A/RES/58/9 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 19 November 2003 Fifty-eighth session Agenda item 160 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 5 November 2003 [without reference to a Main Committee (A/58/L.3/Rev.1 and Add.1)] 58/9. Global road safety crisis The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 57/309 of 22 May 2003, Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General on the global road safety crisis, 1 Expressing great concern at the rapid increase, particularly in developing countries, in traffic fatalities and injuries worldwide, which accounted for an estimated 1.26 million deaths in 2000 and which disproportionately affect people in low- and middle-income countries, and also expressing concern at the economic costs of road traffic injuries, which amount to 518 billion United States dollars per annum worldwide, with developing countries bearing 100 billion dollars of the cost, Convinced that road traffic injuries are a major public health problem requiring concerted multisectoral efforts for effective and sustainable prevention, Affirming the need for a worldwide effort to raise awareness about the health impact and social and economic costs of injuries caused by road traffic accidents, Recognizing that effective action requires strong political commitment, in particular at the national but also at the international level, Recognizing also that road traffic injuries are a preventable and treatable problem, Emphasizing the need for the private sector and relevant non-governmental organizations to participate actively in promoting road traffic safety, Convinced that road safety requires partnerships, bridging many sectors of society, to promote and facilitate efforts to prevent road traffic injuries, Convinced also that responsibility for road safety rests at the local, municipal and national levels, and recognizing that many developing countries have limited capacities to address these issues, _______________ 1 03 45345 A/58/228.