Opening the meeting, FIA Foundation Chairman Tim Keown began by welcoming Global Road Safety Ambassadors Zoleka Mandela and Michelle Yeoh and thanked them for their personal commitment to road safety and support of the Long Short Walk earlier this year.

Looking back on the Foundation’s activities of the past year, Acting Director General Saul Billingsley said pushing for the inclusion of safe and sustainable transport in the UN’s ‘Post-2015’ development agenda has been the top priority, as this would give a tremendous boost if achieved. “The current debate on global priorities provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to integrate policies for road safety, fuel efficiency and clean mobility into the mainstream of global priorities,” he said.

In the field of road safety, over 1.5 million euros has been allocated to date by the Foundation in support of the FIA Road Safety Grant Programme and club projects. This has seen 72 innovative road safety initiatives started in 51 countries, including awareness campaigns, educational programmes and training, vulnerable road users’ protection, conferences, events and workshops, road infrastructure safety information, and vehicle inspection programmes.

Outlining the Foundation’s agenda for Safe, Clean, Fair & Green mobility for all, Billingsley said that environmental advocacy was being carried out at the highest levels through the Global Fuel Economy Initiative and Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles.