International Folk Music Council

The International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM) is non-governmental organization in formal consultative relationship with UNESCO, an academic organization focused on music and. Founded in London on 22 September 1947, it publishes the Yearbook for Traditional Music once a year, and the Bulletin of the ICTM three times a year. Since 2013, its president has been Dr. Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco, Director of the Instituto de Etnomusicologia – Centro de Estudos em Música e Dança, Universidade Nova de Lisboa. The organization was previously known as The International Folk Music Council (IFMC). In 1949, it helped found the UNESCO International Music Council.

ICTM World Conferences have been held since 1948 and are presently biennial. In 2009, the site of the ICTM World Conference was Durban, South Africa, in 2011 it was St. John's Newfoundland, in 2013 Shanghai, China, in 2015 Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2017 Limerick, Ireland, and in 2019 it will be Bangkok, Thailand.

The Council is represented by individuals, called Liaison Officers, and representatives of organisations, called National and Regional Committees. They all act as links between the Council and the community of individuals and organizations involved with traditional music and dance in their country or region.

As of August 2017, the International Council for Traditional Music is officially represented in 128 countries or regions.