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Photo: Barbados Today

IRF Caribbean Congress Heralds Strengthened Regional Cooperation

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, June 13, 2022 – The 10th IRF Caribbean Regional Congress closed on Friday, June 10 with calls for the immediate formation of a permanent cooperation platform for road and mobility professionals led by the International Road Federation (IRF Global).

The Congress was held in Bridgetown, Barbados on June 7-10 at the joint invitation of IRF Global, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources, Barbados. Now in its 10th edition, the Congress was an exceptionally successful gathering of more than 250 professionals from 32 countries, including 11 Ministers of Transport, around the twin regional challenges of road safety and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Solutions reviewed during the Congress included preventive diagnosis & risk assessment strategies, design & construction methods to enhance resilience and safety for all road users, opportunities for technology-led leapfrogging, innovative funding measures, as well as placing equity considerations at the center of transportation projects.
In her closing address, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources, Hon. Santia Bradshaw noted that the challenge would now be for all Congress participants to apply the knowledge they would have acquired to improving systems in their respective countries.

“IRF Global is a trusted partner to the Caribbean nations” stated Dr. Bill Sowell, Senior Vice Chairman of the IRF, “It is evident from our time together this week, that there needs to be far more communication, cooperation and collaboration concerning road safety & climate resilient infrastructure. Effective immediately, IRF Global is announcing the formation of an IRF Caribbean Cooperative guiding our regional programs, as well as the establishment of a new IRF Committee dedicated to Sustainable & Resilient Transport. ”

According to C. Patrick Sankey, IRF President & CEO “These initiatives further anchor IRF Global’s role as a broker of knowledge and good practices for the region’s professionals, and the value of our Caribbean Regional Congresses as an indispensable gathering point for decision-makers. As the premier global advocate for the road sector, IRF Global looks forward to working with the region’s public, private & academic stakeholders in delivering on the roadmap formulate during the 10th IRF Caribbean Regional Congress”.

The 11th edition of the IRF Caribbean Regional Congress will take place in the Bahamas in May 2023.

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