The forum aims to promote advocacy in matters of global respiratory health and the identification of new areas for global initiatives

FIRS was established in 2001, with members coming from a number of international societies, including the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR),  Asociación Latino Americana De Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS). Since the launch of FIRS, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) have also joined.