The Conference attracted 7 Heads of State, 50 Ministers and more than 500 in-person and thousands more virtually from 171 countries of the world.

The Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference ran from 14-16 October in Beijing, China and online. The Conference provided an opportunity to focus attention on the opportunities, challenges and solutions towards achieving sustainable transport worldwide. It followed up on the first Global Sustainable Transport Conference, held in 2016 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and aimed to indicate a way forward for sustainable transport to help achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

People were invited to listen in to the proceedings online and recordings links and presentation and summary materials are included below:

THURSDAY 14 OCTOBER

UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference Opening Ceremony, 14:00-14:30 CEST

FRIDAY 15 OCTOBER

IRF, iRAP and UNRSC Side Event: “Halving Road Deaths and Injuries by 2030 – The UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030”, 16:15-17:30 CEST

Did you miss it? Watch the recording now:

The UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 has been proclaimed by UN Resolution A/RES/74/299 with a target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50% by 2030. With the launch of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety Plan now officially scheduled on 28th October 2021, this UNRSC side event – coordinated by the IRF and iRAP – helped create momentum for the launch and provide important background and focus on the role of reduced road trauma in supporting Sustainable Transport and Sustainable Development. The event was structured around the 12 Global Road Safety Performance Targets in alignment with the Thematic Session 5 on Policies for Sustainable Transport. A specific focus on financing of safe and sustainable transport was also included as an important enabler of action in support of the 12 Targets.

SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER

Thematic Session 6 on “Sustainable Transport and Sustainable Cities”, 13:00-14:00 CET

iRAP CEO Rob McInerney joined panellists including UN Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization, as well as representatives from the United Nations Human Settlement Programme, The Barefoot Facilitator South Africa, European Cyclists’ Federation, International Association of Public Transport, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, China’s Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and Beijing Transport Institute.

Rob’s speech took distinguised guests on a journey – a 1-star journey.
A young child looking left, looking right. The loud noise of high-speed cars, trucks and motorbikes all around. She spots a gap and runs as fast as she can, school bag in her hand, to the other side of the four-lane road. Sadly this is the journey to school for many children every day. Sadly this is the journey to work for many adults every day.
View Rob’s speech here
View the recording of Rob’s speech (at 3:45 mark)

Looking to the future, iRAP is supporting its global partners – governments, development banks, mobility clubs, industry, research institutions and road safety NGOs – to achieve UN Targets 3 and 4 which include ensuring all new roads are built to a 3-star or better standard for all road users (Target 3), and more than 75% of travel is on the equivalent of 3-star or better roads for all road users by 2030 (Target 4).

Achieving >75 per cent of travel on 3-star or better roads by 2030 stands to save an estimated 450,000 lives every year and 100 million deaths and serious injuries over the 20-year life of treatments.

iRAP has been awarded Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the highest status granted by the United Nations to non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), thereby allowing them to participate in the work of the United Nations.

A special Interagency Report “Sustainable Transport, Sustainable Development” was prepared as a background document and released in conjunction with the Conference. It can be downloaded here.