iRAP’s Safer Journeys Lead for the Americas Edgar Zamora was honoured recently to mentor three teams working to advance road safety in Bolivia, Ecuador and Honduras as part of the FIA Safe Mobility 4 All and 4 Life Initiative.

The final two-day seminar held in July at the Palais des Nations in Geneva brought together Clubs and authorities from 13 countries – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

After months of collaboration, 38 graduates presented road safety projects aimed at lasting, local impact across the Americas.

The event opened with remarks from United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, UNITAR Division for People Director Alex Mejía, FIA Senate President Carmelo Sanz de Barros, and FIA Region IV President Ricardo Morales Rubio.

During the two days, delegates from 13 Clubs in FIA Regions III and IV, together with representatives from their respective local and national authorities, took part in thematic panels addressing safe and sustainable mobility, as well as a mentorship session focused on the Safe System approach and its implementation in the Latin American context.

These projects, which are a key pillar of the initiative, address a wide range of priorities, including road safety education and training, vehicle monitoring systems, and data-driven approaches to road risk management. They are designed to deliver tangible improvements on the ground but also to serve as the foundation for building a strong community of practice, where Clubs and authorities across the regions can share successes, challenges, and what they learned along the way as they work towards the common goal of reducing road deaths and injuries.

Participants had the chance to engage in a hands-on workshop to discuss Club strategies for the short and medium term, and the critical role of coordination between public and private actors. The importance of monitoring and evaluation, and the role of FIA Clubs as key facilitators within the road safety ecosystem were strongly emphasised.

FIA Senate President Carmelo Sanz de Barros, FIA Región IV President Ricardo Morales, FIA General Manager Alberto Villarreal Gutiérrez, and FIA Secretary General for Automobile Mobility Willem Groenewald addressed participants on the closing day of the training, highlighting the initiative’s success in fostering collaboration, strengthening institutional capacity, and building a sustainable community of practice for improved road safety across the region.

The seminar concluded with a formal recognition ceremony for the graduates. In total, 19 Club delegates and 19 public authority representatives each completed more than 100 hours of e-learning, attended three in-person seminars, and collaborated with international road safety experts to design 13 national-level projects focused on reducing road risk.

The FIA Safe Mobility 4 All and 4 Life Initiative is a collaborative project between UNITAR, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), and FIA Foundation and reflects the FIA’s continued commitment to supporting its Member Clubs and national stakeholders through targeted capacity-building and international collaboration to deliver tangible improvements in road safety and mobility. In particular, it aims to leave a legacy in developing countries.

Learn more about the FIA Safe Mobility 4 All and 4 Life Initiative here.

Article credit: FIA. Images credit: FIA and UNITAR