Jean Todt, acting in his capacity as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, met with stakeholders in Costa Rica to promote United Nations road safety legal instruments and share established road safety best practices, said the Costa Rican Ministry of Health.

Todt is president of the Geneva, Switzerland-based Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA, an association founded in 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users, according to the FIA website.

Todt met last week with representatives from the UN Civil Society Advisory Group, government officials. and other representatives of civil society to discuss safe mobility in the country in an effort to engage and align all stakeholders in Costa Rica on the issue of road safety.

The meetings, which also involved representatives from the World Bank and Inter-Development Bank, focused on Costa Rica’s progress on safe and accessible mobility in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Participants identified steps needed to improve road safety in Costa Rica and presented these to government officials.

The local UN team officials together with Todt encouraged Carlos Segnini Villalobos, Minister of Transport, and Karen Mayorga Quiros, Minister of Health, to increase coordination between the two government ministries in tackling road fatalities as a public health issue.

Todt also met with Ana Helena Chacon, Vice-President of Costa Rica to emphasize making road safety a priority in Costa Rica.

And he discussed initiatives and upcoming road safety programs to promote safe driving and mobility with the Board of Directors of Automóvil Club de Costa Rica (ACCR).

“After discussion with key players at the global and local level, I believe there is a general consensus that road safety must be a priority for the upcoming years. It is by no means an easy road ahead, but with close collaboration between all facets of government such as transport, education, public works, and health, Costa Rica will be able to improve its road safety situation dramatically over the coming years,”  said Mr. Todt at a press conference following meetings with stakeholders.