History
The IRF was established in 1948 in Washington DC, USA following the end of World War II. Due to massive damage sustained by roads and bridges during the war and an emphasis on a wartime economy, coupled with shortages of gasoline and road-building materials, road networks were neglected and in need of improvement. New road building technologies and more efficient utilization of highway transport had been developed during the war. However, these were understood and applied in only a relatively few countries. IRF took a leading role in the post war reconstruction of road networks.
IRF was granted a special consultative status with the United Nations in 1951 as both an economic and technical expert body in the exchange and application of best practices in road planning and construction. IRF participates in the work of the UNECE, BSEC, EU, World Bank and the European Committee for Standardization.
Read more about this topic: International Road Federation
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