Skip to main content

Transport Ministers declare determination to improve global connectivity

“Seamless transport is a powerful and ambitious strategic vision for the future of transport systems,” Transport Ministers from 53 member countries stated in a common declaration agreed at the annual Summit of the International Transport Forum on Seamless Transport: Making Connections in Leipzig, Germany. Seamless transport, the declaration says, “drives the development of better mobility and sustainable economic growth”.
May 4, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSS“Seamless transport is a powerful and ambitious strategic vision for the future of transport systems,” Transport Ministers from 53 member countries stated in a common declaration agreed at the annual summit of the 998 International Transport Forum on Seamless Transport: Making Connections in Leipzig, Germany. Seamless transport, the declaration says, “drives the development of better mobility and sustainable economic growth”.

In their declaration, the Ministers also emphasised that sustainable transport systems are important for economic prosperity, environmental protection, safety and security of society.

“The International Transport Forum once again underlined that it is the worldwide, leading platform to discuss transport issues,” said Michael Kloth, acting secretary-general of the International Transport Forum. “We are glad about the commitment of our member countries to cooperate even closer to reduce inefficiencies at the seams between transport modes, jurisdictions, systems, sectors and countries. In this way, the transport sector can become a real driver for economic growth.”

At the Summit, Ministerial Roundtables with selected participants also discussed the issues of piracy at sea, cruise ship safety, volcanic ash clouds and the future of the car. Three of these Ministerial Roundtables issued Joint Statements which were noted by the Ministerial meeting and were annexed to the declaration.

The Ministerial meeting also welcomed Chile, the first country from South America joining the global transport policy body, as the 54th member country of the International Forum.

In their meeting, Ministers also elected Professor Jose Manuel Viegas from Portugal as secretary-general-elect of the Forum. Viegas is expected to take up his office this summer, taking over from acting secretary-general Michael Kloth.

The International Transport Forum is an intergovernmental organisation within the OECD family that acts as a global transport policy think tank. The annual Summit included a Ministerial meeting, panel discussions with leaders from business, research and civil society as well as bilateral and informal meetings.

Headlined “Funding Transport”, the next Summit of the International Transport Forum is scheduled to take place 22-24 May in Leipzig.

For a full programme and videos of key events at this year’s Forum, visit www.internationaltransportforum.org/2012

Related Content

  • June 2, 2017
    Ministers call for improved governance for transport
    Transport Ministers from the 57 member countries of the International Transport Forum have expressed their political will to improve the governance frameworks for transport in order to help achieve objectives agreed by the international community.
  • May 8, 2015
    ITF annual transport summit
    The Annual Summit of the International Transport Forum (ITF) provides a platform for global discussion on strategies for transport in the 21st century. Since 2008, the Annual Summit has developed into the leading global get-together of the key players in transport and transport-related sectors, providing a unique platform for high-level exchange on strategic policy issues. The theme of the 2015 Summit is Transport, Trade and Tourism. It takes place in Leipzig, Germany from 27-29 May 2015, under the presi
  • May 28, 2013
    Global Summit of Transport Ministers calls for better transport funding
    Ministers from the 54 member countries of the International Transport Forum are calling for more investment in strategic transport infrastructure and services. In a joint Declaration on Funding Transport agreed during their 2013 Summit in Leipzig, Germany, ministers stated that funding transport is a major challenge for transport policy today. The demand for mobility through high-quality transport networks and services is growing fast. They say transport infrastructure is much more than asphalt, concrete or
  • August 22, 2017
    Young Tae Kim takes office as ITF Secretary-General
    The International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD has a new Secretary-General. Dr Young Tae Kim, a Korean national, took up his position at the organisation’s Paris headquarters on 21 August. Kim is the first non-European to lead the world’s only all-modes transport organisation. The ITF acts as a policy think tank for its 59 member countries and organises the annual summit of transport ministers. Created as global intergovernmental transport organisation in 2006, the ITF evolved out of the European