BACKGROUND

This Seminar inserts itself in the new PIARC Programme of International Seminars. The overall objective of the Programme is to ensure that the road and road transport related needs of all PIARC member countries are widely recognised so that outstanding issues and problems can be addressed and tackled. Progress may be achieved through the exchange of experiences, the transfer of technology, the work programmes of technical committees and the identification of research to fill the remaining gaps in knowledge. The Programme is designed to study a wide range of road related issues and problems of particular concern to developing and emerging nations.

The Seminar is organised by PIARC Technical Committee C1, the Technical Committee on Surface Characteristics (C1). Committee One C1 deals with surface characteristics of roads and runways. It C1 has more than fifty members from thirty-nine countries from all continents. Their knowledge and expertise are exchanged among them and disseminated worldwide through publications, participation in and organisation of international conferences and by organising comparisons between practices in the different countries and regions of the world.

The overall objective of this Seminar is to give developing and emerging nations (whether member or not of PIARC) the possibilty to discuss and exchange their needs and requirements of surface charateristics for their road network with the knowledge of the international expertice within C1. to make their needs regarding road surface characteristics better known by the international network of experts C1 is made of, for the latter to share their knowledge and expertise and for both to initiate or improve co-operation. The aim of the seminar is also to promote the initiation or improvement of co-operation between the these nations and C1.

The Seminar is open to the road community world wide.the whole world road community However the seminar Now, it is assumed to more specifically will address the needs of the countries belonging to the region surrounding the location of the seminar its location and submitted to with similar climatic, geographical and socio-economic conditions. Therefore, Regional road engineers and managers are therefore strongly encouraged to grasp this opportunity to express their views by offering a contribution to the seminar and/or actively taking part in the discussions.