Patiala, March 12
Patiala Foundation had the honour of addressing the 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council today, with its video statement relayed during the 28th meeting under General Debate – Item 3 (promotion and protection of all human rights). Speaking on the theme of the “right to safe mobility”, Patiala Foundation underlined that road safety is not only a transport or infrastructure concern, but a core human rights issue directly linked to the rights to life, health and dignity.
The statement welcomed the fact that India now treats road safety as a national priority, including through initiatives such as Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan 2026, and noted that India’s sustained efforts to improve road safety and vehicle standards have received international recognition, including a prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award presented to the Government of India in 2025 for its work on vehicle safety regulations and crash‑test rating systems. This recognition reflects India’s growing leadership in advancing safer roads and safer vehicles.
Patiala Foundation also highlighted its contribution through Project SADAK, which supports Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 11 by promoting safer roads, especially for vulnerable road users: Providing reflective stickers to over 27,000 cyclists to improve visibility and prevent crashes, creating the Children Challan Book to empower children to promote road discipline in their families and communities and conducting road safety audits and promoting Safe School Zones so that children, including children with disabilities, can travel to school safely.
“When a breadwinner dies in a road crash, a family can fall into poverty overnight,” the Foundation stressed, urging the Council and Member States to recognise road safety as a human rights priority so that no one has to risk their life simply to move from one place to another.
Patiala Foundation expressed its appreciation to the Government of India for its leadership on road safety and its openness to civil society partnerships, and reaffirmed its commitment to working with national and international stakeholders to reduce preventable road deaths and injuries.
