El Federación Internacional de Carreteras (IRF), together with a coalition of global partners, including iRAP, have today announced a commitment to the United Nations (UN) Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035) aimed at accelerating the transition towards inclusive, safe, green and efficient road systems for all.
El compromiso cuenta con el respaldo de Arup, Organización Nacional de Investigación del Transporte de Australia (NTRO), Alianza mundial de ONG para la seguridad vial, Federación Internacional de Ingenieros Consultores (FIDIC), iRAP, ORIS y Fondo Mundial para la Naturaleza.
Roads are the arteries of global mobility, connecting people, goods and opportunities. They are key enabler for economic growth, resilient infrastructure, trade, global supply chains, climate action, health promotion, poverty reduction and access to education. How road systems are planned, built and managed will determine whether the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport achieves its goals.
In many developing regions, rural communities remain disconnected, while urban roads give little priority to people walking, cycling or using public transport. Each year, around 1.19 million people die on the world’s roads and millions more are seriously injured, with vulnerable users such as pedestrians, cyclists and children disproportionately affected. Wildlife–vehicle collisions are also major contributors to roadway deaths and injuries, while causing biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Meanwhile, road transport contributes to nearly 74% of all transport CO₂ emissions and faces growing exposure to climate hazards, causing disruptions and economic loss. In many road networks, congestion continues to erode productivity, undermining both efficiency and quality of life.
In 2023, the UN General Assembly declared the first-ever UN Decade of Sustainable Transport to start in 2026. The Implementation Plan was launched on 10 December 2025 at a Special Event in the ECOSOC Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, hosted by UN DESA, where IRF presented this new voluntary commitment.
The commitment will help translate the vision of the Decade into concrete action by providing strategic direction and practical support for those who plan, build and manage them. At its core stands the Roadmaps for Change series, which will outline policy actions, technical standards and tools, replicable practices, innovation and indicators of progress for:
- Inclusive roads that improve safe rural access, connect isolated communities to essential services and rebalance urban space to prioritise active and collective mobility.
- Safe roads aligned with the targets of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety, embedding evidence-based safety principles and interventions into planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation.
- Green roads that advance decarbonisation and resilience, enabling low-emission vehicles and fuels, using sustainable materials, applying whole-life carbon management frameworks and biodiversity-sensitive planning using nature-based solutions.
- Efficient and smart roads that maximise value, safety and performance through digitalisation, automation and intelligent operations, supported by procurement and contractual frameworks that enable data-driven maintenance, logistics and traffic flow.
The Roadmaps for Change series will draw on the Estadísticas mundiales de carreteras de la IRF, el Explorador de información sobre seguridad iRAP, and collaborations with partners to illuminate gaps and progress, helping countries and institutions to benchmark their efforts and identify practical next steps.
Complementing this, a capacity-building programme will offer trainings and peer-learning activities to strengthen institutional capacity, with a special focus on road and transport public authorities. The programme will support road sector stakeholders in taking ownership of their skills development strategies and instruments. Formación iRAP y Acreditación, el Portal de socios iRAP, Kit de herramientas de seguridad vial y el Portal Global de Conocimiento sobre Transporte de la IRF (gTKP), Estos recursos servirán como recursos especializados, proporcionando acceso a herramientas, estudios de caso y materiales de aprendizaje que permitan a las agencias viales y a los profesionales poner en práctica las hojas de ruta.
Presenting the commitment in New York, Gonzalo Alcaraz, Director General of the International Road Federation, said: “The world’s road systems sit at the intersection of economic opportunity, social inclusion and environmental action. IRF and our partners are joining forces to help countries design and operate roads that are inclusive, safe, green and efficient for all. The UN Decade is a unique opportunity to rethink how roads serve people and the planet, and we are proud to support its Implementation Plan with concrete roadmaps and capacity-building for those on the frontlines of change.”
Greg Smith, director ejecutivo de iRAP, declaró: “Unas calles, carreteras y autopistas más seguras serán fundamentales para lograr un sistema de transporte sostenible. Si la mayor parte del transporte mundial se realizara en carreteras con una calificación de 3 estrellas o superior, se evitarían casi 400 000 muertes al año, ahorrando casi 1 billón de dólares estadounidenses en costes por accidentes de tráfico. Aprovechando el Decenio de Acción para la Seguridad Vial, el Decenio del Transporte Sostenible representa una oportunidad para que el mundo aproveche este extraordinario potencial”.”
Over the coming years, IRF and the partners expect the commitment to support the development, dissemination and uptake of the Roadmaps for Change series, and to expand the reach and diversity of capacity-building efforts, with particular attention to low- and middle-income countries, women and young professionals. Together, these efforts will better integrate sustainable road practices into national and regional policies and empower a new generation of road professionals and decision makers equipped to deliver the Decade’s vision.
For more information on the Joint Commitment, contact Alice Yiu, IRF Head of Advocacy and Outreach on email ayiu@irfofficial.org
Read more on iRAP’s Two Commitments and the Decade for Sustainable Transport