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Press Release
3 November 2005
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on 20
November 2005 - the third Sunday of November
The United Nations calls for global recognition of this Special
Day just days before its 12th anniversary.
Commemorated for the third year as World Day of Remembrance,
this special day was initiated by RoadPeace in 1993 and observed
for the past 12 years in Britain, Europe, and beyond, as the day on
which all those killed and injured in road crashes are remembered,
together with their families, the emergency services and all others
affected or involved in the aftermath.
Following World Health Day on 7 April 2004 when the World Health
Organisation and United Nations highlighted the ';global road
safety crisis' and resolved to address it, a day which would
illustrate the enormous global scale and emotional and economic
impact on families and countries, was recognised as an important
part of highlighting and publicising this disaster.
On 26 October 2005, a resolution introduced by Oman's Ambassador
Al-Hinai to 'recognize the third Sunday in November of every
year as the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims as an
appropriate acknowledgement for victims of road traffic crashes and
their families'. was duly adopted by the UN General
Assembly in New York, without a vote.
Brigitte Chaudhry, RoadPeace Founder, said:
"We at RoadPeace are extremely pleased at this
official adoption by the UN of our Remembrance Day, which we have
worked so hard to promote over so many years, together with our
colleagues from victim organisations in Europe and beyond. This
important recognition will help ensure that victims worldwide will
feel less marginalized and that the profound impact of road deaths
and injuries will become better appreciated and the causes more
urgently addressed."
Contacts: RoadPeace office 020 8838 5102 Zoe Stow
01491 642 857
Brigitte Chaudhry 020 8964 1800 Rita Taylor 01963
359 044
Notes to Editors:
- A list of special remembrance services in the
UK, is on the RoadPeace website www.roadpeace.org
- The London Service, at St Clement Danes in the
Strand, will be attended by Jenny Jones - Road Safety
Ambassador of the Mayor of London, Senior representatives of
emergency services, of voluntary organisations, most London
Boroughs' Mayors, and of course victims and victim families
- RoadPeace is also marking World Day of Remembrance
for Road Traffic Victims with an annual concert and this
year's concert is at the Amadeus Centre, London W9 - details
are also on the RoadPeace website
Road death and injury a Global Disaster
Road crashes are the leading cause of violent deaths and
injuries worldwide and World Day of Remembrance is drawing
attention to the scale - 1.2 million killed and between 50 and 500
million injured annually; and these figures are predicted to
grow.
Need to remember
Road deaths and injuries are not treated as seriously as other
disasters, and road victims do not receive the same respect and
compassion as other victims of violence.
RoadPeace will remind victims on Remembrance Day of the other
opportunities for public recognition and tributes to loved ones,
offered to them by RoadPeace - Internet memorials,
'Remember Me' roadside memorials and Tree
planting in the RoadPeace Wood.
WHO / UN Road Safety Collaboration Forum
This global forum was set up in 2004 and road victims are
represented on this forum by Brigitte Chaudhry as the President of
the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims - FEVR - which has
UN consultative status. She aims to ensure at meeting of that Forum
that victim and post crash issues will be given due weight.
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