The Brasilia Declaration is a significant global commitment aimed at improving road safety worldwide. Adopted during the Second Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia, Brazil, in November 2015, it brought together over 2,200 delegates from more than 110 countries. The declaration emphasizes the need for concerted efforts to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries, aligning with the United Nations' Decade of Action for Road Safety and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The topic of the Brasilia Declaration is pertinent to the UPSC General Studies Paper II, which covers Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations.

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Brasilia Declaration Meaning

The Brasilia Declaration is an agreement made by over 110 countries in the year 2015. It says that all countries should try hard to make roads safer, save lives, and reduce injuries from road accidents. It gives ideas like improving roads, setting strict traffic rules, and spreading awareness so that people follow safe habits on the road. It is not a law, but a promise that countries want to do better.

Background of the Brasilia Declaration

Every year, around 1.3 million people die in road accidents all over the world. Many of them are young people. This is a big problem. To stop this, the United Nations (UN) had already started a program in 2011 called the Decade of Action for Road Safety. This program aimed to make roads safer from 2011 to 2020.

In 2015, to speed up the progress, world leaders came together in Brasilia, Brazil. They made the Brasilia Declaration, which gave countries a clear set of actions to improve road safety and protect lives.

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Key Features of the Brasilia Declaration

The declaration shares many steps that countries should follow. Here are some of them:

• Make better rules and enforce them: Countries should have strong traffic laws and ensure people follow them.
• Build safer roads: Roads should be designed so that walkers, cyclists, and drivers all stay safe.
• Use safer vehicles: Cars and bikes should have features that keep people safe in case of accidents.
• Teach people: People should learn about road safety, especially children and drivers.
• Quick help after accidents: Emergency services should reach fast to help injured people after a crash.
• Work together: Countries should share ideas, tools, and information to learn from each other.

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The declaration has some clear goals:

• Save lives: Reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2020 (as per global targets).
• Protect vulnerable people: Focus on people like children, pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders who are more at risk.
• Promote safe transport: Make transport systems that are not only safe but also easy to use and affordable for everyone.
• Collect data: Countries should gather information on accidents and use it to make better policies.
• Build partnerships: Governments, private companies, and the public should all work together.

Significance and Impact of the Brasilia Declaration

The declaration is very important for many reasons:

• Global teamwork: Countries across the world agreed to take road safety seriously. That is a big step.
• Support to India’s efforts: India used this to improve its road safety rules. For example, it passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, which increased fines and added new rules for drivers.
• Focus on people’s safety: The declaration makes sure we think about all road users, not just car drivers.
• Encourages good planning: It helps countries build better roads and improve traffic systems.
• More awareness: People now understand more about how important road safety is.

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Criticisms of the Brasilia Declaration

Even though the declaration is good, there are some problems too:

• Not legally binding: Countries signed it, but they are not forced to follow it. It’s more like a guideline.
• Slow progress: Many countries, including India, still see a high number of road accidents.
• Missed targets: The goal was to reduce deaths by 50% by 2020. This was not fully achieved.
• Uneven work: Some countries did more, some did less. Poorer countries found it harder to improve road safety.
• Lack of funds and planning: Many places don’t have enough money or good plans to follow the steps properly.

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