Skip to main content

Argentina, Israel and Morocco join International Transport Forum

In a key development, Argentina, Israel and Morocco are joining the International Transport Forum (ITF). The decision was made at a summit of international transport ministers held in the German city of Leipzig, who unanimously approved membership of the countries. Of particular note is the appointment of Morocco, the first full ITF member country from Africa. Housed by the OECD in Paris (France), the ITF is an intergovernmental organisation that acts as a think tank for transport policy and organises the
June 4, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
In a key development, Argentina, Israel and Morocco are joining the 1102 International Transport Forum (ITF). The decision was made at a summit of international transport ministers held in the German city of Leipzig, who unanimously approved membership of the countries. Of particular note is the appointment of Morocco, the first full ITF member country from Africa.

Housed by the OECD in Paris (France), the ITF is an intergovernmental organisation that 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. This decision takes the number of ITF member countries from 54 to 57.

Previously, Morocco was an observer country since the creation of ITF in 2006. “Morocco’s accession will be a plus for the Forum. It is also a positive development for Morocco,” said Mohamed Najib Boulif, Morocco’s deputy minister of Transport. “The geostrategic position of Morocco in the Mediterranean, in Africa, in the MENA region: these are all strategic assets for Morocco’s participation.”

Israel joins the ITF after becoming a member of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2010. “Israel is keen to contribute to the work of the ITF, and to be inspired by it,” said Moshe Kamhi, Director of Economic International Organisations in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of Israel’s accession.

Argentina is the second ITF member country from South America, following the accession of Chile in 2012. Argentina has been actively involved with the ITF’s permanent working group on road safety (known as 3444 IRTAD) since 2009. It has been a leading force in establishing the Ibero-American Road Safety Observatory (OISEVI), for which IRTAD operates a Spanish-language database with road crash information.

Simon Bridges, minister of Transport of New Zealand, the 2015 ITF presidency country said, “New Zealand welcomes Morocco, Argentina and Israel to the International Transport Forum. The expanded membership of the ITF promises the opportunity to promote an increasingly global outlook for the work of the ITF.”

ITF secretary-general José Viegas also expressed his satisfaction at the accession of the three countries. “ITF is the global, all-modes transport organisation. These three new members make the ITF even more global, and they bring significant transport experience to the table,” said Viegas. “We will be working with the governments of Argentina, Israel and Morocco to ensure that they get value for their policy making out of their membership.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ministers vow on global transport connectivity
    May 4, 2012
    Transport Ministers from 53 countries have agreed a ‘common declaration’ to improve global transport connectivity. The formal declaration text, in which ministers agree that the “seamless transport is a powerful and ambitious strategic vision for the future of transport systems”, was approved at the Annual Summit of the International Transport Forum (ITF) in Leipzig, Germany. The declaration also states that seamless transport “drives the development of better mobility and sustainable economic growth”, an
  • International Transport Forum
    March 20, 2012
    Registrations are open for the 2012 Summit of the International Transport Forum, which will focus on seamless transport. This global transport policy platform is linked to the OECD and will take place on 2-4 May in Leipzig, Germany. The event will bring together ministers, industry leaders and top experts from the Forum’s 53 member countries and beyond. The theme of the 2012 Summit is Seamless Transport: Making Connections and for the first time, China will be participating as a full member in the Summit.
  • China to join International Transport Forum
    February 29, 2012
    China has officially declared its intention to join the International Transport Forum, an intergovernmental organisation linked to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) that deals with transport policy issues.
  • Registration open for International Transport Forum’s 2014 Summit
    January 17, 2014
    Registration is now open for the 2014 Summit of the International Transport Forum at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Under the theme ‘Transport for a Changing World: Understanding Trends – Shaping Responses’, this year’s event will take place 21-23 May in Leipzig, Germany. The ITF Summit is the leading global forum for transport policy; it is also referred to as the ‘Davos of Transport’. In 2013, 1,000 participants from 80 countries attended, including transport ministers