African Road Safety Charter Now In Effect

The African Road Safety Charter entered into force on March 12, 2026. This Charter represents Africa's first continental and legally binding framework for road safety.

Adopted by African Heads of State in 2016, the Charter required ratification by 15 African Union Member States and the deposit of an instrument of ratification with the African Union for it to come into effect. The Republic of Mozambique became the fifteenth country to fulfill this requirement on February 11, 2026.

"This ratification is a strong political statement to preserve human life and advance Africa's collective vision of safer roads, safer vehicles, and safer road users. The Charter's entry into force gives us the legal foundation we need to hold governments accountable and drive real progress,” said Lerato D. Mataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy.

Road deaths rose by 17% in the decade to 2021 in the WHO African Region, with nearly 250,000 fatalities per year. Several African countries have reduced road fatalities in recent years, yet the Region still holds the world’s highest road fatality rate.

The Charter requires signatories to undertake actions that align with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and the African Road Safety Action Plan 2021-2030. These plans provide guidance for countries aiming to achieve the goal of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by half by 2030. These actions include:

“The entry into force of the African Road Safety Charter is a major milestone for Africa. This is exactly the kind of systemic, legally binding intervention that can help turn the rising number of road deaths around. Rooted in proven solutions, it is a clear commitment to urgent action. We urge all African Union Member States to ratify and implement this landmark Charter,” said Dr. Nhan Tran, Head of Violence and Injury Prevention at WHO.

WHO, in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the African Road Safety Observatory, was instrumental in facilitating the Charter's entry into force. It advocated for ratification and implementation at all levels, working alongside African nations to enhance road safety legislation, improve data collection and surveillance systems, develop national road safety strategies, strengthen emergency care systems, and build the capacity of national road safety agencies.

WHO's Global Status Report on Road Safety, the world’s leading resource for road safety data, served as the foundational evidence for the Charter's advocacy, featuring country profiles that offer a clear overview of progress.

The 15 AU Member States that have ratified the Charter and deposited instruments of ratification to date are: Benin, Central African Republic, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.