Intergenerational Dialogue between Coalition members and global ministers
To mark the launch of the 6th UN Global Road Safety Week, the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety joined FIA Foundation in an intergenerational dialogue between youth leaders and global winners to talk about road safety.
The session was held last Monday, May 17, and was moderated by youth advisory board member, Thiago Gruner from Brazil.
The Intergenerational Dialogue allowed for young people and ministers from their respective regions to talk about the road safety situation in their communities as well as the efforts being done to make sure that governments are prioritizing young people and sustainable urban development.
The participants of the event include Jean Todt - United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety and FIA President, Miss Jayathma Wickramanayake - United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, HE Tomas Eneroth - Minister of Infrastructure, Sweden, HE Amina Mohamed - Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Heritage and Culture, Kenya, and HE Ángela María Orozco Gómez - Minister of Transport, Colombia
Coalition members Laura Daniela Gomez from Colombia and Alex Ayub from Kenya represented youth voices and directly asked their respective ministers about what they’re doing to implement and ensure low-speed streets within their communities.
During the session, the participants talked about the importance of involving young leaders in all stages of decision-making.
Jean Todt opened the dialogue and talked about the importance of united global efforts to make sure that the targets in the new Decade of Action for Road Safety are met before 2030, saying “together, we can make the world a better place and a safer place”.
Jayathma Wickramanayake from the UN Youth Envoy also spoke about the importance of united global efforts, focusing on the intergenerational partnerships between young leaders, governments, and other organizations.
"If we don't engage young people, we will never achieve the Stockholm Declaration or the Decade of Action. My advice to young people is to stop asking permission and take the seat at the decision-making table" - Jayathma Wickramanayake
For the dialogue, Coalition members asked their ministers about their plans and efforts toward low-speed streets and road safety in their areas.
Laura from Colombia asked Ángela María Orozco Gómez, the Minister of Transport in Colombia, about the major challenges and potential opportunities leaders and young people, have in Colombia to reduce road crashes in their communities.
As a response, Minister Gomez discussed ongoing efforts to apply the safe system approach in pilot projects in the area as a way to reduce road-crash fatalities. Minister Gomez also highlighted continuous efforts to involve young people by extending the program in youth-led organizations in the City.
For Ambassador Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Heritage and Culture in Kenya, Alex asked about the programs and policies being created or implemented to ensure low-speed streets around residential areas and school zones.
To answer, Ambassador Amina talked about the Integrated Transport Policies being developed to address the limited spaces in Urban Design. She went on to say that they are doing their best to involve and integrate youth ideas in the process emphasizing that there was still “a long way to go” but acknowledges the fact that at least efforts are being made toward this.
To end the program, Minister of Infrastructure in Sweden, Tomas Eneroth, emphasizes support for young leaders especially following the 2nd World Youth Assembly and Ministerial Conference for Road Safety that happened last February 2020.
“We saw the commitment that youth had for road safety and I encourage young people to raise your voices and I can promise you that we, in Sweden, will listen”
