On Wednesday, March 27, the Permanent Mission of Monaco in New York, gathered at its premises, the Group of Friends for the prevention of drowning.
Various personalities participated in the discussions, including Ms. Gemma May, head of the UK Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Dr. Werner Obermeyer of WHO-New York, and Dr. Raoul Bermejo of UNICEF, as well as the representative of Thailand, who presented the substantial progress achieved after the mobilisation of her Authorities.
In her welcome address, Isabelle Picco, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Principality of Monaco to the United Nations, recalled the importance, from an early age, of learning to swim and cited the partnership between the Princess Charlene Foundation of Monaco and the RNLI.
Discussions between the 40 delegations present identified concrete measures to better understand this “silent killer” responsible for more than 360,000 deaths per year. Delegations were invited to address this topic to the UNICEF Executive Board, the WHO Executive Board, the WHO World Assembly next May, and during the High-level Political Forum. Also at the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage to be held at the United Nations next September.