<br><span class="gmail_quote">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Vern Weitzel</b> <<a href="mailto:vern@coombs.anu.edu.au">vern@coombs.anu.edu.au</a>><br>crossposted from: "[health-vn discussion group]" <a href="mailto:health-vn@cairo.anu.edu.au">health-vn@cairo.anu.edu.au</a><br>
</span><br>NEW GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION SEEKS TO CURB ROAD TRAFFIC INJURIES<br>New York, Mar 31 2008  7:00PM<br>A new <"<a href="http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=a/62/l.43">http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=a/62/l.43</a>">resolution passed<br>
by the United Nations General Assembly today urges stepped up efforts to boost<br>road global road safety.<br><br>According to a report of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon which was prepared by the<br>UN World Health Organization (<"<a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/</a>">WHO) and its<br>
partners, almost 1.2 million people are killed and millions more injured or<br>disabled due to road crashes every year, with road traffic injuries being the<br>leading cause of death worldwide for those between the ages of 10 and 24.<br>
<br>Today's resolution, which was passed without a vote, called on Member States to<br>support endeavours by low- and middle-income nations in setting their national<br>road traffic casualty reduction targets.<br><br>It stressed the "importance of addressing global safety issues and the need for<br>
further strengthening international cooperation, taking into account the needs<br>of developing countries by building capacities in the field of road safety, and<br>providing financial and technical support for their efforts."<br>
<br>Additionally, the resolution appealed to Member States to continue observing the<br>World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which falls on the third<br>Sunday of November annually.<br><br>The text also welcomed Russia's offer to host the first high-level conference on<br>
road safety next year which seeks to bring together government ministers and<br>others dealing transport, health, education, safety and other traffic law<br>enforcement issues.<br>