[PIO] A broad governmental meeting on the prevention of fatal accidents and drownings at sea was held under the Deputy Minister to the President

The actions of the non-profit organization Safe Water Sports, which aims to enhance safety in water, water sports and recreational activities with a main focus on drowning prevention, were presented yesterday, 18 July 2023, at the Presidential Palace, at a meeting chaired by the Deputy Minister to the President, Mrs. Irene Piki.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministries of Defence, Justice and Public Order, Interior, Transport, Communications and Works, Health, Deputy Ministry of Shipping and Deputy Ministry of Tourism.

During the meeting, the President of Safe Water Sports Mr. Panagiotis Paschalakis presented in detail the actions that the Organization (at no cost to society and the state) implements in Greece, in cooperation with Ministries and bodies of the wider public and private sector.

Particular emphasis was placed by the Agency on the following initiatives that could be adopted by Cyprus, such as, among others:

1. the Information System for controls and inspections that the Agency has created and offers to the Coast Guard (Greece) and the Port Police (Cyprus) on the basis of the signed Memorandum of Cooperation with the Port Police of Cyprus (2018)
2. the Accident Observatory for the recording and statistical processing of drownings, fatal accidents and injuries occurring in the aquatic environment
3. the legislative framework and regulations on safety issues to which the Agency has contributed
4. the educational programme it has developed for kindergartens, primary and secondary education in Greece, which has also been approved by the Ministry of Education of Cyprus (2019) for primary education.
5. the Safe Swimming Programme for swimming pools and schools which aims to improve the swimming skills of children and young people,
6. the Safe Water Sports app,
7. an information campaign for the safety of senior citizens
8. other information initiatives undertaken in Greece aimed at water safety.

The meeting is part of the Government's efforts to ensure the protection of citizens in the aquatic environment, through the implementation of a series of initiatives, with the primary aim of preventing and reducing accidents and drownings in the seas of Cyprus.

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