YOU ARE HELPING BUILD A SAFER WORLD FOR ALL, DIRECTOR-GENERAL TELLS FIRST-EVER WORLD YOUTH ASSEMBLY FOR ROAD SAFETY

Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, welcomed on 23 April delegates at the opening of the first-ever World Youth Assembly for Road Safety, and delivered the Secretary-General’s message to the meeting (issued as press release SG/SM/10960-OBV/618).

In his own remarks, Mr. Ordzhonikidze highlighted that the United Nations General Assembly had reaffirmed the need to further strengthen international cooperation on road safety, and noted that the Youth Assembly was part of the Organization’s efforts to do so.

The Director-General emphasized that the Youth Assembly was an important way of engaging young people in the global, regional and local efforts to improve road safety. Young people are not only victims, he said, but also agents of change. In this respect, he added, the Youth Assembly was an example of how the United Nations reached out to include and involve those affected by its work.

Mr. Ordzhonikidze stressed that by participating in the Assembly, the delegates had demonstrated a firm commitment to reinforcing road safety. “You are helping build a safer world for all”, the Director-General concluded.

The World Youth Assembly for Road Safety, which took place at the Palais des Nations from 23 to 24 April 2007, was organized jointly by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the World Health Organization as part of the first United Nations Global Road Safety Week, pursuant to General Assembly resolution A/RES/60/5. The United Nations Global Road Safety Week, which runs from 23 to 29 April 2007, is targeted at young road users, including young drivers.


For use of the information media; not an official record


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