Juan José Daboub, Managing Director of the World Bank, calls for a Decade of Action
Michelle Yeoh speaks at a press conference at the National Press Club
Senior members of the US Congress and leading policymakers, including US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, have participated in a ‘Decade of Action’ campaign event held in the US Senate on 14th October 2009. The Make Roads Safe campaign has also held high level meetings at the World Bank’s D.C headquarters.
Make Roads Safe global ambassador Michelle Yeoh was joined by the US Chairman of the Make Roads Safe campaign, Norman Mineta (himself a former US Transportation Secretary) and FIA Foundation Director General David Ward at a high level reception in the US Senate Caucus Room attended by Secretary LaHood.
Speaking at the campaign reception Michelle Yeoh said: "I am known for my action movies and doing my own stunts, but some of my most frightening moments have been crossing a dangerous road with children who are just trying to get to school. We must act now to save our children. The United States can be a world leader on road safety, to save lives both at home and abroad in a Decade of Action."
Earlier in the day Michelle Yeoh and David Ward met with the Managing Director of the World Bank, Juan José Daboub, the Bank’s Transport Director, Jamal Saghir, and representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development, the European Investment Bank, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank at a meeting in the World Bank headquarters to discuss a collaborative framework for investing in road safety, the promising results of which will be announced shortly. Mr Daboub added his name to the Call for a Decade of Action for Road Safety. Michelle Yeoh went on to address a lunchtime gathering of World Bank staff in the building’s Atrium. The previous day Yeoh and Ward had also met with the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno, and senior IADB staff, to discuss improving road design in bank-funded road projects in Latin America.
Following the World Bank meeting David Ward said: “It is very pleasing to see the extent to which road safety is now becoming integrated into the policies of the development banks. When we launched the Make Roads Safe campaign in 2006 safe road design was a neglected subject in the international donor community, but now we are seeing real acceptance of the need to make the safety of local communities a top priority in road projects.”
The campaign day in Washington D.C. began with a press conference at the National Press Club. Michelle Yeoh was joined by John Schafer, Security Director at InterAction (an alliance of more than 180 relief and development agencies), who commented, “I’ve worked in some of the most dangerous places in the world -- Darfur, Georgia and Pakistan -- so I know the dangers that come from conflict. But the hidden threat is a dangerous road that kills both relief workers and the people they serve.”
The US Senate reception also served to thank U.S. Members of the Make Roads Safe coalition for their efforts in securing the House resolution and raising the profile of global road safety. US members of the campaign include AASHTO, APHA, APTA, AAA, AAA Foundation, ASIRT, KKAD, GHSA, ITE, MADD, NOYS, Operation Lifesaver, Roadway Safety Foundation, SADD, TTI, and many other state