01/10/2024

MEXICAN GOVERNMENT VISITED URUGUAY TO EXCHANGE EXPERIENCES THAT STRENGTHEN ROAD SAFETY

This initiative arises from an agreement signed between the Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez (FGR), the National Road Safety Unit (UNASEV) and the Government of Jalisco, with the support of the Mexico-Uruguay Joint Cooperation Fund, led by the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation (AUCI) and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID).
The project aims to improve the institutional capacities of Jalisco and Uruguay to reduce injuries and deaths of the most vulnerable groups in road accidents.
“Uruguay, through AUCI, has incorporated child road safety in its international cooperation package, thanks to the work of the Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez. This represents a recognition of our organization's contribution to make Uruguay an example in the region in terms of public policies that protect children and adolescents on the roads”, said María José Pessano, executive director of Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez.
During the visit, the delegation, together with UNASEV and Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez authorities, had an intense agenda that started at the Mexican Embassy in Uruguay and continued with meetings with representatives of ANEP, the Ministry of Transportation and Public Works, and the National Highway Police, among other institutions. They also participated in the Conference “Integrated Approaches to Road Safety: Uruguay-Mexico Cooperation” held at the Presidency of the Republic, with the presence of María Fernanda Rodríguez, President of the FGR; Alejandro Draper, President of UNASEV; Martín García Moritán, Ambassador of Mexico in Uruguay; Mariano Berro, Director of AUCI; Mónica Magaña, Deputy of the State of Jalisco; and Saúl Alveano, Director of Road Safety of the State of Jalisco. The event was attended by national authorities from different areas of the executive branch, as well as transit authorities from various departments of the country.
Also, as a continuation of the week, the Legislative Conference on Road Safety | Uruguay - Mexico was held in the Anteroom of the House of Representatives, with the support of the School of Government of the Parliament and the participation of legislators from different benches, led by Senator Graciela Bianchi, in her capacity as Vice-President of the Republic.

In this space, the Mexican model law was presented, which raises the right to mobility in conditions of road safety, accessibility, efficiency, sustainability, quality, inclusion and equality in Mexico to constitutional rank.
This conference allowed the presentation of the results of the project in Mexico, the experience in working in safe school environments and the regulatory advances of the Road Safety Law in Mexico. In addition, the working meetings with different organizations and technical teams facilitated the exchange of experiences and good practices so that both countries can continue working to reduce road accident rates.
“The presentation by Congresswoman Magaña on the Mexican experience with the law that raises mobility to constitutional rank in Mexico and the challenges faced by the State of Jalisco in its implementation was very important. Continuing with the work of the Foundation, which has been working on this issue for more than 17 years, and always contributing from the role of civil society, we will continue to advocate for public policies that guarantee the right to safe mobility for all Uruguayans,” said Pessano.
To close the week, the delegation participated in the presentation of the “School Transportation Model in Uruguay” and the “Child Restraint System - Uruguay Case”, both given by the technical team of the Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez, with the participation of authorities from UNASEV, the National Highway Police and the United School Transportation Union. These presentations allowed the delegation to learn about Uruguay's progress in both areas and to take as a reference the work carried out to implement actions in the State of Jalisco.
“Since the beginning of our work on child road safety in 2007, the Foundation has achieved technical and financial support from top-level international actors to advance public policies in the region, starting in 2014 with the government of Chile, followed by Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Panama, and more recently with Peru, Bolivia and Mexico through South-South cooperation. It is a satisfaction for the Foundation to see how governments are advancing in the protection of children and adolescents in traffic, which is part of the commitment made to the international community through the United Nations Advisory Council for Road Safety, of which the Foundation is a member”, concluded Pessano.