Wednesday, 21 May 2014
ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT VELJANOSKI AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY
Distinguished Mr. Gus,
Distinguished Mr. Angelovski,
Distinguished participants in the International Conference on Road Traffic Safety,
It is my personal pleasure and honour to be the patron of this significant event, the International Conference on Road Traffic Safety, which pursuant to the Decision of the Executive Council of the International Organization on Road Traffic Safety, is hosted and organized by the State Council on Road Traffic Safety.
The Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, as legislative house, constantly cares for the promotion of the road traffic safety, through the adoption of the strategic documents and legislation in this area.
The Republic of Macedonia, as candidate state for full fledged membership in the European Union, constantly harmonises its legislation with the Acquis, and in this framework, the legislation in the area of road traffic safety.
The primary goal it to apply all good experiences and practices of the European Union, in direction of achievement of high standards and minimization of all kinds of risks and threats in the road traffic.
The Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia adopted the National Strategy of the Republic of Macedonia on Promotion of the Road Traffic Safety 2009 – 2014, and at the moment, the Second National Strategy 2015 – 2020 is being drafted.
State Council on Road Traffic Safety, as a body of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia , in cooperation with other institutions and organizations, takes on numerous measures and activities for promotion of the road traffic safety.
It is important to underline the activities on raising the awareness for the need of promotion of the traffic safety, especially among the vulnerable groups, such as children, young participants in the traffic, adults and people with special needs.
The main topic of the International Conference is the Local Self governance in achievement of the safety of the traffic on the roads, streets and local roads.
In the Republic of Macedonia, in the past few years, the process of decentralization of the governance in being successfully finalized. The decentralization of the governance means transfer of the competences and responsibility from the central bodies in the local self governance.
One of the important areas where process of decentralization is being led is the safety of the traffic on the streets and local roads, where the local self governance units, i.e. municipalities and the City of Skopje have significant competences.
This provides the local self governance with great responsibility for the overall safety of the road traffic, especially in planning, constructing, maintaining of the streets and local roads, organizing the environment, horizontal and vertical signalization, providing sufficient number of parking spaces, construction of bicycle tracks and numerous other activities.
There are successful examples of municipalities taking over measures and activities in the area of the road traffic safety in the Republic of Macedonia. Permanent efforts from the Mayors, Councils and other local self government units are required in direction of achievement of higher degree of traffic safety.
In this context, the efforts of the State Council on Road Traffic Safety are important, since it motivates the local self government units to establish municipal councils on traffic safety and as a result thereof, many municipalities have established these councils. In the future, every municipality has to do so.
I seize this occasion to underline the importance of the participation of numerous members of the International Road Traffic Safety Organization and other international organizations, national organizations and experts, who pay great importance of this International Conference.
I expect that this International Conference, held in the framework of the Decade of the United Nations for Road Traffic Safety, will significantly contribute in the promotion of the road safety on global, national and local level.
I am convinced that the debate, presentation, work, documents and discussions at the Conference will be implemented and will influence the minimization of all risks in the road traffic safety.
Congratulating you on the excellent organization of the Conference, I wish you fruitful and successful work.
Thank you.