Dear Presidents, Partners, Colleagues, and Friends,

It is a genuine pleasure to see you here today. When I say “Presidents,” I mean it. It is with great pleasure that I extend a warm welcome to several of my esteemed former Presidents, including OICA Presidents Patrick Blain and Christian Peugeot, Luc Chatel, and Yann de Pontbriand, President of the Automobile Club de France where we are tonight. I would also like to extend a cordial welcome to our Council members, our partner organizations including UNECE, and our colleagues—with many familiar faces from both active and retired members. I would like to acknowledge, in particular, the presence of Yves van der Straaten, my predecessor and long-standing colleague, as well as our Technical Committee leadership and Secretariat.

First, I would like to convey the apologies of our President, Shailesh Chandra. Unfortunately, he is unable to attend due to prior professional commitments. This week, he is in India to lead our Indian association, SIAM, and to host its annual automotive conference. He wishes you all a wonderful celebration and sends his very best.

Today marks a significant milestone: the 200th session of the OICA Technical Committee, coinciding with its 70th anniversary. When Olivier Fontaine and I realized that the next meeting would be the 200th, we asked ourselves: “When was this Committee established?” A thorough review of the archives has been conducted: June 1956! It became clear that the 200th session and 70 years of technical cooperation should be appropriately commemorated.

I would like to acknowledge that when this celebration was initially proposed, its success was not anticipated. You are here in large numbers, which is proof that the “shadow army of regulation” is a formidable force. Your focus remains behind the scenes, and you generally avoid the limelight. However, you have answered the call today, and I must say that I am genuinely impressed.

Before proceeding, I would like to express my gratitude to the owners of the antique cars displayed outside our building. They have successfully revived and preserved significant elements of automotive history for future generations. Each of these vehicles serves as a testament to our collaborative effort that has shaped the rules and technical foundations that have enabled their creation. Bravo, and thank you.

Today, we commemorate an accomplishment of exceptional significance: a discreet yet profound force that has influenced the safety, performance, and global compatibility of motor vehicles for generations.

The OICA Technical Committee operates with a certain degree of discretion, not always visible to the public and sometimes not sufficiently visible to top management. It does not seek media attention. Its impact is pervasive, evident in every road, every market, and every vehicle subject to clear, trusted, and internationally coherent rules.

The concept of “regulation” may appear straightforward, but it is the culmination of years of meticulous technical discourse, diligent negotiations, and the collective expertise of practical engineering. For 70 years, this Committee has been at the forefront of transforming complexity into clarity. It was established to consolidate the technical expertise of OICA (then BPICA) and to lay the foundation for the 1958 Agreement, which has since become a foundational element of vehicle type approval and mutual recognition, serving as a model for global cooperation.

More broadly, this Committee, and OICA itself, are part of a long tradition of building safety and trust in international mobility. The OICA was established in 1919, and we have played an instrumental role in several pivotal events, including the 1926 Paris Convention, the 1949 Geneva Road Traffic Convention, the 1958 Agreement in Geneva, and the subsequent 1998 Agreement. Over the decades, our role has remained remarkably consistent: to support safer, more predictable, and better mobility for society by connecting industry expertise with public responsibility.

This distinction is a key factor contributing to OICA’s unique status. In an industry full of regional bodies, we remain a truly global automotive industry organization. This Committee has established connections between manufacturers, authorities, and experts worldwide, spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas. It has supported a common language for vehicle requirements, enabling innovation while improving safety and environmental performance.

This underscores the significance of the 200th session. It is not merely a number. This underscores the association’s commitment to continuity, credibility, and effectiveness. This case demonstrates that when industry expertise and public responsibility are aligned, progress can be both tangible and sustainable.

Therefore, today, we would like to express our deepest gratitude:

To the pioneers who laid the foundations.

To the numerous delegates who have established technical convergence year after year, dedicating countless working hours and meeting after meeting.

To the Chairs, Secretaries, experts, and regulators who generously invest their personal time to advance this mission, mandated by their company or administration, we extend our deepest gratitude.

I would like to acknowledge the contributions of all the present contributors to this essential work, which they carry out with dedication and integrity.

Your contribution is an integral part of the history of vehicle regulation and its future. It is also crucial to acknowledge that we frequently work on vehicles 10 to 15 years before they are released to the market. This may be the reason why our work is not always visible, but it is precisely why it is so valuable.

I sometimes joke that we’re on the same level as the fictional “Star Trek” universe, consistently pioneering new frontiers before they become visible to others. In today’s business landscape, these frontiers encompass a wide range of disciplines, including artificial intelligence, advanced automated systems, cybersecurity, data governance, and emerging technologies that have the potential to surpass human drivers in the future. The course covers a range of relevant topics, including battery safety and recycling. In summary, the agenda is continually evolving, the complexity is increasing, and your expertise is more crucial than ever.

The OICA technical work, including our contribution to the famous UNECE WP.29 process, is of great value to me. I personally appreciate the determination to find solutions, establish pathways, and achieve consensus. In many organizations, meetings can present challenges. Here, we prioritize hard work and respect differing opinions, while maintaining a unified focus on our collective goals. This is a strength that should be preserved.

We should take pride in this legacy and continue to work with the same spirit of cooperation and technical excellence into the future.

Thank you.

François ROUDIER

Secretary General