A Global Response to the Challenges of Transport.

The International Transport Forum is a global platform and meeting place at the highest level for transport, logistics and mobility. Key figures from government and politics, business and industry, research and civil society will meet in Leipzig each year to debate a transport topic of worldwide strategic importance. The engagement and involvement of such a broad range of actors makes the International Transport Forum truly unique.

Transformed from the European Conference of Ministers of Transport , the International Transport Forum is an inter-governmental organisation within the OECD family. Its founding member countries  include all the OECD members, as well as many countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In addition, China, India and Brazil are being invited to participate in the Forum. The involvement of more than 50 Ministers of Transport ensures direct links and strong relevance to policy making at both national and international levels.

The aim of the Forum is to foster a deeper understanding of the essential role played by transport in the economy and society. Transport, logistics and mobility are key factors in economic development and growth, and contribute as well to employment, and social welfare and cohesion. Progress has been made in recent years to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of transport activity, but more remains to be done on this level. Clearly, all dimensions of sustainability, environmental, economic and social, are impacted strongly by transport activity.

The highlight of the International Transport Forum's activities is the annual meeting in Leipzig, which has the ambition to become the 'Transport Summit of the Year'. Leipzig has been a crossroads of major trade routes and a centre for commerce for centuries. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Leipzig has continued to develop rapidly as a transport and industrial hub linking Western and Eastern Europe.

For more information see www.internationaltransportforum.org