To kickstart the coming United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035), a global call is out for Sustainable Transport Action Commitments by Member States and stakeholders which aim to deliver concrete progress in the Decade. We call on our partners to submit their commitments by 14 November including road infrastructure safety as a priority!

Why is your safety commitment important?

A genuinely sustainable transport system protects everyone that uses it. Ensuring that streets, roads and highways are rated at least 3-stars (out of a total of 5 stars) and are fundamentally safe for all expected modes of travel, abilities, and journeys is essential in achieving this.

Road safety is part of the SDGs (see 3.6 and 11.2) and is a key enabler for a wide range of priorities including economic growth, resilient infrastructure, trade, global supply chains, health promotion, climate action, poverty reduction, and access to education.

By aligning the Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035) with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030) and the Safe System Approach, there is an opportunity to create continuity in action and build momentum on safe road infrastructure, integrating safety into all aspects of transport planning.

Global Road Safety Performance Targets 3 and 4 encourage governments to lift roads and designs to 3-stars or better for all road users. For each Star Rating improvement of a road or design, crash costs roughly halve. Investment projects that have made use of the freely-available iRAP methodology and resources have already prevented hundreds of thousands of deaths and serious injuries.

Safe road environments also support choice; when people feel that an environment is safe, they are more likely to feel comfortable walking and cycling and using the public transport systems that will be needed to safely meet greater demand for urban mobility.

What to commit to?

Adopting Star Rating targets and incorporating evidence-based safety principles and interventions early into planning for streets, roads, highways, public transport systems, and any development that influences the movement of people or vehicles on roads, is a reliable way for governments to minimise implementation costs while maximising safety benefits.

Committing to the achievement of Global Road Safety Performance Targets 3 and 4 will ensure safety is embedded in road designs and infrastructure upgrades.

iRAP, the International Road Federation (IRF) and the FIA Foundation’s #SaferRoadsPledge campaign calls on organisations involved in designing and financing roads to pledge their commitment to safer roads and mobility in support of sustainable transport and the SDGs.

Member States and stakeholders can reference the Pledge text below when submitting their voluntary commitments for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport:

How will commitments be used?

Commitments will be highlighted throughout the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport at different United Nations events, starting with the 10 December 2025 launch of the Implementation Plan of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport. To enhance transparency and accountability, all initiatives will be registered on a dedicated digital space, hosted on the UN Decade website, which allows the public to access information. The action commitments will become a prominent part of the implementation and follow-up of the UN Decade. Implementing entities will be invited to share updates on progress later during the UN Decade.

Stakeholder Briefing

A virtual briefing webinar, organized by UN DESA, will be held on 16 October 2025, from 9:30AM – 10:30AM (EDT/New York Time). It aims to provide an opportunity to share updated information with stakeholders about the 10 December launch event, the call for Sustainable Transport Action Commitments and the development of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport Implementation Plan. More information about the webinar can be found here.

The Draft Implementation Plan – Call for Stakeholder Final Comments and Reflections

DESA has prepared the draft Implementation Plan for the Decade of Sustainable Transport, an action-oriented global policy document, in collaboration with the United Nations Regional Commissions. As requested by the General Assembly, DESA has actively consulted Member States, specialized agencies, funds, programmes and bodies of the United Nations, as well as other intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and relevant stakeholders to seek inputs to the Implementation Plan. This includes the online stakeholder consultation that resulted in valuable inputs from 113 organizations across 45 countries.

Stakeholders are now invited to provide final comments and reflections on the draft Implementation Plan using this dedicated online form by 31 October 2025.

The Decade Launch

The launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport will consist of an opening, a high-level segment, showcase of voluntary commitments, and an interactive multi-stakeholder roundtable. The meeting will be open to Member States and Observers, the United Nations system, ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations and other relevant stakeholders through a dedicated registration process.

Key planning dates

October – UN Decade of Sustainable Transport Implementation Plan shared for final comments
16 October – Stakeholder briefing
31 October – Deadline for Stakeholder final comments on Draft Implementation Plan – submit them here
10-21 November – Sustainable transport events at COP30 (UN Climate Change Conference), Brazil
14 November – Deadline for Decade Commitments
10 December – Launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport and Implementation Plan, UN Headquarters, New York

For more information

• Official website of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport: sdgs.un.org/sustainabletransportlaunch
• For information on Voluntary Commitments and to submit them, click here.
• To register for the Stakeholder Briefing webinar, click here.
• To provide feedback on the draft Implementation Plan, click here.
• To stay abreast of Decade updates, join the mailing list here.
• On climate action and road safety, click here.
• On how safe our roads are and the Investment Case for Safer Roads, click here.
• To see which companies have already made a #SaferRoadsPledge, click here.