FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WORLD SOCIETY OF VICTIMOLOGY(WSV) TO JOIN INTERNATIONAL CRUISE VICTIM ORGANIZATION'S EFFORTS TO HAVE THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION(IMO) TO ADAPT SAFETY REGULATIONS   

SAMMAMISH, WASHINGTON The International Cruise Victims Association, Inc. (ICV), a not for profit corporation formed by victims and families of victims of cruise crimes, announced today that the World Society of Victimology  is uniting with ICV to push for passage of safety regulations by the IMO, a division of the United Nations.

The WSV works with intergovernmental organizations, as an active promoter of research and program development on victims, assistance to victims, and victim rights. It pioneered a special United Nations' charter of victims' rights, which resulted in the General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/40/34) named the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power. The WSV's members represent many organizations in the International Scientific and Professional Advisory Council(ISPAC) to the Crime Program at the United Nations, and serve on its Board of Directors. These activities are achieved mainly through the networking of persons concerned with the theory of victimology and the practice of victim support.

As a non-governmental organization with Special Category consultive status with the UN's ECOSOC the WSV is involved in the United Nations Congresses on Preventing Crime and Treatment of Offenders. The WSV is also active with the Council of Europe's European Forum for Victim Assistance, with the National Organization for Victim Assistance in the USA, with Victim Support in the United Kingdom, and with other national, regional and territorial organizations across the globe.

For further information on this worldwide group, the link to their website is as follow:

                                        http://www.worldsocietyofvictimology.org/about.html

ICV is most pleased that this group has joined our efforts to improve the safety for all of those that travel at sea on cruise ships.  Since the recent bill passed last July that provides protection only for those U.S. citizens that travel to or from the United States, the goal is to start the process to extend this protection on a worldwide basis.

In other developments, On June 1^st the California passed the legislation sponsored by ICV that will allow victims on crimes on cruise ships coming into California, the opportunity to contact the local police in California to take action.  This is in addition to the US federal government's action as required under the new laws passed in Washington.

This bill now moves to the Senate for hearings and ICV is optimistic that this legislation will continue to move forward to become law.   

              Kendall Carver, Chairman                                         Jamie Barnett, President

  For more information about the International Crime Victims Association, please visit www.internationalcruisevictims.org or contact the following:

Kendall Carver
E-Mail Kcarver17@cox.net                                              Phone 602 852 5896 or 602 989 6752