TCC President joined the 2nd online meeting of WCA Steering Board

On the night of 7^th October 2014, Professor Thongchai Panswad Ph.D., President of Thailand Cycling Club (TCC), as a member of the World Cycling Alliance (WCA)’s Steering Board, joined the second meeting of the Board via the Internet and Go To Meeting Programme. Eight out of ten current board members, who came from all continents in the world from Australia to the Americas, joined this meeting.  WCA was founded at Velo-city Global 2014 in Adelaide, Australia, on May 29.  At present, WCA Secretariat is located at Office of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) in Brussels.

After board members introduced themselves together with description of their work and cycling situation in their country, they heard a report from Dr. Bernhard Ensink, ECF Secretary General, about progress of works since the first board meeting in August.  Importantly, WCA is working to become a member of the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) to give cycling a stronger voice on global level in the discussions and decisions regarding Sustainable Transport, and participated in events on UN level started in September 2014.  This was done through ECF which has already been a partner or member of the process, such as the World Urban Campaign and UN Climate Summit 2014.

The meeting then discussed work programme till end of 2014 mainly by the Secretariat, including working on adopting new members, improving communications/promotion of WCA, working on WCA vision document, working on a voluntary commitment of the ‘cycling world’ to the UN, working on fundraising strategy, participating SLoCat activities, preparation of UN processes, preparation of WCA at Velo-city 2015 Nantes in June 2015.  WCA steering board members are asked to consider joining related international events taken place in their continent.  Prof. Thongchai therefore is working to get supports to join the Integrated Conference of Better Air Quality (BAQ) 2014 and Intergovernmental 8^th Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum in Asia on November 19-21, 2014.

Reported by Gawin Chutima, TCC Committee Member

TCC is the first (Associate) member of the European Cyclists’ Federation in Asia, and

a co-founder of the World Cycling Alliance

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