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Country visit in the Republic of Bulgaria

Republic of Bulgaria: an upper-middle income country in southeastern Europe, Bulgaria has a population of 7.1 million inhabitants. WHO estimates 601 road traffic fatalities annually, and OECD ranks Bulgaria as the worst performing country in the European Union with 9.8 deaths per 100,000 people. According to the WHO, Bulgaria has strong laws addressing child restraint and seat-belt use; however drink driving, speeding, and helmet laws need to be improved. Bulgaria acceded to five out of six UN Road Safety Conventions. It is not a contracting party to the 1998 Agreement on Global Vehicle Regulations.
Mr. Tomislav Donchev, Deputy Prime Minister

The Deputy Prime Minister and the Special Envoy discussed the high economic cost of road crashes and agreed that the proportion of road injuries was significant. The Special Envoy gave an overview of five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety and highlighted the importance of education and law enforcement. It was mutually agreed that the road safety situation in Bulgaria needs to be improved and given a higher priority, with potential road safety initiatives discussed. The Deputy Prime Minister expressed interest in establishing a National Road Safety Council in Bulgaria. Special Envoy reminded Mr. Donchev that Bulgaria was not a contracting party to the UN 1998 Agreement on Global Vehicle Regulations and of the opportunity to further improve road safety governance by acceding. 
Mr. Krasen Kralev, Minister of Youth and Sports

The Special Envoy updated the Minister on his on-going efforts to promote road safety, including the overview of his most recent country visits, road safety initiatives and workshops. The Special Envoy shared about his efforts to engage the International Olympic Committee, which has led to the promotion of road safety at a number of Olympic events.
Mr. Dimitar Glavchev, Chairman of Bulgaria’s National Assembly

The Special Envoy provided an overview of his role and key priorities of his mandate, as well as shared about on-going activities. The Special Envoy presented five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety, with the strong emphasis on law enforcement and education. The Special Envoy shared about his recent meeting with Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and invited the Chairman to consider acceding to the 1998 Agreement on UN Global Vehicle Regulations. They discussed about the importance of increased attention and commitment to road safety. The Chairman assured the Special Envoy that road safety is a priority in Bulgaria.
Prof. Pencho Geshev, Rector of the National Sports Academy

The Special Envoy presented an overview of his mandate, key priorities and recent activities. In the course of the meeting, the Special Envoy shared striking facts, illustrating the magnitude of the road safety challenge, both globally and in Bulgaria. They discussed the key role of the advanced technology in sports, as well as its significant impact on improving road safety. At the meeting closing, the Special Envoy was awarded with Doctor Honoris Causa honorary degree of the National Sports Academy, signifying his contribution to the development of sport and education.  
United Nations Country Team of Bulgaria
On 6 July, the Special Envoy met with the UN Country Team in Sofia and presented the terms and key priorities of his mandate as well as shared about on-going activities. The Special Envoy emphasised the number of road crash victims in Bulgaria, referring to the WHO figures and spoke about potential ways to improve road safety, including through stronger focus on education and law enforcement. The UN Country Team highlighted a growing concern about the issue of distracted driving, particularly texting while driving. The Special Envoy gave an overview of UN Road Safety Conventions and presented five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety. He called for improved education and encouraged Bulgaria’s accession to the 1998 Agreement on UN Global Vehicle Regulations; it is a contracting party to the other five UN Road Safety Conventions. 
The following members of the UNCT participated at the meeting: 
o Ms. Maria Jesus Conde, UNICEF
o Ms. Denka Daskalova, UNICEF 
o Mr. Antony  Thompson, World Bank 
o Mr. Rakesh Tripathi, World Bank 
o Mr. Plamen Skrobanski, UNHCR 
o Ms. Tanya Valchanova, UNHCR 
o Mr. Michail Okoliyski, WHO 
o Mr Radoslav Stamenkov, IOM