International Transport Forum

The International Transport Forum at the OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with 59 member countries. It acts as a think tank for transport policy and organises the Annual Summit of transport ministers. ITF is the only global body that covers all transport modes. The ITF is administratively integrated with the OECD, yet politically autonomous.

The ITF works for transport policies that improve peoples’ lives. Its mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the role of transport in economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusion and to raise the public profile of transport policy.

The ITF organises global dialogue for better transport. It acts as a platform for discussion and pre-negotiation of policy issues across all transport modes. It analyses trends, share knowledge and promote exchange among transport decision-makers and civil society. The ITF’s Annual Summit is the world’s largest gathering of transport ministers and the leading global platform for dialogue on transport policy.

The International Transport Forum was created on 18 May 2006 by ministers from 43 countries. The roots of ITF go back to 1953, when 16 European nations established the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), an international organisation by treaty, to 'coordinate and rationalise European inland transport of international importance'. The ECMT remains the legal core of today’s International Transport Forum.