Informational and Capacity Building Workshop Series: Promotion and Advocacy for Full Ratification and Implementation of the AU Road Safety Charter

In Africa, different frameworks and instruments to address road safety have been developed by regional bodies such as the SADC Transport Protocol, the Accra Declaration, and the AU Road Safety Charter (the Charter). These back up global instruments, including resolution 74/299 Improving Global Road Safety and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (target 3.6) 

The AU Road Safety Charter was adopted in 2016 to address growing concerns in road safety by providing a framework for policy implementation and accountability in road safety by AU Member States. It was put in place in recognition of the urgent need to save lives and improve livelihoods.

The current status is such that four additional Member States are required to meet the provisions of Article 25 [This Charter shall enter into force thirty (30) days after the deposit of the fifteenth (15th) instrument of ratification]. 

Overall, once any Charter is adopted at the AU Assembly, it becomes fully effective once it is ratified by at least 15 Member States of the AU. The Charter is open to all Member States of the Union for signature and ratification or accession. Once in full force, the Charter will be a regional policy framework to create more demand for road safety. Member States will be accountable to implement the general provisions of the Charter. 

The Africa Chapter of the Global Alliance of NGOs for road safety is making efforts to consolidate the strengths of the local NGOs and join efforts with other key actors in the region to drive a strong advocacy push to promote full ratification of the Charter. The Alliance will work closely with the NGOs and use the Alliance Accountability Toolkit framework to advocate for ratification of the Charter by at least four Member States in the next two years. Technical support will be provided throughout collaboration with policy experts from AU, ARSO, UNECA, and SSATP.

The purpose of this workshop series will be to promote the Charter and advocate for ratification by the required number of Member States. This will be implemented through a multi-pronged approach to support campaigning and advocacy in the following ways: 

• Raising awareness of the Charter at different levels of government;
• Identifying problems that could be hindering some AU Member States from accelerating signing and ratification of the Charter, starting with a review of its status;
• Providing the AU with an additional advocacy tool to speed up the process of getting AU Member States to ratify the Charter and UN Conventions on Road Safety;
• Securing the full buy-in (signature and ratification) of four additional Member States. 

This workshop series will be held over 5 months and is targeted at Africa Chapter members of the Global Alliance and other organizations working to promote road safety in Africa.

Schedule

Time: 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm East African Time for all the five series

REGISTER HERE

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