Bilateral meetings in Mauritius

The Special Envoy presented his mandate, priorities and the reason for his visit, which was to promote road safety at the invitation of Minister Bodha. The Special Envoy congratulated the President on the strides that the country has made in promoting road safety, especially with the recently renewed goals and activities in the National Road Safety Action Plan. Referring to Sweden as a success story, the Special Envoy shared his belief that Mauritius can achieve the national fatality reduction targets and be an example for all. The Special Envoy encouraged accession to UN Road Safety Conventions to which Mauritius is not a contracting party.  

Special Envoy provided an overview of the terms of his mandate and key priorities, as well as shared about his recent activities. The Special Envoy highlighted the implications that insecurity on the road has for a country, as well as the global targets related to the Decade of Action and SDGs. According to Sir Jugnauth, every year, 23,000 new vehicles arrive in Mauritius, amounting to new risks on the road. The Special Envoy recommended accession to the UN Road Safety Conventions coupled with increased efforts on public education and law enforcement, which could help address this growing risk on the roads. The Minister reiterated that road safety is a national priority. 

The Special Envoy was invited by the Minister to participate in the first National Road Safety Conference. The invitation followed a meeting with Mauritius participants during the regional road safety workshop, which the Special Envoy hosted in Nairobi last December. Mr. Bodha mentioned the high cost of road crashes in his country in terms of GDP and acknowledged that the current situation was unacceptable. The Special Envoy spoke of the solutions that the pillars of the Decade of Action offer including to strengthen road safety governance. While Mauritius has made great strides with a national road safety strategy and dedicated funding to implement a portion of the strategy, it is not yet a signatory of any UN Road Safety Conventions. These Conventions offer the basis to address main risk factors such as drink-driving, speeding, child restraint and helmet and seatbelt use. Addressing these factors, could on their own dramatically reduce the incidence of crashes and consequent cost to the economy. In regards to vehicle regulations, Mr. Bodha explained the recent creation of several technical controls for vehicles in Mauritius and the project to create several training centers for motorcycles and truck drivers. The Minister expressed his country’s interest in acceding to UN Road Safety Conventions. 

The Special Envoy participated at the National Road Safety Commission meeting and encouraged Mauritius to support the draft proposal for establishing a UN Road Safety Fund and to accede to the UN Road Safety Conventions. Commissions’ 2017-2020 action plan was validated at the meeting, reconfirming Government’s commitment to road safety. 

The Special Envoy highlighted the road safety situation globally and the role that each has to improve it. Emphasizing the importance of individual road behaviors, the Special Envoy focused his message on seat belt use and presented the Save Kids Lives movie to students.
Mr. Philippe Douste-Blazy, UN Special Advisor on innovative financing for development
The Special Envoy presented his role and terms of his mandate, gave an overview of the road safety situation in Mauritius and introduced the progress on the establishment of UN Road Safety Fund.
H.E. Mr. Gilles Huberson, French Ambassador to Mauritius
On 8 June, the Special Envoy met with French Ambassador in Mauritius and presented his mandate and role as UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety. He gave an overview of the road safety situation in Mauritius to the Ambassador. Ambassador Huberson explored additional avenues for collaboration between France and Mauritius, adding onto previous and ongoing joint activities on road safety. He mentioned several possible development paths with the French authorities to train the Mauritian police force.
United Nations Country Team of Mauritius
The Special Envoy presented the terms of his mandate and his recent activities. Dr. Musango summarized the UNCT’s activities, highlighting the importance of data to measure road safety fatalities and injuries in a country. Road traffic fatalities of pedestrians and motorcycle users were of particular concern to Dr. Musango. The Special Envoy recommended the establishment of a strong coalition of road safety stakeholders in the country to coordinate and plan activities effectively.
o Dr. Laurent Musango, WHO Representative, UN Resident Coordinator a.i. 
o Ms. Ram-Gopal, UN Coordination Analyst