The Road Safety Forum for
Ibero-america and the Caribbean
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The Road Safety Forum for
Ibero-america and the Caribbean

Protegiendo Vidas • Protegendo Vidas • Saving Lives

The Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Spanish Directorate General for Traffic (DGT), FIA Foundation, the MAPFRE Foundation and the World Bank’s Global Road Safety Facility, with the support of the the regional committee for the road safety in Latin America and The Caribbean and the Royal Automobile Club of Catalonia (RACC), organized a high-level meeting on road safety which was held in Madrid.

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PLENARY SESSION I PLENARY SESSION II PLENARY SESSION III PLENARY SESSION IV Conclusions and Recommendations Closing Session

Papers

THE IBERO-AMERICAN SECRETARY GENERAL’S SPEECH

ROAD SAFETY FORUM FOR IBERO-AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (EISEVI) ,
Opening ceremony

ENRIQUE V. IGLESIAS:

- Madam Vice President of the Spanish Government,

- Madam Vice President of the World Bank,

- Esteemed Ministers,

- Mr. President of the Council of the International Automobile Federation Foundation,

- Authorities,

- Ambassadors,

- Minhas senhoras, minhos senhores,

- Ladies and gentlemen,

- It is an honour to give you a warm welcome to this Latin America and the Caribbean Road Safety Meeting that, with the slogan “Saving lives”, we have organised together with several partner institutions. Without them it would not have been possible to hold this Meeting, and so I am sincerely grateful to them.

- The Ibero-American General Secretariat is the Body providing institutional and technical support to the Ibero-American Conference, comprising the 22 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. An area open to the world, which wishes to make a positive contribution to the international community.

- This large area of agreement and cooperation covers fields of interest for our States and our citizens. From migrations to social cohesion and young people, we work on everything that matters to Ibero-American societies and that positively affects their development.

- Road Safety is no exception. The importance of this matter was highlighted in the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention, presented in 2004 by the World Bank and the World Health Organisation. This report brought this intolerable bloodletting to the attention of the international community. For this reason it is an honour, Mrs. Cox, that you are with us here today.

- When the report was presented, one of our Latin American Heads of State, President Lula da Silva of Brazil, requested “a systematic and in-depth debate on a matter that affects everyone’s health”. In the same spirit, the last two Ibero-American Summits, in Santiago and San Salvador, have commissioned our Secretariat to monitor the question and to convene this Meeting, as well as to progress towards the consolidation of the Ibero-American Road Safety Association, and the establishment of a Road Safety observatory and regional plans.

- The figures are dramatic, unacceptable. Over 120,000 people die every year on our roads in road traffic accidents, and many more become handicapped and disabled for life, with costs reaching 2% of the GDP of our countries. The accident rate on Latin American and the Caribbean roads is taking away a large number of our young people. Road traffic accidents are now the main cause of death among Latin Americans between 5 and 44 years old. And we must add the hundreds of thousands of injured to this figure.

- A terrible paradox occurs: the same transport systems, which are a decisive aspect of modern living, the same systems that lead to the mobility of life, to contact between people and to their greater independence, are those that cause death.

- The same systems that lead to development are also those that make thousands of families impoverished every year, when the main breadwinner is killed or injured.

- A heavy weight of death and disability that falls severely on countries with low and middle incomes, burdening their development, budget, public services and expectations. Another example of inequality, because often the victims are the most vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

- The Forum we open today has four main features:

1. The first is the relevance of the parties involved. We have the presence

- Of the Governments, with the departments of transport, health, public order agents, education, infrastructure and finance.

- Of Civil Society, with academics, foundations, automobile clubs and professional organisations.

- Of the private sector, with road builders, automobile manufacturers, insurance companies and road users.


2. The second feature is the presence of the public-private alliances. We are all joined together and all share responsibilities to solve the challenges we face.


3. Thirdly, I want to highlight the active participation in the Meeting of brother nations from the Caribbean. They are neighbouring, similar countries, and societies with problems that are akin to those of numerous Latin American countries. We appreciate their participation and sincerely congratulate them on it.


4. Finally, the Forum considers a comprehensive perspective of the problems covered. We will deal with the three components of the Road Safety system:

- For the roads: their construction, maintenance, signage and improvement .

- For vehicles: their maintenance, equipment and sustainability.

- For users: their training and behaviour.

- This forum is not only open to Latin American and the Caribbean countries, but to the international community as a whole.


- We wish to share this thought and these efforts that we have raised with five specific objectives:

- We are looking to obtain conclusions aimed at action to achieve tangible results.

- We want to communicate, attract the attention of the public opinion that is the most affected by the Road Safety problem. For this reason, with respect for their pain and appreciation for their commitment, we have wanted to listen to the victims.

