PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – October 28, 2021

As a breadwinner for your family, your goal is to make sure they are always fully cared for. However, no one should be forced to risk their lives to serve warm food at the table. This is the reality more than 700,000 factory workers, many of whom are women, face every day in Cambodia. Road crashes do not only impact the lives of workers, but also the lives of the 2 million family members they support.

Cambodian workers make up almost 20% of all crash-related casualties. To improve the commuting conditions for vulnerable factory workers, AIP Foundation Cambodia is currently implementing three commuting safety programs: the Prevention and Participation (P&P) program, supported by VF Corporation, the Commuting Safety for Cambodian Workers (CSCW) program supported by USAID and the Eco-Safe Driver Training program jointly supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Cambodia and VF Corporation.

As part of AIP Foundation Cambodia’s global commitment to reducing traffic deaths and injuries on the road, they organized a meeting with representatives from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to present the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 Global Plan.

AIP Foundation Country Director for Cambodia, Mr. Pagna Kim was joined by Mrs. Vannavy Men, AIP Foundation Cambodia Advocacy Program Manager, and Mr. Piseth Im, AIP Foundation Cambodia Program Manager for the meeting with NSSF. At the meeting, all parties present discussed the plan of action and priority target areas for NSSF in promoting the transition from flatbed cargo trucks to safer vehicles.

Mr. Pagna Kim was honored to hand over the Global Plan for Decade of Action virtually to NSSF. Everyone at the meeting was briefed about the Plan and upcoming launch day for the Decade of Action. We are also proud to share that AIP Foundation Cambodia further informed and provided H.E Mrs. Min Meanvy, Secretary of State of Public Works and Transport and Secretary-General of the National Road Safety Committee an invitation link to the Launch of the Global Plan.

AIP Foundation Cambodia also warmly welcomed the recommendations from the NSSF on where their focus should be regarding the interventions to push for the transition to safer vehicles. A highly successful milestone during the meeting was when NSSF agreed to join future meetings to be coordinated by AIP Foundation with relevant (government and non-government) stakeholders to develop a joint action plan to transition from trucks to safer vehicles.

From all of us at AIP Foundation, congratulations, Cambodia! We look forward to paving safe roads for life with you.

To read more about the Global Plan, please click here.

A message from the United Nations:

In September 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 “Improving global road safety”, proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. WHO and the UN regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration, have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action, released in October 2021.

The Global Plan aligns with the Stockholm Declaration, by emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to road safety, and calling on continued improvements in the design of roads and vehicles; enhancement of laws and law enforcement; and provision of timely, life-saving emergency care for the injured. The Global Plan also reflects the Stockholm Declaration’s promotion of policies to promote walking, cycling and using public transport as inherently healthy and environmentally sound modes of transport.

Progress made during the previous Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 has laid the foundation for accelerated action in the years ahead. Among achievements are inclusion of road safety on the global health and development agenda, broad dissemination of scientific guidance on what works, strengthening of partnerships and networks, and mobilization of resources. This new Decade of Action provides an opportunity for harnessing the successes and lessons of previous years and building upon them to save more lives.