Mrs Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation

At a meeting with Mrs Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Jean Todt presented the FIA and its functions, emphasising the Federation’s engagement in the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety. He underlined the World Health Organisation’s underestimation of the current global road safety problem given its involvement in tackling other major issues, and highlighted the urgent need for a strong coordinated effort to address the rising numbers of serious injuries and fatalities on the world’s roads. 
 
It was in this vein that Jean Todt proposed a collaboration between the FIA and the WHO which would bring together a high-level panel to write a White Paper, the recommendations of which would assist in addressing the global road safety problem.
 
Mrs Chan warmly welcomed this proposal and referred to the current lack of mobilisation on this issue, which could be explained by the fact that the United Nations (UN) does not normally work with private organisations, such as the FIA.  She linked road safety to greener motoring and informed the FIA President that three subjects were of particular importance to the Secretary General of the United Nations: health, young people and the issue of energy. Mrs Chan was enthusiastic about the possibility of involving high ranking figures from the world of politics such as Dilma Rousseff, or Vladimir Poutine who will preside over the G8 and G20 meetings.