Globalization is about the movement of goods and people and also about the movement of lifestyles and ideas. It is a phenomenon of growing interdependence among countries and dramatic changes in lifestyles. These changes are producing an increase in the exposure to new risks that can lead to injuries. But globalization is also creating opportunities for healthy interdependence, with the exchange of experiences and evidence in the field of injury prevention and safety promotion. This conference will explore both the challenges and the opportunities created by the new forms of globalization in the 21st century.

The risks created by globalization often involve economic crises, violent conflicts and natural disasters in low and middle income countries, which have triggered massive migration towards high income countries. According to recent data, there are more than 40million international migrants worldwide. This global movement leads to rapid changes in the social contexts as well as the physical environments in which migrants are inserted, in their communities of origin as well as in those of transit and destination. The 2002 and 2004 WHO World Reports on Violence and on Road Traffic Safety recognized these problems as worthy of concern and action at the international level, due to the alarming impacts on the quality of life, health status, and economic development of societies around the world.

This Conference will give special attention to the processes of globalization and their implications for injuries and violence. The WHO is urging governments to address the two main themes of Violence and Traffic Accidents. The conference will also emphasize the global patterns in Technological and Epidemiological Transitions, proposing international collaboration as a fundamental strategy for the design and promotion of policies for injury prevention and safety promotion.