The Annual Summit of the International Transport Forum is the world's largest gathering of transport ministers and the premier global transport policy event.

Every May, ministers with responsibility for transport, business leaders, heads of international organisations, parliamentarians and policymakers, representatives of business associations and leading researchers meet for three days in Leipzig, Germany, to discuss the future of transport through the prism of a strategic topic. In 2021, the Summit took place virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Summit participation has grown to over 1400 participants from more than 80 countries, well beyond the 63 member countries of the ITF. It increasingly attracts business participants, with CEOs joining high-level discussions and companies presenting their work in the Summit exhibition or sponsoring the event. The annual meeting of the ITF Corporate Partnership Board is held as part of the Summit.

Summit themes are carefully prepared by the ITF Secretariat with guidance from member countries and in consultation with stakeholders. ITF's research unit supports the Summit with topical analyses and a pre-summit Research Day is organised with leading institutions to provide cutting-edge academic input to the Summit debate. Side events hosted by ITF partner organisations take place in and around the Summit thereby allowing greater opportunities for presentations of recent work and dialogue on key issues complementing the Summit theme.

Ministers have in the past adopted a Ministerial Declaration relating to the Summit theme, as well as presenting the ITF Young Transport Research of the Year Award.

About the International Transport Forum

Who we are

The International Transport Forum at the OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with 63 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.

What we do

The ITF works for transport policies that improve people's lives. Our 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.

How we do it

The ITF organises global dialogue for better transport. We act as a platform for discussion and pre-negotiation of policy issues across all transport modes. We analyse 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.