Irish water safety organisations have welcomed the first-ever UN Resolution on Global Drowning Prevention which was adopted by the UN General Assembly last week.
The UN adopted a historic Resolution on drowning prevention, acknowledging the issue for the first time in its 75-year history. Drowning cost the world over 2.5 million lives in the last decade. The vast majority of these deaths could and should have been prevented.
The Resolution, which was passed by the General Assembly, establishes drowning as an important international issue, recognised by all 193 Member States of the UN, sets out the actions that every country should take to prevent drowning and calls for a coordinated UN approach to drowning prevention. It also establishes an annual ‘World Drowning Prevention Day,’ which will be marked for the first time on July 25, 2021.
The Resolution (A/75/L.76) provides a framework for an effective response to the unacceptable toll of drowning deaths worldwide.
Chairman of Water Safety Ireland, Martin O’Sullivan - UN Resolution is an historic step for Global Drowning Prevention
In welcoming the Resolution, the Chairman of Water Safety Ireland, Martin O’Sullivan reflected on the drowning burden worldwide and in Ireland: “In the last decade, drowning was responsible for over 2.5 million* preventable deaths worldwide and for 1,200** deaths in Ireland. It is a significant, preventable public health issue. This first-ever UN resolution on global drowning prevention provides a framework for an effective response to this unacceptable toll of drowning deaths.”
The new Resolution, an initiative by Bangladesh and Ireland which was co-sponsored by 79 countries, recognises that drowning affects every nation of the world – through its impact is disproportionate. 90 per cent of drowning deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries, with Asia carrying the highest burden.
Mark Dowie, Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) -the UN Resolution highlights the immediate need for strategic and significant international action to save lives
Mark Dowie, Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), said: “As an organisation dedicated to saving lives on and around the water, we are thrilled to have supported Member States in efforts to secure a UN Global Drowning Prevention Resolution.In addition, the Resolution proclaims the 25th of July each year as ‘World Drowning Prevention Day’ to raise awareness of the importance of drowning prevention and the need for urgent coordinated multisectoral action to improve water safety, with the aim of reducing preventable deaths.
