World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is celebrated annually on May 17, marking the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. It was instituted by the Plenipotentiary Conference in Malaga-Torremolinos in 1973. In November 2005, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) called upon the UN General Assembly to declare May 17 as World Information Society Day to focus on the importance of ICT and the wide range of issues related to the Information Society raised by WSIS. The main objective of the day is to raise global awareness of societal changes brought about by new technologies (primarily from the advent of the Internet) and aims to help reduce the digital divide.
I welcome the focus on road safety for this year’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. Road accidents kill nearly 1.3 million people every year. They leave millions more injured or permanently disabled, placing a heavy economic burden on families and countries. The United Nations Department of Public Information in Azerbaijan told SIA that the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011 to 2020 is dedicated to helping to make roads and vehicles safer worldwide. Information and communication technologies provide many options. Intelligent Transport Systems and navigation devices can help reduce congestion. Radars can help to prevent collisions with other road users – including pedestrians. Hands-free communications mean fewer accidents, especially among young people who account for more than half of road deaths. I commend the International Telecommunication Union for its work with industry to develop ICT standards and for collaborating with the International Automobile Federation to create awareness on road safety. Let us make the best of technology to dramatically reduce traffic fatalities. This can save millions of lives.
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