On the sidelines of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, global leaders, industry partners, and road safety experts gathered in Marrakesh for the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) High-Level Pledging Forum. Co-hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, the event secured fresh commitments to fund life-saving initiatives in more than 125 high-risk countries.
With road crashes remaining the leading cause of death among young people, the Forum provided a vital platform to mobilise resources and drive systemic change. Up to 15 new funding pledges were announced from donor governments—including France, Slovenia, and Qatar—alongside contributions from major industry players such as Autoliv, Honda, Michelin, and Pirelli. These commitments support UNRSF’s ambitious target of raising $30 million by 2030 to scale up road safety interventions worldwide.
The Forum also saw the launch of eight new UNRSF-funded projects tackling urgent road safety challenges, from strengthening motorcycle safety laws to advancing sustainable road financing in countries like India, Mongolia, and across Latin America.
Jean Todt, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, underscored the need for bolder action: “We are falling short in financing road safety, and this inaction has real consequences. Every moment we delay, more lives are tragically lost and devastates those left behind. Road safety is critical, a universal issue that affects everyone, and underinvestment only worsens the crisis. Stakeholders must step up and do better”
Nneka Henry, Head of UNRSF, called for sustained investment: “We have set an ambitious goal of securing $30 million to cover our work until 2030. With nearly a third of this amount mobilised and announced today, there is still significant ground to cover. We stand at a decisive moment where stronger commitments and sustained financing will determine whether we achieve our goal of halving road traffic deaths by the end of this decade. The pledges announced today will help us scale up our proven solutions and expand our reach to the most vulnerable communities.”
As the world moves closer to the 2030 deadline for halving road traffic deaths, the UNRSF remains committed to driving impactful, high-return investments that make roads safer for all.
Read the full announcement HERE.
Read the full remarks from the Head of UNRSF HERE.