- We propose to contribute to the development of regional and national Road Safety Plans, consolidating the Ibero-American Road Safety Association and the construction of an Ibero-American Road Safety Area.

- We also want to promote the presence of Road Safety in the political agendas of Governments and international organisations. The contributions and conclusions of this Meeting will be sent to the 19th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government which will take place next November in Portugal.

- QFinally, we want to help to mobilise Latin American and regional support for the first high-level world conference that will be held in Moscow, under the auspices of the UN, in November this year.

- Ladies and gentlemen,

- In the long journey of life, we are all pedestrians, passengers and drivers. Our Secretariat, which is no expert on these matters, but that deals with areas ranging from primary education to the elderly, wishes to accompany you in your work and help with your objectives. There is a lot to share, and a lot to avoid.

- Share good practices and positive experiences that throughout our region, from Peru to Jamaica, from Mexico to Spain or Bogotá, are saving lives.

- Avoid competition between parallel options and the waste of resources. We want to promote networking, whether from the Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean or from the Ibero-American Road Safety Association. The extremely important work in hand must be shared, because we share the same objectives.

- The region needs, and deserves, an effective and closely coordinated mechanism. People who are saved from dying, or who are saved from being destroyed by a road traffic accident, are not going to ask about the acronym, the directors, or the financing of the institution that saved them; but they will, no doubt, appreciate the effective prevention mechanism, which will allow them to continue leading a productive and peaceful life with their loved ones.

- Therefore, this is a Meeting with two main objectives:

- to be a forum to reach agreement on plans and priorities between parties that were previously distanced.

- to make an appeal so that in this international economic and financial crisis, which is very severe and for which the limits and duration are yet unknown, the resources assigned to Road Safety by the countries, development Banks and International Organisations are not reduced.

- The Brazilian Paulo Coelho says “the possibility of making a dream come true is what makes life interesting”. So I propose that, with a close connection to the reality, let us dream together that the epidemic of road traffic accidents can be overcome. Let us continue “saving lives”.

- Thank you


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PLENARY SESSIONS

PLENARY SESSION I:
PRESENT SITUATION AND PERSPECTIVES OF ROAD SAFETY IN IBERO-AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN - THE GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Moderator:
Mr. Justo Zambrana, Home Affairs Under-Secretary, Government of Spain.


1- The Great Road Safety Challenges in our Countries.

Ms. Karla González -Minister of Public Works and Transports, Costa Rica
Biography - ESP | Paper - ESP

Mr. Gerardo Barrios - President, National Unit for Road Safety, Uruguay
Biography - ESP | Paper - ESP

Ms. Eugènia Maria Silveira Rodrigues - Regional Advisor on Road Safety, Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO)
Paper - POR


2- Success Stories in Road Safety.

Mr. Pere Navarro - Director, National Transit Authority, Spain
Biografia - ESP | Paper - ESP | Pere Navarro Interview - ESP

Mr. Hugo Adalberto Suazo Ortiz - Deputy Minister of Health, Honduras
Paper - ESP

Mr. Mario Hernando Torres Merchán - National Police Deputy Manager for Transit and Transports, Colombia
Biography - ESP | Paper 1 - ESP | Paper 2 - ESP

Mr. José A. Córdova Villalobos - Minister of Health, Mexico
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP José Ángel Córdova Interview - ESP


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PLENARY SESSION II:
Implementing the Recommendations of the World Report on Road Safety of the World Health Organisation (WHO)/World Bank (WB) in Ibero-America and the Caribbean

Moderator:
Mr. Anthony Bliss, Lead Road Safety Specialist, The World Bank (WB)


1- Assessing and Strengthening Road Safety Management Capacity

Ms. Hilda Gómez - Consultant, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP | Paper - ENG | Paper - ESP

Mr. Alfredo Peres da Silva - Director, National Department of Transport, Brasil
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - POR

Mr. Guillermo T. Montenegro - Minister of Justice and Security, Ministry of Justice and Security of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Paper - ESP

Mr. Miguel Nadal - Director, Catalonian Royal Automobile Club Foundation, (RACC Foundation)
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP


2- The Role of the Lead Agency

Mr. Emilio Oñate - Executive Secretary, National Commission for Transit Safety (CONASET), Chile
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP | Paper - ESP | Paper - ESP

Mr. Felipe Rodríguez Laguens - Executive Secretary, National Agency for Road Safety, Argentina
Biography - ESP | Paper - ESP | Video - ESP

Mr. Roy Rojas - Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Mexico
Biography - ESP | Paper - ESP


