Project Overview:
This project, funded by the UN Road Safety Fund, aims to establish and enforce robust regulations, standards, and processes to ensure that only high-quality used vehicles are exported to importing countries. By doing so, it will not only enhance road safety but also yield positive environmental and economic outcomes. The initiative is led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and will be implemented together with key partners.
The Challenge:
A significant portion of used vehicles exported to developing countries are of subpar quality, contributing to alarming road crash rates, fatalities, climate emissions, and air pollution. Tackling this issue is critical for reducing injuries and fatalities, aligning with one of the core goals of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The project's aim is to motivate governments to adopt and implement road safety policies and action plans, addressing these issues while encouraging the adoption of enhanced vehicle safety technologies. It will also focus on combating vehicle emissions, which are a leading source of urban air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Regional Context:
The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, home to 13% of the global population, represents 25% of the world’s registered vehicles. Between 2015 and 2020, over 2 million used light-duty vehicles (LDVs) were imported into the region, accounting for roughly 10% of global imports. However, LAC has witnessed an increasing number of road fatalities and injuries per capita, with 11% of global road deaths occurring in the region in 2018 alone (around 155,000 deaths, according to WHO). Furthermore, vehicle emissions are high due to inadequate adoption and enforcement of emission standards. Among 146 developing and transitional countries studied, 66 (45%) had weak or very weak import policies, with 19 of these countries located in LAC. (UNEP Used Vehicles Report - 2024)
Our Approach:
In response to these challenges, UNEP and ECLAC are working to support countries in the region in developing and enforcing stronger road safety and environmental regulations. This project will establish minimum vehicle safety standards, enhance data sharing, and strengthen enforcement and inspection mechanisms. It will partner with the 8 countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and Paraguay in South America and Antigua & Barbuda in the Caribbean. Additionally, the project will engage with the leading exporters of used vehicles including Europe, Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea.
The Vision:
The goal is simple yet powerful: ensuring that only safer and cleaner vehicles are imported into LAC. This shift will dramatically reduce the risk of severe injuries and deaths, as well as decrease harmful emissions. By supporting both exporting and importing countries in implementing regulations and standards, the project will lead to significant improvements in road safety, public health, climate change mitigation, and economic growth.
Impact and Long-Term Benefits:
The overarching impact of this initiative will be the importation of safer and cleaner used vehicles, resulting in a substantial reduction in road traffic fatalities, injuries, and vehicle emissions. By encouraging both exporting and importing countries to meet minimum vehicle safety and environmental standards, the project will deliver far-reaching benefits—improving safety, health, climate, and economic outcomes across the region.
Project Objectives:
- Analysis: Enhance data access to inform the development of safety and environmental vehicle standards.
- Capacity: Empower importing countries to enhance and enforce their management of used vehicle imports for greater safety and environmental responsibility.
- Policy: Foster collaboration between exporting and importing countries to develop and implement policy regulations and processes that ensure the importation of safer and cleaner used vehicles.
