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

  • New president, new plan
    July 19, 2012
    Special ECED meeting approves Action Plan to create stronger EU representation for distributors Members of the European Confederation of Equipment Distributors (ECED) have endorsed an Action Plan aimed at strengthening the distributors' association at EU level. This was agreed at an Extraordinary General Assembly in Brussels, Belgium, convened by newly-elected ECED President, Dr. José Gameiro, in his role as board member of ACAP (the Portuguese Cars and Machinery Association). The meeting asked the ECED
  • ITF at OECD launch ‘Promising Transport Innovation Award’
    November 22, 2013
    The International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD, an intergovernmental organisation for the transport sector with 54 member countries, is calling for applications for a new award. The Promising Transport Innovation Award will recognise an innovation with the potential to significantly improve the transport industry. The innovation can be based on technological change, operational change, organisational change or a combination of these.
  • IRF hosts high-level debate on the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) at ITF Summit 2019
    August 12, 2019
    HE Mehmet Cahit Turhan, minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey, opened with a keynote address at the session on "The Belt & Road: Bridging the gaps for sustainable transport and growth in EurAsia". This was organised by the International Road Federation (IRF) on 22nd May 2019 at the ITF Summit 2019 in Leipzig. The panel included top representatives from the World Bank, BSEC, AIIB, IATA, Michelin and PwC and offered a deep insight into key topics surrounding the BRI. Organised jointly with th
  • Morocco’s minister for Equipment and Transport discusses the IRF Marrakech conference
    April 3, 2013
    The magic of Morocco will form an idyllic backdrop for one of the landmark events on this year’s IRF calendar: the major regional conference focusing on North Africa & the Mediterranean which is being hosted in Marrakech on 19-20 March. Abdelaziz Rabbah, the Moroccan minister of Equipment & Transport will set the tone by welcoming delegates to a special high-level segment, which will open the event in the presence of dignitaries and senior officials drawn from throughout the region. This will include keynot