Transport ministers from 69 countries adopted a landmark road safety policy recommendation for governments and agreed to pilot a new road safety assessment framework for business at the International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit in Leipzig, Germany, on 22 May 2025.
Nearly 1.2 million people are killed on the world's roads each year, and road crashes are the leading cause of death among children and young people aged 5–29 years worldwide.
Produced with WHO support, the Policy recommendation on comprehensive road safety policy urges governments to adopt evidence-based, safety-focused, well-coordinated and inclusive road safety approaches that best fit each location and to focus on where the most lives can be saved.
"This is great news. It could enlighten the way transport policies are implemented. We received support and contributions from NGOs and the World Health Organization that were really relevant," said Juan Carlos Muñoz, Chilean Minister of Transport and President of the ITF.
The road safety policy guide, along with new guidance on artificial intelligence (AI) in transport, is the first policy recommendation made by the ITF – the world's largest gathering of transport ministers – in three years. The theme of the summit was "transport resilience to global shocks".
"There are extremely important links between resilient transport systems and strengthening health and safety. Resilient transport should first and foremost be safe and healthy," said Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at WHO, during a ministerial session at the summit.
Business matters
The private sector has a huge and crucial role in ensuring safe and sustainable mobility and a ministerial session at the summit focused on working with business for resilient transport.
"The private sector brings innovation, agility and in-depth operational expertise. Our challenge is to institutionalize these [public-private] partnerships," said Mr Muñoz in his opening remarks to the session.
WHO and the ITF launched a new Global road safety assessment framework for corporate action and reporting to support businesses in integrating robust road safety practices into their operations and value chains in support of global efforts to reduce road deaths and injuries.
"Around one third of all road deaths occur among corporate value chains and we are delighted to support the new road safety assessment framework for business. It is an important platform to track corporate performance against global standards and best practices for road safety," said Dr Tran.
The framework builds on existing international instruments to identify best practices, extends safety management to workforce commuting and contractual relations with suppliers and distributors, and will ensure international reporting standards are applied.
Companies that adopt the framework can expect to cut the leading cause of workplace injuries, with reduced disruption, improved employee well-being, and an enhanced corporate reputation.
The development of the framework began on a request from transport ministers from over 60 countries in May 2024. They are now working with business to pilot and refine the framework.
Moving forward
The ITF summit marked a key opportunity to advance commitments made at the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety that was held in Marrakech, Morocco, in February 2025.
WHO and the Government of Morocco hosted a ministerial session on implementing the resulting Marrakech Road Safety Declaration , including monitoring and reporting on progress, engaging all relevant actors, and creating incentives and regulations for private sector action.
"We are working with key regional bodies to design a robust follow-up mechanism for Africa. Our goal is to organize regional meetings that serve as checkpoints for progress and platforms for coordination, knowledge-sharing and policy alignment," said Abdessamad Kayouh, Minister of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The WHO African Region accounts for nearly one-fifth of all global road deaths despite being home to just 15% of the world's population and 3% of registered vehicles. Road deaths are rising in the region.
"We must invest in institutional capacity, building strong, well-resourced road safety agencies and ensuring inter-ministerial coordination. Morocco hopes to reinforce a shared continental commitment and to drive tangible improvements in road safety across Africa," said Mr Kayouh.
Mr Kayouh highlighted financing, upholding vehicle safety standards and improving efforts to collect, share and use data for policymaking as urgent priorities to boost progress in Africa.
"The ITF summit is a powerful platform to advance road safety. But for us to truly deliver, we must elevate safety to the same level as climate, access and efficiency. Sustainable transport must, above all, be safe transport," said Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety.