About us

In January 2006, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the World Bank, the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, the Chilean National Traffic Safety Commission (CONASET) and the Global Road Safety Forum conducted a planning meeting in Santiago, Chile to help organize a long-term regional, multisectoral road safety initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean to reverse the rapidly expanding epidemic of road traffic injuries and deaths in the region.
 

The First Latin American and Caribbean Road Safety Forum was held eight months later. Stakeholders from 24 countries gathered in San José, Costa Rica to develop a regional approach to road safety, to integrate all relevant sectors, and to engage national governments and policy-making bodies. The overarching goal of the Forum was to create an effective, collaborative, and sustainable mechanism to reverse the road traffic injury epidemic throughout the region.

The meeting concluded with the signing of the Declaration of San José. A panel of experts from throughout the region volunteered to serve on the Transitional Committee and participate in the creation of the Regional Committee; President Óscar Arias Sánchez agreed to serve as Honorary Chair.
 

The Transitional Committee hosted the Second Forum to share their work with the larger stakeholder community, to review and revise the Regional Committee charter, and to organize future regional advocacy efforts.
 

According to foregoing the stakeholders aggreed on the following defintions for the Vision, Mission and Objectives of the Regional Committee:

Vision:
Safe roads for all Latin America and the Caribbean.

Mision:
To reduce the toll of road traffic injuries and make road safety a reality for Latin America and the Caribbean by promoting collaboration among the relevant sectors of government, civil society and the private sector as well as all countries of the region.

General Objectives:

1. Represent all relevant sectors of government, civil society, and the private sector.
    
2. Promote a region-wide approach to road safety.
    
3. Strengthen the capacity to collect and use road safety information throughout the region.
    
4. Promote harmonization of laws for road and vehicle safety.
    
5. Share road safety information and best practices across the region.