Marrakech hosts world largest road safety event

The Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety opened in Marrakech, bringing together ministers, heads of national road safety agencies, officials from all levels, parliamentarians, experts from the United Nations, civil society, business, academia and a range of related sectors.

Hosted by the Government of Morocco and the World Health Organization, the event aims to accelerate action towards the Sustainable Development Goals’ target of halving global road deaths by 2030.

During the three-day conference, participants will assess progress, identify priorities, share knowledge, forge alliances, and advance commitments to prevent deaths and injuries on the world’s roads.

Speaking at the opening of the event, head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch said the country took measures to curb road deaths, including the adoption of a new traffic code, automated traffic violation monitoring, enhanced vehicle inspection, driver training programs and improved road infrastructure.

Road safety is at the heart of the upgrade of the transport infrastructure in the country, he said.

After highlighting the scale of road deaths in Africa, which accounts for 19% of global deaths, Akhannouch highlighted Morocco’s efforts to help African countries enhance their road safety indicators.