Global Leaders Aim to Cut Road Deaths by 2030 at Marrakech Summit
Marrakech, Monday, 17 February 2025.
World leaders meet in Marrakech to endorse the Marrakech Declaration, targeting a 50% reduction in road deaths by 2030, emphasizing road safety’s economic and social significance.
Global Impact and Economic Burden
Road safety has emerged as a critical global health crisis, with devastating human and economic costs. Nearly 1.2 million people lose their lives annually to road crashes, equivalent to more than two deaths every minute [1][2]. The economic burden is substantial, with road crashes costing nations between 3% to 5% of their GDP [1]. Additionally, the transport sector contributes approximately a quarter of the world’s harmful greenhouse gas emissions [1], highlighting the interconnected nature of road safety and environmental sustainability.
Progress and International Commitment
The WHO’s Global Status Report on Road Safety (2023) shows encouraging signs of progress, with road fatalities decreasing to 1.19 million per year in 2021, marking a 5% reduction since 2010 [1]. More than half of UN Member States have reported declining death rates, with ten countries successfully halving their road deaths over the past decade [2]. This demonstrates that significant reduction in fatality rates is achievable with proper intervention strategies [1][2].
The Marrakech Declaration and Action Plan
The Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, hosted by Morocco and WHO from February 18-20, 2025, brings together approximately 2,500 delegates from over 100 countries [1][3]. The Marrakech Declaration calls for comprehensive implementation of recommendations from the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, emphasizing stronger laws, enhanced safety regulations, and improved cross-government coordination [1]. The World Bank has already demonstrated significant commitment by financing $3.34 billion in road safety improvements from mid-2013 to mid-2023 [5].
Youth Engagement and Future Prospects
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has emphasized the crucial role of young people in improving road safety [6]. This is particularly significant as road accidents remain the leading cause of death among children and young adults aged 5-29 [2]. The conference marks a historic moment as the first Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be held on the African continent [2], signaling a broader geographical commitment to addressing this global challenge.