UN Resolution on Global Road Safety
The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution on the Global Road Safety Crisis on May 22nd 2003. The resolution, prepared by Oman’s UN Ambassador, Fuad Al-Hinai, is the first meaningful recent attempt by the UN General Assembly to address road safety issues. It detailed the extent of road traffic casualties and urged support for World Health Day 2004. It also called for the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to prepare a report on global road safety, with recommendations (see below). The Resolution was supported by more than 60 countries, including China, USA & Indonesia. It is expected that a follow-up resolution will be debated at the UN in New York on 14th April 2004, the week following World Health Day.
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United Nations Secretary General – Report on Global Road Safety
Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, was mandated by the May 22nd resolution A/RES/57/309 to provide a report to the General Assembly on global road safety. The report, prepared by WHO with input from most UN agencies, recommends that governments should introduce national road safety plans; encourage an active role for the private sector in road safety; improve accident data collection; and accede to international Conventions that deal with road traffic safety. The Report also calls for a coordinating body to improve collaboration on road safety between UN agencies, and for regional UN Commissions to add road safety activities to their programmes.
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UN-ECE Fourth Road Safety Week
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe is organising its 4th Road Safety Week in April 2004, and has arranged this to coincide with World Health Day. UN-ECE is the authority for harmonising vehicle standards and issues relating to road traffic safety in Europe and across much of the world (US, Japan & Russia are all active in UN-ECE). The theme of their week is ‘Respect is Safety’ and a high-level conference on Aggressive Driving is being held in Geneva on 5th April 2003. The FIA Foundation is providing funding for this event.