According to the 2015 Global Road Status Report on Road Safety (World Health Organization), it is estimated that almost 11,000 people were killed in road traffic in Myanmar in 2013. Up to 70,000 people were left severely injured.

The mission will be carried out in cooperation with the Suu Foundation which is engaging with corporate partners to support the initiative. Myanmar State Counsellor, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, said: “I am delighted that the Suu Foundation is working on road safety in my country. Road accidents are a major cause of death and injury in Myanmar and across the world. It is therefore right that the Suu Foundation is making this its first priority.”

Jean Todt, Chairman of the Panel, FIA President and UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road safety, said: “This expert mission will allow dedicated experts to work with local authorities to set up tailor-made measures which can dramatically improve road safety and save thousands of lives.”

Michelle Yeoh, Spokesperson for the Panel and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, said: “The problem in Myanmar is only getting worse as more and more cars hit the country’s roads. There is an urgent need for action to reverse this trend. But we can succeed, learning from positive experiences elsewhere in the world.”

The expert mission was officially announced in New York City during the Clinton Global Initiative, which was followed by a meeting of the FIA High Level Panel for Road Safety, at the International Peace Institute, where members gathered to discuss the Panel’s upcoming activities for 2016-2017.