Three years since the 2nd World Youth Assembly for Road Safety!

The 2nd World Youth Assembly for Road Safety was a creative blitz filled with music, art, dance, dialogue, experience sharing, and inspiration. Nearly 200 young people from around the world, gathered together in Stockholm on 18th February 2020 and their call to world leaders was, "Enough is Enough” —enough of youth dying on the world’s roads, enough of being pushed aside, and enough of being ignored.

The youth leaders officially adopted the Global Youth Statement for Road Safety, representing the voices of over 1,500 voices of young people from across the world. The Statement highlights the realities they faced regarding road safety and mobility. From issues around health to sustainable cities, our delegates represented the experiences of their peers and brought them out for the world to see. Road safety was no longer an issue to be left in the background, it was brought center stage through an energized youth movement.

During the 2nd World Youth Assembly (WYA) for Road Safety, our young road safety delegates met, interacted, and delivered a powerful unified message to key decision-makers - from UN agencies, Government Ministries, and Authorities - to meaningfully engage youth in efforts in addressing road safety and sustainable mobility issues around the world. 

As an official pre-event for the 3rd Ministerial Conference for Road Safety, the WYA delegates were given yet another golden opportunity to voice their demands and commitments to leaders worldwide through the Global Youth Statement for Road Safety, at the 3rd Ministerial Conference for Road Safety stage.

“We have tolerated for 150 years a system to transport ourselves which kills so many young people. The youth are saying enough is enough.” - Dr. Etienne Krug, World Health Organization. 

The Assembly saw young people coming together and realized the creation of a global coalition that gathered youth with similar interests, empowering them to take action against their biggest killer; road traffic crashes. The Youth Coalition has united youth from over 100 counties and has improved their road safety knowledge through 13 live capacity development sessions, involvement in leadership structures, guides seen through four advocacy tools published, and more. 

Through the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, a result of the WYA, young people are given resources, skills, partnerships, and opportunities to take their ideas to the next level and maximize their impact on road safety, sustainable mobility, and meaningful youth participation. The Youth Coalition is guided by a set of principles that define and guide its work locally and globally. 

Three years after the Assembly, the Youth Coalition has gathered over 1500 members leading the charge for safer roads and meaningful youth participation. Three years since the Assembly and we’ve been able to fund and support 32 Local Actions projects that address key road safety issues in communities all over the world. Three years since the Assembly and we’ve represented youth on the highest echelons of discussion through events like the High-Level Meeting on Road Safety. Three years since the Assembly and we show no signs of stopping. 

Happy Anniversary to the 2nd World Youth Assembly for Road Safety!