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About The Event

Balloon slip to commemorate victims of road traffic

The First United Nations Global Road Safety Week, jointly by organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Regional Commissions, took place from 23-29 April 2007. Targeted at young people, including young drivers, the Week started off with a World Youth Assembly on 23-24 April at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Over 400 young people from over 100 countries attended the two-day event, which culminated in the adoption of a Youth Declaration for Road Safety.

Also in Geneva, the Second Global Stakeholders Forum for Road Safety took place on 25 April. Organized by the Taskforce for Child Survival and Development, it brought together a large number of government, NGO and private sector representatives to discuss road safety issues.

During these events, a Road Safety Exhibition was on display in the Palais des Nations. From over 30 stands set up outside the Assembly Hall, participating countries, NGOs and organizations displayed and distributed promotional material about their work for road safety.

You can read more about these events and see pictures by choosing the appropriate links in the menu on the left.

In addition to these events in Geneva, activities were organized all over the world on both national and local levels:

  • A Rally for Safer Roads in London organized by the Make Roads Safe campaign
  • The First European Road Safety Day organized by the European Commission in Brussels
  • The Asian Mayors Policy Dialogue for the Promotion of Environmentally Sustainable Transport in Cities in Kyoto
  • The Asia Injury Foundation's helmet wearing campaign in Vietnam
  • The Multi-Sectoral Forum on Road Safety in China organized by the China CDC, in collaboration with GRSP and WHO (which served as an opportunity to launch the good practice manual on drink-driving)
  • The launch of the good practice manual on helmets in Ghana
  • The launch of the new road traffic legislation in Cambodia organized by Handicap International and partners
  • The "Fatality Free Friday" campaign in Australia

These are just some examples of events taking place during the week. If you go to the Information Resources section of this website you will find links to news stories from countries around the world describing the activities taking place there, and under National Activities, you can read more about individual countries' activities.

Thanks

The UN Economic Commission for Europe wishes to thank everyone who contributed to the events held in Geneva. Many people put in much time and effort to ensure its success and the bringing together of so many resourceful young people from around the world. The World Youth Assembly would not have been possible without generous donations by institutions like the European Commission and the World Bank, the Governments of the Netherlands, Norway and Italy, as well as organizations like the FIA Foundation.

Thanks for all your enthusiasm and continued commitment to road safety!