues to experience approximately 11,000 road traffic deaths and 18,000 injuries every year. Children and young people remain among the most at risk.
During the Anniversary event, members of the Partnership reaffirmed their commitment to advancing practical, evidence-based solutions aimed at reducing road traffic deaths and injuries among children and young people by 50 per cent by 2030.
About Vietnam 2000
The Partnership is a joint initiative of WHO, as the lead UN agency on global road safety, and the AIP Foundation, with funding support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety and the FIA Foundation. Partners include the Academy of Construction Strategy and Cadres Training (ACST), the Automobile Association Vietnam (AAV), the Center for Injury Policy and Prevention Research of Hanoi University of Public Health, the Embassy of Japan, the Embassy of Sweden, the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), HealthBridge Foundation of Canada, Honda Vietnam, the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), Protec, UNESCO, UNICEF, the Vietnam Association for Protection of Children’s Rights, Vital Strategies and Volvo Car Vietnam.
Images and article credit: AIP Foundation