Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 5 December  2021 - The United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr. Jean Todt, has welcomed partnership with Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) in tackling challenges related to road safety in member countries. Mr. Todt made the remarks at the IsDB headquarters in Jeddah, during a bilateral discussion with Mr. Amer Bukvic, Acting Chief Product and Partnerships officer.

Mr. Amer Bukvic stated: “We are eager to expand our cooperation, build capacity and promote best practices through our Reverse Linkage modality. IsDB has several projects in the transportation sector across our 57 member countries. We have an ample opportunity to improve the safety of our roads in line with UN standards.”

In his response, Mr. Jean Todt welcomed the opportunity to work with IsDB to prevent road accidents which is one of the major causes of mortality globally. Mr. Todt stated: “1.4 million people die every year due to road accidents. It is the number one cause of injury for the youth. The UN aims to half the number of victims of road accidents by 2030. We cannot have a resolution without action.”

Commenting on the potential partnership with the UN, IsDB’s Acting Director for Economic and Social Infrastructure, Mr. Idrissa Dia stated that IsDB works with all MDBs on sustainable transportation to ensure road safety. He added that the Bank has developed a transportation policy two years ago which aligns with several SDGs that have  transportation component.

SDG 3.6 of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals aims to half the number of global deaths due to injuries and road accidents. Target 11.2 of SDG11, focuses on providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.