Luanda — Angola and Brazil expressed on Tuesday (21), in New York (USA), their commitments to deepening bilateral cooperation in road safety.
According to a press release, this stance was expressed during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 2nd High-Level Meeting on Global Road Safety, promoted by the United Nations General Assembly.
At this meeting with representatives of Brazil's Federal Highway Police (PRF) and National Traffic Secretariat (SENATRAN), the Angolan delegation was headed by the secretary of State for the Interior, Arnaldo Manuel Carlos.
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The document adds that the meeting aimed to identify opportunities for technical cooperation and knowledge exchange capable of strengthening public policies for the prevention of road accidents.
On the occasion, the secretary of State for the Interior highlighted Angola's interest in benefiting from Brazil's recognized experience in road safety management.
Arnaldo Carlos further underlined that the country is committed to reducing the high rates of road accidents, fatalities, and injuries.
To this end, he advocated the strengthening of the technical training of sector professionals, the modernization of enforcement mechanisms, and the improvement of road infrastructure.
They also advocated the search for and adoption of innovative technological solutions that contribute to safer mobility.
During the meeting, representatives of the PRF and SENATRAN presented the Brazilian road safety management model, characterized by coordination between the Ministry of Transport, responsible for defining public policies and the regulatory framework, and the state traffic departments, responsible for their implementation.
Good practices related to preventive enforcement, the use of speed cameras and other technological means, as well as the development of ongoing road education and awareness campaigns, were also shared.
In this context, they alluded to the "Cinema Rodoviário" (Road Cinema) program, recognized for its impact on promoting safe behaviors among road users.
Throughout the meeting, one of the main topics also focused on the need to modernize the driver training system.
The Brazilian delegation presented its experience in simplifying administrative procedures and reducing the costs associated with obtaining a driver's license, measures that have expanded access to legal licensing and contributed to a decrease in irregular driving.
In this area, the delegations converged on the importance of prioritizing train-the-trainer and instructor training programs, considered a more sustainable, structural solution with a greater multiplier effect than the occasional sending of candidates for training abroad.
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The delegations also analyzed the growing role of new technologies in road enforcement.
Another topic under debate was the challenges linked to the transport of dangerous goods, in particular fuels, recognizing that this matter requires an integrated approach that combines road safety measures, specialized enforcement, and the fight against organized crime.
At the end of the meeting, the Federal Highway Police reaffirmed its full availability to establish technical cooperation mechanisms with the National Police of Angola, including experience-exchange programs, sharing of good practices, capacity-building actions, and institutional assistance.
This, the document notes, aims to strengthen national capacities in the field of road safety.
The meeting reaffirmed the convergence of vision between Angola and Brazil regarding the need to strengthen international cooperation as an essential instrument to accelerate the implementation of effective public policies for the prevention of road accidents.
The aim, with such a move, is to contribute to the reduction of deaths and injuries on the roads and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly with regard to promoting safer, more inclusive, and sustainable transport systems.
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