The long-standing tradition of the FIA Americas Congress for Mobility and Sport continued this week, with the 21stedition reaching a successful conclusion in the magnificent capital city of Quito today.

Over the course of an intensive four-day programme (1-4 August), 150 delegates from ASNs, ACNs and Mobility Clubs across 25 countries, together with FIA experts, participated in a wide range of plenary sessions, panel discussions and workshops designed to prioritise the Mobility and Sport agendas in the region.

In the realm of Mobility, the activities addressed such topics as promoting road safety interventions and sustainable mobility. At the Congress, the delegates came together to adopt the Quito Agreement (English, Spanish), a declaration that will lead to further concrete action in this regard across all regions.

In terms of Sport, an intense debate on motor sport development addressed current challenges in the region, how to strengthen government relations, event management, safety and training initiatives. The FIA team presented two progressive initiatives currently experiencing rapid evolution: the Girls on Track programme, created by the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission to drive the opportunities for girls and young women to participate in the sport; and the FIA Motorsport Games, which has its inaugural edition on 31st October-3 November this year.

Across both Mobility and Sport pillars, work continues apace to drive continued improvements to social responsibility outcomes, with representatives of the FIA Environmental Accreditation Programme present to promote its adoption across the Clubs.

The delegates were kindly hosted by ANETA (Automobile Club del Ecuador).

The Congress was led by FIA President Jean Todt, FIA Deputy President for Sport Graham Stoker, FIA Deputy President for Automobile Mobility and Tourism Thierry Willemarck, FIA Vice Presidents José Abed (North America) and Carlos Garcia Remohi (South America), Region III President Tim Shearman and Region IV President Jorge Tomasi, with the support of ANETA President Galo Garcia Feraud, his team and FIA ASN Development Task Force President Andrew Papadopoulos.

Representing the World Motor Sport Council were members Hugo Mersan of Paraguay and Vincenzo Spano of Venezuela. From the World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism, Ricardo Morales Rubio of (ACC, Colombia), Alejandro Quintana Hurtado (ACCHI, Chile) and Gorki Obando (ANETA, Ecuador).
 
“Member clubs from across the Americas can be justifiably proud of their achievements in the continued development of mobility and motor sport on the continent. This annual Congress is intended to celebrate their success,” said President Todt.  “But we also share a common and relentless desire to achieve even more together, so in addition to acknowledging the Clubs’ efforts, we have also spent time during the past four days looking at how we can continue to unlock the significant potential across the region, exchanging ideas and sharing best practice.”
 
“I would like to thank and congratulate our hosts, ANETA, for a magnificent and truly inspiring week, and for their exceptional organisation and hospitality. We have all benefited from this deeper insight into Ecuadorian culture, and the wonderful opportunity to experience the enchanting city of Quito.”
 
“Mobility is very relevant here in the Americas. Road safety is a major burden on the people and the economy. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children aged 5-14 years in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay, and for people aged 15-49 years in Argentina, Ecuador and Paraguay. Adhesion to UN treaties will immediately introduce minimum vehicle road safety standards and recent research shows that more than 25,000 Latin American lives could be saved and over 170,000 serious injuries prevented by 2030 if United Nations (UN) vehicle safety regulations were applied by four key countries in the region - Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Brazil. As for our Sustainable Mobility agenda, it is pleasing to see that the success of FIA Smart Cities has inspired some sessions here at the Americas Congress. Our action-oriented approach to climate change is guided by the FIA Environment and Sustainability Commission, chaired by its President Felipe Calderón.
 
“In Sport, the Americas region is extremely dynamic, with 23 events registered to the FIA International Calendar, and 13 International Series events. It hosts nine World Championship venues including Formula 1 with four Grands Prix in Canada), USA, Mexico and Brazil;  World Endurance with the 1000 miles of Sebring in the USA; World Rallycross with one event in Canada; and World Rally with three venues in Mexico, Argentina and now Chile, which hosted in May its first event counting towards the FIA World Rally Championship. Formula E is also impressively active in the region with four events this year, in Santiago in Chile, Mexico and two in New York City.
 
“In Karting, nine countries of the Americas have a driver selected by their ASN in the 2019 FIA Karting Academy Trophy.­ Rally Safety remains a high priority for all of us and we are pleased to see the new FIA Rally Safety Guidelines being implemented by ASNs and organisers.
 
“On the matter of sustainability, I commend our Clubs for the increased awareness they have demonstrated about environmental challenges and their determination to reduce the overall environmental impact of our activities.”
 
In closing, President Todt said: “This Congress has once again highlighted the spirit of unity between the ASNs, ACNs and Mobility Clubs. I will now make my traditional tour of the Americas with my friend José Abed and meet our clubs in Colombia, Jamaica, Cuba, before going to the United States. As we leave Quito, we are already excited to see what the Americas can achieve over the next twelve months and we look forward to meeting again in Cartagena, Colombia next year.”