The organisation brings together 66 member countries[3] with the aim to advance the global transport policy agenda, and ensure that it continues to contribute to sustainable development, prosperity, social inclusion and the protection of human life and well-being.

It works to facilitate the exchange of information internationally and to improve the capacity for decision making in member countries.

The Research Centre's programme of work focuses on environmental sustainability, road safety, efficiency, logistics, traffic congestion and infrastructure, among other themes.

[11] In 2013, the ITF set up a Corporate Partnership Board (CPB) as a mechanism for engaging with private sectors and bringing business perspectives to the policy discussions.

Past Summits have focused on: The International Transport Forum is administratively integrated into the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), but is politically autonomous and has its own governance structure.

The CMT unites the Ministers of member countries with responsibility for transport at the Ministerial Session held during the Annual Summit in May of each year.

The Road Transport Group is a subgroup of European TMB representatives that oversees the distribution of European road freight transport licences under the so-called Multilateral Quota system and monitors compliance with the rules of the Quota system.

The Secretariat consists of five units: the Secretary-General's Office (OSG); the Research Centre (RC, with teams covering Policy Analysis, Data and Statistics and Modelling); Institutional Relations and Summit (IRS), Communications (COM); and Administration (RMA).

The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) was established by protocol on 17 October 1953 in Brussels, Belgium.