Amina Mohamed elected to FIA's World Motor Sport Council

Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has been elected to the World Motor Sport Council, a key governance organ of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

The vote was conducted at the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council meeting held on Friday.

FIA President Jean Todt said Amina’s appointment was important for the FIA’s drive for gender equality.

“Amina Mohamed, Minister for Sports, Heritage and Culture of Kenya, elected as a new member of the World Motor Sport Council. A great asset for @FIA advancing gender equality and diversity,” Todt tweeted.

FIA secretary general Peter Bayer and Kenya Motor Sports Federation President Phineas Kimathi congratulated Amina on her appointment.

“I would like to extend my sincere congratulations on today’s election. I am very proud and honored to be working with you as a World Motor Sport Council Member,” Bayer said.

Kimathi, who is also the World Rally Championship Safari Rally Chief Executive Officer, said Amina’s appointment “is a great honour to the country, especially with the Safari Rally returning to the World Rally Championship circuit in 2021.”

“I wish to congratulate Amb. (Dr) Mohamed on her election to this key organ of the FIA. This shows the confidence global motorsport has in Kenya, and this development will hold us in good stead as we prepare to return to the World Rally Championship fold next year,” Kimathi said.

“I would like to thank the FIA President Jean Todt and his team for the confidence that they continue to show in Kenya and for their support,” Kimathi added.

“It behooves us to deliver a spectacular WRC Safari Rally next year, and I’d like to assure Kenyans and the world in general that we are way ahead of schedule in preparations for the 2021 WRC Safari Rally,” Kimathi added.

Kenya's role in global sports

Besides being Safari Rally CEO, Kimathi also sits on the FIA’s World Rally Championship Commission as one of six representatives of organisers.

Amina said her election underscored the importance of Kenya on the global sports management landscape.

“This recognition is not an individual one, but collectively represents Kenya’s and Africa’s ambition to get more involved in the management of global sport which will, in turn, translate to development of sport on the continent, in general.

“I would like to thank His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta for the support he has accorded sport, and his particular interest in ensuring the successful return of the iconic Safari Rally into the World Rally Championship calendar.”

Founded in 1904 with its headquarters in Paris, the FIA represents 243 international motoring and sporting organisations from 146 countries across five continents.

Besides the World Motor Sport Council, the other main administrative organ of the FIA is the World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism.

The World Motor Sport Council is charged with the responsibility to handle all aspects of international motor sport and meets at least four times a year to decide on rules, regulations, safety and development of motor sport at every level from karting to Formula One.

It is chaired by the FIA President with the organogram including the Deputy President for Sport, seven Vice-Presidents, 14 titular members and five members by right.

The members by right are the President of the Women in Motor Sport Commission, the President of the International Karting Commission, the representative of the Commercial Rights Holder of the F1 World Championship, the President of the FIA Manufacturers' Commission and the President of the FIA Driver's Commission.

The WMSC, in its administration of international motor sport, prioritises improvements in safety and environmental standards across all forms of the sport, adopts common regulations across the various series, and nurtures motor sport’s roots by developing all forms of the sport, especially among the young and in developing countries.

Amina’s election on Friday came just a day after she lost the race for the World Trade Organisation’s Director-General’s position to Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and South Korea’s Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee.

Okonjo-Iweala and Myung-hee will fight on the final stage for appointment to the Geneva-based trade body.

The current membership of the FIA’s World Motor Sports Council is:

Jean Todt (France) – FIA President, Graham Stoker (Great Britain) – FIA Deputy President (Sport)

Vice Presidents:

José Abed (Mexico), Mohammed Ben Sulayem (United Arab Emirates), Carlos Garcia Remohi (Argentina), Angelo Sticci Damiani (Italy), Surinder Thatthi (Cote d’ Ivoire), Hermann Tomczyk (Germany), Heping Wan (China)

Titular members:

Manuel Avi (Spain), Garry Connelly (Australia), François CORNELIS (Belgium), Dennis Dean (USA), Nicolas Deschaux (France), Michel Ferry (Monaco), Zrinko Gregurek (Yugoslavia), Victor Kiryanov (Russia), Hugo Mersan (Paraguay), Koichi Murata (Japan), Gautam Singhania (India), Vincenzo Spano (Venezuela), Serkan Yazici (Turkey) and Amina Mohamed (Kenya).

Other members are:

Michèle Mouton (France, President of the Women in Motorsport Commission), Chase Carey (Ireland, Formula One Group), Mattia Binotto (Italy, President of the FIA Manufacturers' Commission), Tom Kristensen (President of the Drivers’ Commission), Felipe Massa (Brazil, CIK President)

Additional reporting by WRC Safari Rally