The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Secretariat of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, the Government of the Republic of Ghana, and the Kofi Annan Foundation are organizing the maiden ceremony of the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award to be held in Accra, Ghana on March 16, 2022. The Award will recognize countries that have contributed significantly to road safety in Africa. Within the context of the Award Ceremony, the partnership will host a hybrid event during which a distinguished panel of speakers will explore the challenges and opportunities for importing safer and cleaner vehicles to Africa.

Except for four countries, almost the entire African continent imports used vehicles to meet the increasing mobility needs of its citizens. While the used vehicles market can provide cheaper access to safer and cleaner fleets, the lack of minimum quality standards for used vehicle imports to Africa has been detrimental, contributing to increased road crashes and greenhouse gas emissions in recipient countries. With the support of the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF), African countries are starting to address these issues by putting in place requirements to ensure that only quality used vehicles are imported into the continent, resulting in major road safety benefits for both vehicle drivers and other road users, and co-benefits for the environment and economy.

This event aims to provide a platform for participants to (a) exchange views on the safety of vehicles in Africa within the context of the continent’s post-2020 strategic direction for road safety and its Road Safety Action Plan for 2021-2030, and (b) discuss the vehicle safety dimension of the Global Plan of Action for the Second UN Decade for Road Safety (2021-2030), and UN vehicle regulations and their implications for the safety of Africa’s roads. Discussions will highlight the nexus between national policies on climate change and road safety, as well as the opportunities and options for safer and cleaner vehicles on the continent.

Various road safety stakeholders will benefit from participating in this event, including government officials and representatives from the private sector, civil society, inter-governmental and international organizations.