In Accra, Ghana, on September 8–9, 2022, the Department of Infrastructure, Energy & Digitalization of ECOWAS will host a regional workshop on raising awareness of the new ECOWAS Road Safety Policy, Action Plan, and Charter. The 60th summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government on December 12, 2021, approved the new ECOWAS Road Safety Policy, Charter, Action Plan, and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Framework prepared by the Directorate of Transport Infrastructure Department under its Transport Governance for West Africa Technical Assistance Project.

The framework documents will give ECOWAS and the Member States a unified platform to more effectively coordinate activities to lower the number of fatalities on our national and regional road corridors. The involvement also represents ECOWAS’ response to the UN’s Second Decade of Action for Road Safety, which set a global target of at least 50% fewer traffic-related fatalities and injuries by 2030. The ECOWAS Transport Governance Technical Assistance Project is being funded jointly by the Cooperation Agreement with the European Union and counterpart funding from ECOWAS. One of the major themes and critical activities planned under this project is to improve road safety in the region, which the Commission hopes to accomplish with the help of Member States and Development Partners.

Road safety experts from Ministries and Agencies of Member States as well as Key Partners like the African Union, UNECA, AfDB, SSATP-World Bank, Africa Road Safety Organization (ARSO), and the West African Federation of Engineering Organizations are anticipated to attend the two-day physical workshop.

An updated Regional Action Plan with milestones, targets, and dates for tasks that must be completed at the regional level by ECOWAS and partners, as well as Member States and Civil Society players, is one of the workshop’s primary anticipated outcomes.

Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network