FIA Annual General Assembly - 2013

The FIA General Assembly, held in Paris, France, today, marked the end of the annual meeting week attended by sport and mobility FIA Member Clubs from around the world and which culminates with the FIA Prize Giving Gala this evening. The FIA President, Jean Todt, along with Senate President Nick Craw and Deputy Presidents Brian Gibbons and Graham Stoker, welcomed the delegates to the meeting, thanking them for their active participation in the week’s activities.

Jean Todt also paid tribute to President Nelson Mandela, following the sad news of his passing yesterday. Throughout his life Mandela fought with wisdom, courage and dignity and the Members of the FIA General Assembly joined the President standing for a minute’s silence in his honour.

The following decisions were taken during the meeting:

FIA President and Presidential list

FIA President Jean Todt was unanimously elected for a second four-year term by the Members of the General Assembly. The President of the Senate, Deputy and Vice Presidents were also adopted as part of the Presidential List:

President of the Senate Nicholas Craw (ACCUS, United States of America)

Deputy President, Sport Graham Stoker (MSA, United Kingdom)

Deputy President, Mobility Brian Gibbons (NZAA, New Zealand)

Vice Presidents for Sport:

Middle East Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QMMF, Qatar)

Africa Surinder Thatthi (MSA, South Africa)

North America José Abed (OMDAI, Mexico)

South America Hugo Mersan (TACPY, Paraguay)

Asia-Pacific Morrie Chandler (Motor Sport NZ, New Zealand)

Europe Michel Boeri (ACM, Monaco)

Europe Carlos Gracia Fuertes (RFEA, Spain)

In his acceptance speech, Jean Todt - on behalf of the Presidential team - thanked the Members for their support and trust, emphasising his determination, with the Membership, to make the FIA a bigger and stronger organisation. The President underlined that as a unique organisation with unique people with values from different origins, the challenges faced by Sport and Mobility were immense, but that by being united and working together, we can make a difference.

President Todt continued by confirming his desire to open a new chapter in the FIA’s history, to create a stronger future for motor sport and to drive the agenda of mobility. Further expanding, he advised the plan was based on the four pillars of his manifesto, with the first pillar aiming to continue to improve the governance and administration of the FIA with the assistance of the Statutes Review Commission and the Resource Allocation Working Group, which will determine how best to use the resources arising from new activities and, in particular, the re-negotiation of the Concorde Agreement. A Liaison Office will also be created, providing a one-stop shop for members seeking advice, and a united Global Training Initiative - today offered by the FIA University and FIA Institute - will strongly enhance training programmes.

The second pillar will focus on the development of motor sport, especially at grassroots level. A dedicated department within FIA Sport will work in harmony with the World Motor Sport Council, implementing its strategic direction in relation to the two existing Development Task Forces. A Motorsport Development Fund will be created to replace the Fund which was formed as a result of the McLaren fine which comes to an end next year. Support for the ASNs will be strengthened and regional co-operation reinforced. As importantly, the working relationship with the Olympic community will be further developed and enhanced.

Pillar three is to place the FIA at the forefront of the automotive agenda. The environment in which Mobility Clubs operate is going through a period of profound change and the World Council for Automobile, Mobility and Tourism will take on an extended role to give it a more strategic position. The FIA will also play a role in influencing the development of the vehicles of tomorrow, particularly at major international forums. The Policy Commission will also be asked to develop a comprehensive Policy Roadmap for Mobility.

The fourth and final pillar will focus on tackling the challenges of road safety and sustainable development. The FIA will strengthen its partnerships with all major international players working on road safety, whether it is the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, the World Bank or regional development banks. The work of the Expert Road Safety Panel will be extended to provide an online platform where clubs can share information and experiences, and the FIA Action for the Environment campaign will focus on developing environmentally-responsible sport.

In closing, Jean Todt thanked the FIA Member Clubs for their support and acknowledged them as global ambassadors, binding the organisation, its goals and ambitions to become even stronger, more united and more respected around the world.

For more information on the FIA 2013 General Assembly, please visithttp://www.fia.com/.

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