world road Association piarc activity report 2004-2007 From the Durban Congress october 2003 to the Paris Congress september 2007 www.piarc.org General Activity Report of the World Road Association CONTENTS 1. Foreword.......................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Goals And Activities Consistent with needs............................................................................. 5 2.1. History and role of the Association ........................................................................................................ 5 2.2. 2004-2007 Strategic Plan .................................................................................................................... 6 2.2.1. PIARC’s Mission, Values and Vision............................................................................................... 6 2.2.2. Strategic Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 7 3. PIARC’s Structure .......................................................................................................................... 8 3.1. Council of the World Road Association.................................................................................................. 9 3.2. Executive Committee ........................................................................................................................ 10 3.3. Commissions ................................................................................................................................... 11 3.3.1. Finance Commission .................................................................................................................. 11 3.3.2. Communication Commission....................................................................................................... 11 3.3.3. Strategic Planning Commission.................................................................................................... 12 3.3.4. Commission on Technological Exchanges and Development ......................................................... 13 3.3.5. Commission on International Relations ......................................................................................... 13 3.4. National Committees......................................................................................................................... 14 3.5. PIARC General Secretariat ................................................................................................................ 14 4. PIARC’s Activities in 2004-2007................................................................................................. 16 4.1. Technical Committees....................................................................................................................... 16 4.1.1. Theme 1 - Governance and Management of the Road System.................................................................16 4.1.2. Theme 2 - Sustainable Mobility ......................................................................................................................17 4.1.3. Theme 3 - Safety and Road Operations........................................................................................................18 4.1.4. Theme 4 - Quality of road infrastructure.........................................................................................................19 4.1.5. Committee on Terminology and Translation Assistance..............................................................................20 4.2. Communication ................................................................................................................................21 4.2.1. The website ......................................................................................................................................................21 4.2.2. The electronic newsletter.................................................................................................................................22 4.2.3. The Routes/Roads magazine.........................................................................................................................22 4.2.4. PIARC reports..................................................................................................................................................22 4.2.5. PIARC brochure...............................................................................................................................................23 4.3. Congresses...................................................................................................................................... 24 4.3.1. PIARC World Road Congress........................................................................................................................24 4.3.2. PIARC International Winter Road Congress.................................................................................................24 4.4. Association projects .......................................................................................................................... 25 4.4.1. Seminars...........................................................................................................................................................25 4.4.2. Technology Transfer Centres .........................................................................................................................26 4.4.3. The PIARC Special Fund................................................................................................................................26 4.4.4. World Interchange Network (WIN) .................................................................................................................27 4.4.5. The PIARC / HDM-4 Project...........................................................................................................................27 4.5. Cooperation ..................................................................................................................................... 27 4.5.1. Cooperation with regional organizations of road administrations ................................................................28 4.5.2. Cooperation with other international organizations .......................................................................................28 5. Feedback on the 2004-2007 Strategic Plan.............................................................................. 28 6. Prospects....................................................................................................................................... 31 7. Participation in PIARC................................................................................................................. 32 7.1. Member Categories .......................................................................................................................... 32 7.2. Membership Fees............................................................................................................................. 32 2 General Activity Report of the World Road Association 1. FOREWORD At the time of my election as President at the end of 2004, one year after the Durban Congress, I outlined five major challenges facing PIARC in the current cycle. It is timely in this 2004-2007 Activity Report to take stock of our progress in addressing these challenges. Firstly, we have maintained the momentum in the excellent work of our nineteen Technical Committees. Their Activity Reports included in this document demonstrate the richness, variety and developing trends in today’s road transport. They will contribute greatly to our ability to make improved choices for sustainable transport – the theme of this XXIIIrd World Road Congress in Paris. The work of the Technical Committees over the last four years has focused on four broad areas, corresponding to the four Strategic Themes under PIARC’s Third Strategic Plan: good governance and administration, sustainable mobility, safe and efficient operations and appropriate infrastructure. As we finalise the Fourth PIARC Strategic Plan to guide our work over the next four year cycle, these four broad areas are likely to continue, but with some changes of emphasis within each of them. Secondly, we have enhanced the effectiveness of information gathering, dissemination and exchange, in large part by increasingly embracing electronic media. The structure and format of technical reports have been strengthened and unified, and these reports are now available free on the internet. The Routes/Roads magazine has been revamped to a more attractive and readable format and the dissemination of Technical Committees’ work throughout the cycle has been significantly improved through the increased delivery of seminars. There is also greater use of National Committees for gathering and disseminating information. Thirdly, we have raised the profile of PIARC and involvement in its activities in developing countries and countries in economic transition, largely through the seminar program. Most Technical Committees have held two seminars during the last four years; most of these have been held in developing countries and countries in economic transition, and have been well received, attracting audiences from neighbouring countries as well as from the host country. However, our experience with the first few technology transfer centres has been mixed. As a result, we