Carole Coune, a Belgian national, was appointed Secretary-General of the International Transport Forum (ITF) during the ministers’ meeting in late May in Leipzig. She assumed office on 1 August and succeeds Jack Short, who had held the position of Secretary-General of the ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport) – and latterly the International Transport Forum (ITF) – for the last 10 years.
Carole Coune, who holds a law degree from the University of Liège, performed various functions within the Belgian National Railways (SNCB) from 1992 to 2003, where she was Secretary to the Management Board, and led a division in the Department of International Affairs. After several years’ experience in the policy cell of the Belgian Minister for Transport and the Minister for Public Participations, Coune became Director-General for Land Transport at the Belgian Ministry of Transport (known as FPS Mobility and Transport) in 2005. In 2008, she became the President of the Management Board of FPS. In this capacity, she guided the Ministry through a very successful Presidency of the European Council of the European Union.
In her capacity as Secretary-General of the ITF Carole Coune will greatly contribute to the important work of the International Transport Forum in promoting transport policies as a crucial pillar of a strategy for a stronger, cleaner and fairer world economy.
The International Transport Forum at the OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with 52 member countries. It acts as a strategic think tank for transport policy and organises an annual summit of ministers.
UIC has maintained and developed close cooperation links with the ECMT (since its founding) and latterly with the International Transport Forum, in particular on important issues such as sustainable transport, security and facilitation of cross-border operations, etc.
UIC would like to address its sincere thanks to Jack Short for the excellent relations he has cultivated between ECMT (latterly ITF) and UIC, and to wish him all the best for the future. UIC and the Director-General also address their warmest congratulations to Carole Coune upon her appointment and her taking office at the head of ITF. Her appointment will enable working relations between both our organisations to be developed and further improved.
(Source: International Transport Forum)
