Introduction:
The UN General Assembly’s first ever resolution on Drowning Prevention was championed and proposed by the governments of Ireland and Bangladesh who along with 79 co-sponsoring countries agreed this historic UN effort to save lives. An associated Global Day of Recognition, World Drowning Prevention Day (WDPD), is held annually on 25 July. This global advocacy event served as an opportunity for Ireland to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning and to offer life-saving solutions to prevent it. It is an important, memorable day for the drowning prevention community worldwide and in Ireland, it has become a focal point for raising awareness about water safety.

Objectives:
The Author outlines the initiatives that were developed to commemorate WDPD in Ireland, to raise awareness about the resolution and to prompt action by various stakeholders.

Methods:
The Author outlines the efforts made to accelerate awareness of WDPD and the public awareness initiatives that prompted individuals and agencies to commemorate the day, including a range of safety messages on social media, a campaign welcoming the resolution, securing support from the President of Ireland, and downloadable resources for “I’m Going Blue for WDPD” which included an initiative that began as the face painting in blue of Lifeguards and emergency services personnel, and extended to members of the public, buildings and national heritage sites. Also outlined are the actions that called on individuals and agencies to “Do One Thing” such as learning one water safety skill or sharing one piece of water safety advice or changing one mind about safety. Campaigns will be outlined that encouraged individuals to be the one who takes responsibility for water safety and how it was emphasized that for someone at risk of drowning, that one thing could mean the world.

Results:
The development of a National Strategic Development Plan aligned to the Resolution will also be outlined. Knowledge sharing was improved by supplying resources that were easily shared across all forms of social media.

Conclusion:
Multi-Agency involvement is required. Appealing to the individual was a key strength of all campaigns. Early engagement with stakeholders improved the outcomes.

Key words: Drowning Prevention World Drowning Prevention Day, declared in April 2021 by General Assembly resolution A/RES/75/273

Water Safety Ireland  - Galway - Ireland