Opening Remarks of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan Ms. Antje Grawe at the Roundtable on Road Safety, Ministry of Health

Senior officials from the Presidential Administration, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Health,

Colleagues from the United Nations system,

Distinguished participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.
It is a pleasure to join you today to discuss an issue that affects all of us. Whether we are drivers, passengers, cyclists or pedestrians, we all rely on safe roads every day.
Just two weeks ago, Member States gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the High-Level Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety. The message was clear: road traffic deaths are not inevitable. They are preventable. The challenge is no longer making commitments—it is implementing them.
That message is particularly relevant for Kyrgyzstan. Shortly before the High-Level Meeting, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr. Jean Todt, visited Bishkek, highlighting the growing attention being given to road safety, both nationally and internationally.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Every year, road crashes claim more than 1.19 million lives worldwide and remain the leading cause of death among young people aged 5 to 29. Behind every statistic is a family that has lost a loved one, a community that has lost potential, and an economy that bears significant social and economic costs.
These far-reaching consequences remind us that road safety is much more than a transport issue. It is a public health, development and economic priority, as well as an issue of equity and human rights. This is why Member States adopted the Progress Declaration on Improving Global Road Safety, reaffirming their commitment to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50 per cent by 2030. The Declaration calls for stronger national leadership, sustainable financing, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds and the Safe System approach.

Its success, however, will not be measured by its adoption in New York, but by its implementation in countries, cities and communities. Here in Kyrgyzstan, around 900 people lose their lives on the country’s roads each year, while thousands more suffer life-changing injuries. Nearly four out of every ten people killed are pedestrians. These are not just statistics. They are mothers and fathers, children, friends and colleagues whose lives ended far too soon.

The encouraging news is that road safety already receives strong political attention. President Sadyr Japarov has described road crashes as a “silent war” and has instructed the Ministry of Interior to reduce road accidents by 50 per cent. The Government has also adopted a National Road Safety Strategy for 2023–2027 and continues to strengthen its legislative framework and international commitments.

These are important foundations.
The challenge now is implementation. We know what works. The task is to bring together the institutions, resources and partnerships needed to put proven solutions into practice.
Today’s roundtable provides an opportunity to discuss how Kyrgyzstan can translate these commitments into practical measures that save lives.

Countries that have significantly reduced road deaths all have one thing in common: they adopted a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. Ministries worked together. Police, engineers, health professionals, schools, civil society, the private sector and communities all became part of the solution. Road safety became a shared responsibility.

International experience also teaches us that people will always make mistakes. The Safe System approach recognises this reality by ensuring that roads, vehicles, speed management and emergency response systems are designed so that human error does not result in death.

These are proven, evidence-based measures reflected in the Progress Declaration and UNECE recommendations. The question before us is therefore not what works, but how these approaches can best be adapted and implemented in the Kyrgyz context.

Road safety is also about behaviour. That is why education must be at the heart of our efforts. Schools can help children become safe pedestrians, cyclists and, eventually, responsible drivers. Children are among the most vulnerable road users, but they can also become powerful ambassadors for road safety within their families and communities. In 2025 alone, 121 children were killed in road crashes.

The United Nations stands ready to continue supporting the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic through policy advice, technical expertise, international good practice and stronger coordination as we work together to halve road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Every road death leaves behind a grieving family. Every serious injury changes a life forever. The decisions we make today can prevent many of these tragedies tomorrow.
Let us use today’s roundtable to turn commitments into action and work together across sectors and institutions so that everyone in Kyrgyzstan can travel safely—whether on foot, by bicycle, public transport or private vehicle.

Thank you.