FIA World Council for Automobile Mobility & Tourism meets in Tunisia

19.05.15
The FIA World Council for Automobile Mobility & Tourism (WCAM&T) met on 8 May in Tunisia, within the framework of the FIA Region I’s Spring Meetings.

FIA Deputy President for Mobility, Brian Gibbons (NZAA, New Zealand), chaired the meeting. FIA President Jean Todt was present for the session, and provided a high-level overview of FIA input in a number of current initiatives, including the SaveKidsLives campaign – the theme of this year’s UN Road Safety Week – and the creation of an FIA High-Level Panel for Road Safety.

In addition to hearing about new developments within the FIA’s Mobility Division, the World Council discussed the issues set out in the FIA’s Connected Car Task Force’s Interim Report. Proposals put forward during the meeting included developing a greater Club perspective and a closer working relationship with car manufacturers in this area.

The FIA’s Road Safety Advocacy agenda was reviewed, including some important dates in 2015, notably: the third Global Road Safety Week (May 2015); the setting of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goal targets (September 2015); and the second Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia (18-19 November 2015) marking the middle of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. In order to provide more momentum to that already achieved during the first half of the Decade of Action, the FIA and the FIA Foundation will be supporting FIA Clubs so they can attend this important global event.

FIA Secretary-General Andrew McKellar presented the outcomes of the second Mobility Membership Survey. With responses from nearly three quarters of all FIA Mobility Clubs, this comprehensive survey has provided a detailed picture of what FIA Clubs look like today: their membership, their activities, their priorities, their current initiatives, and the future challenges they face.

The next meeting of the FIA World Council for Automobile Mobility & Tourism is scheduled to take place in Paris in early December 2015, during the Annual General Assembly Week.

At a global level, the WCAM&T focuses on FIA and Club efforts to:

-   improve road safety and promote safe, clean, affordable motoring;

-   defend motorists as consumers;

-   address environmental issues and encourage sensible, sustainable mobility and motor touring worldwide; and

-   promote freedom of mobility for all road users.

To this end, from an international perspective, WCAM&T members identify, define, discuss and approve a variety of issues, including: global public policy positions and strategies for effective advocacy (both national and international), reciprocal agreements on service exchange, campaigns for safe and sustainable automobile-related mobility, and management of international documents such as Carnets de Passages en Douane (CPDs) and International Drivers’ Permits (IDPs). As a direct result of this work, the FIA enjoys special consultative status with the United Nations.

The WCAM&T, through the FIA Mobility Administration, also works to support the FIA Mobility Clubs in all facets of their work, for example: providing mobility services (roadside assistance, travel and tourism services …) to their members when travelling; advocating public policy on issues such as road safety, sustainability, and connectivity with their national governments; or issuing international driving documentation.