Skip to main content

Russia 'cannot lead' on UN road safety

ETSC says Ukraine invasion means Russian Federation should step aside for UN meeting
By Adam Hill April 27, 2022 Read time: 1 min
'The Russian Federation’s position leading road safety in the UN General Assembly is now untenable,' says ETSC (© Izanbar | Dreamstime.com)

The Russian Federation must step aside from its lead negotiating role on road safety at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), says a leading global trade association.

Since 2009, Russia has led UNGA deliberations on successive road safety resolutions and will do so again on 30 June and 1 July 2022 at the UNGA's high-level meeting. 

But the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) warns: "Following the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Federation’s position leading road safety in the UNGA is now untenable and will put at risk the possibility of adopting a strong text."

"The text to be adopted is expected to endorse the UN Global Plan for the 2nd Decade of Action on road safety and mobilise funding commitments from the donor community. Not surprisingly, many member states, including those in the European Union, are now reluctant to allow Russia to play a leading role in this important negotiating process."

ETSC says it agrees with a statement already issued by the Global Alliance for Road Safety NGOs: “Russia has forfeited any credibility to lead on a major issue of global public health. We urge the Russian Federation to voluntarily step aside from its current negotiating role”.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Polis and UITP issue EU ticketing principles
    March 3, 2021
    Partners say authorities must have central role in Mobility as a Service governance
  • Call for targeted safety measures to prevent road deaths among young drivers
    January 26, 2017
    Zero tolerance on drink driving, additional hazard perception training and graduated forms of licensing should become the norm to help tackle the risks faced by young drivers and motorcycle riders in Europe, according to the YEARS report (Young Europeans Acting for Road Safety. More than 3,800 young people (aged 18-24) are killed each year on EU roads – the biggest single cause of death for this age group. A report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and the UK Parliamentary Advisory Council
  • Automated vehicles need ‘driving tests’
    April 26, 2016
    European Union rules on safety approvals for new cars will need to be revised to include ‘driving tests’ for automated and fully-autonomous vehicles according to a new report from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). ETSC says the EU is far from answering the many research and regulatory questions that must be considered before automated and autonomous vehicles can be put on sale. The report says the priority must be ensuring that the promised safety benefits are delivered in real world driving.
  • Gearing up for the global electric vehicle revolution
    May 3, 2019
    As transport, communications and energy networks become inextricably linked, policy makers are recognising the implications for our built environment – and the growing electric vehicle market will have a major impact on the world’s infrastructure, says Rolton Group’s Chris Evans