About PIARC
PIARC (World Road Association), founded in 1909 and comprising +120 member governments from all over the world, is the global forum for exchange of knowledge and experience on roads and road transport policies and practices. (Note: PIARC is the acronym of the former name of the Association: Permanent International Association for Road Congresses).
With consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the Association is contributing to a stable and sustainable global development of the road and transport sector. A World Road Congress is organized every four years and gathers Ministers, decision-makers and thousands of experts to discuss the current challenges faced by the road sector, innovative approaches and best practices. The 27th edition was held in Prague (Czech Republic) in October 2023. It hosted about 50 sessions, a major exhibition, technical visits and a social program. The next 17th World Congress on Road Winter Service, Resilience and Decarbonisation will be held in Chambéry (France) in 2026. And Vancouver (Canada) has been chosen to host the next World Road Congress in 2027.
With knowledge sharing as its primary goal, the Association coordinates Technical Committees and Task Forces which undertake studies, share experience and promote best practices on a broad range of areas of interest to the road and transport sector. An international seminar program is offered to low- and middle-income countries in support of sharing knowledge with high income countries.
The outputs of these groups are a large number of reports, easily downloaded through the online knowledge base at our website. As a contribution to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, the Association has developed a Road Safety Manual, which was launched at the Seoul Congress in 2015 and updated in 2025.
Do you want to become a member or simply get in touch? Please contact us at info@piarc.org
Vision
The Association will be the world leader in the exchange of knowledge on roads and road transport policy and practices within an integrated sustainable transport context.
Mission
PIARC exists to serve all its members by:
- being a leading international forum for analysis and discussion of the full spectrum of transport issues, related to roads and road transport,
- identifying, developing and disseminating best practice and giving better access to international information,
- fully considering within its activities the needs of developing countries and countries in transition,
- developing and promoting efficient tools for decision making on matters related to roads and road transport.
Values
PIARC's values are:
- to provide responsive and quality service to all its members
- to be open, objective, and impartial to foster peaceful dialogue for socioeconomic development
- to promote sustainable, integrated, and sound economic solutions that respect the differing international road transport needs
- to be gender inclusive and diverse
- to as a meeting point for road organisations, be non-partisan and areligious
To achieve these aims, PIARC
- creates and coordinates Technical Committees,
- organizes a quadrennial World Road Congress, a quadrennial World Winter Road Congress and various technical seminars and
- publishes a large number of documents including a quarterly magazine Routes/Roads.