International Transport Forum
The International Transport Forum (ITF) is an intergovernmental organisation with 54 member countries. It acts as a strategic think tank for transport policy and organises an annual summit of ministers, to help foster a deeper understanding among policy makers of the role of transport as a key to economic growth and to the pursuit of environmental and social sustainability. The ITF is part of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) family of organisations. Australia is a founding member of the ITF.
The ITF's annual summit is a unique platform for global conversation on strategies for transport. At the summit, ministers from member countries engage in focused debates with decision-makers from business, civil society leaders and top academics. The 2013 summit, themed “Funding Transport”, will take place in Leipzig, Germany, from 22 to 24 May 2013. Previous summit themes include:
- Seamless Transport (2012)
- Transport for Society (2011)
- Transport and Innovation (2010)
- Transport for a Global Economy (2009)
- Transport and Energy (2008)
The ITF is supported by the OECD/ITF Joint Transport Research Centre (JTRC), which organises longer-term research projects, under the oversight of member countries' transport ministries and research agencies, exercised through the Joint Transport Research Committee. The JTRC also directly supports the annual summit through research and preparation of papers relevant to the summit theme.
Within the Department, the Policy and Research Division coordinates Australian engagement with the ITF and JTRC.