Moderator:
Mr. Miguel Múñoz, Chairman, Road Safety Institute, MAPFRE S.A., MAPFRE Foundation
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP | Paper - ENG | Miguel Muñoz Interview - ESP


3- Implementation, strategy and multi-sector policies

Mr. Julio Urzúa - Secretary-General, Latin-American Regional Committee for Road Safety
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP | Paper - ESP | Paper - ESP

Mr. Greg Speier - Road Safety Specialist
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP | Paper - ENG


4- Delivery Issues

Mr. John Dawson - International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP)
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ENG

Mr. Arturo Cervantes Trejo - Deputy Director General, National Centre for Traffic Injuries Prevention, Mexico
Biography - ESP | Paper - ESP

Mr. Lucien Jones - Vice Chairman & Convenor, National Road Safety Council, Jamaica
Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP | Paper - ENG | Paper - ENG | Video - ENG

Mr. Freddy Ponce - Ibero-American Youth Organisation (OIJ)
Biography - ESP | Youth Declaration for Road Safety -ESP

Mr. Rogelio Martínez Masegosa - General Chief of the Transit Authority, Civil Guard, Spain
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ENG


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PLENARY SESSION III:
Building a political commitment to the Road Safety Challenge

Moderator:
Mr. Jorge Valdano, Communicator and former football player


1- Setting Targets and Measurable Objectives

Mr. Fred Wegman - Chairman, IRTAD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Biography - ENG | Paper - ENG

Mr. Lucas Facello - Consultant on Road Safety, Uruguay
Biography - ESP | Paper - ESP | Paper - ENG | Paper - ESP

Mr. Stephen Perkins - Joint Transport Research Centre of the OECD and the International Transport Forum
Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP | Paper - ESP | Paper - ENG | Paper - ENG

Mr. Ricardo Sánchez - Economic Commission for Latin-America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Biography - ESP | Paper - ESP

Ms. Virginia Tanase - Director, Road Safety Division, United Nations Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Paper - ENG | Paper - ENG | Paper - ESP |


2- Identifying Regional Capacity Priorities for Making Roads Safer

Moderator:
Ms. Mar Cogollos, Director of the Association for the Study of Spinal Cord Injury (AESLEME), Spain


Mr. Jorge Nieto Menéndez - Minister of Public Works, El Salvador
Biography - ESP

Mr. Carlos E. Rubilar Ottone - Director National Transit Authority, Ministry of Public Works, Chile
Paper - ESP

Ms. Josefina Cruz Villalón - Secretary of State for Infrastructures, Spain
Biography - ESP | Paper - ENG

Mr. L. Michael Henry - Minister of Transport and Works, Jamaica
Biography - ENG


3- Mobilizing Resources for Road Safety – International Focus

Mr. Agustín Aguerre - Division Head, Transport Division, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
Biography | Paper - ESP | Paper - ESP | Paper - ENG

Mr. Mark Shotten - Operations Officer, Global Road Safety Facility, The World Bank (WB)
Biography - ENG | Paper - ENG


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PLENARY SESSION IV:
Building a political commitment to the Road Safety Challenge and preparing for the Global Ministerial Conference

Chair
Mr. Enrique V. Iglesias
Ibero-American Secretary-General, SEGIB


1- Fowards an Ibero-American Space

Mr. Rui Carlos Pereira - Minister of Interior, Portugal
Biography - POR | Paper - POR | Rui Carlos Pereira Interview - POR

Mr. Fernando Valle Dávila - Deputy Minister of Transports and Infraestructures, Nicaragua


2- Preparing for the Global Ministerial Conference

General Viktor Kiryanov - Deputy Minister of Interior, Russian Federation
Paper - ENG

Mr. David Ward - FIA Foundation Director
Paper - ENG | David Ward Interview - ENG

Mr. Mario Holguín - Deputy Minister of Public Works and Transit, Dominican Republic
Biography - ESP | Paper - ESP | Paper - ENG


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Forum’s Conclusions and Recommendations

Mr. Fernando García Casas - Ibero-American General Secretariat, SEGIB.

Mr. Mark Rosenberg - The Task Force for Child Survival and Development

Message: "Victim´s voices"
Ms. Alejandra Forlán - Director of the Alejandra Forlán Foundation, Uruguay


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Closing Session

Ms. Karla González - Minister of Public Works and Transports, Costa Rica
Biography - ESP

Mr. José A. Córdova Villalobos - Minister of Health, Mexico
Biography - ESP | Biography - ENG | Paper - ESP José Ángel Córdova Interview - ESP

Mr. Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba - Minister of Interior, Government of Spain

Mr. Enrique V. Iglesias - Ibero-American Secretary-General, SEGIB


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eisevi@segib.org | Tel..: (34) 91 590 19 80.