Mr. Kayouh, accompanied by Benacer Boulaajoul, Director General of the National Road Safety Agency (NARSA), chaired a meeting of the High Level Consultative Committee (HLCC) on road safety, in the presence of the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, the Director of the Social Determinants of Health Department of the World Health Organization (WHO), Etienne Krug, and several other representatives of relevant UN agencies, international financial institutions, and international NGOs working in the field.
In his opening address to this meeting, the third of its kind after those held in December 2023 in Geneva and April 2024 in Rabat, the minister commended the mobilization of HLCC members, which had helped shape the framework and program of the conference.
"We are well on our way to organizing a world-class event that will have a lasting impact on global road safety efforts," he said, noting that His Majesty King Mohammed VI had graciously granted Royal High Patronage to this important event.
"The support of His Majesty the King reflects the importance of this event and reinforces Morocco's firm commitment to the global road safety agenda," he stated, emphasizing the government's commitment to making the conference an innovative event that sets new standards for global road safety conferences.
The Marrakech Declaration must be a clear reflection of the collective concern about road safety and a call to action for all nations to make road safety a priority. "It must be the voice of the victims, the injured, and all those who have suffered directly or indirectly from this devastating problem," he noted.
For his part, Mr. Boulaajoul reviewed the steps taken at every level in preparation for this conference, which will bring together over 2,500 participants from more than 190 countries. The event is intended to be the most important opportunity for the international community to share in-depth knowledge, exchange best practices, develop collaborative strategies, and take concrete action.
The other participants discussed ways of encouraging widespread participation in this global event and ensuring its success through concrete, measurable commitments.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to examine the draft Marrakech Declaration, which is due to conclude the work of the conference.
The agenda for this visit also includes meetings between Mr. Kayouh and the Director General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt.