The International Tibet Support Network was created in 2000 at an international conference of Tibet campaigners, in response to the clearly identified needs for more effective international coordination of campaigns to help the Tibetan people.

For the first 40 years after China's invasion of Tibet, the Tibetan people and their exile government received little active support or attention from the international community. (Three United Nations resolutions on Tibet were adopted between 1959 and 1965; however China joined the UN in 1971 and Tibet was not mentioned again until 1985, when a non governmental organisation raised the issue.) In the late 1980s, however, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Tibetans inside Tibet and less than a dozen small Tibet Support Groups achieved unprecedented international media and public attention for the issue of Tibet. As a result, the Tibet support movement grew at a phenomenal rate. Today more than 200 Tibet Support Groups and Tibetan organisations, in over 50 countries, are working actively to find a peaceful resolution to the occupation of Tibet.

This rapid growth, however, was not accompanied by the development of an organizational structure through which the various parts of this movement could effectively strategize and coordinate their actions for maximum impact. Tibet groups frequently struggled on their own to find appropriate strategies. Often good ideas were not translated into action for lack of follow-through. Many campaigns were isolated, duplicated the efforts of others and failed to benefit from resources within the movement. Many lacked a coherent strategic plan, or failed to clearly define their objectives and actions. As a result many actions which could have had a huge impact, achieved only limited attention.

In 1999, following a discussion on these shortcomings initiated by Lobsang Gyalpo, Thupten Samdup convened an "ad hoc" committee of Tibet campaigners, who together developed a proposal to create an international network. The proposal was welcomed by delegates at the 3rd International Tibet Support Group Conference in Berlin, and the International Tibet Support Network was born.

During the period 2000 to 2005, ITSN struggled to find the resources to make a major impact, but had modest success. The organisation functioned primarily through a globally elected body of voluntary Steering Committee members who hired a part-time Coordinator and established some mechanisms for coordination, including Campaign Working Groups. A breakthrough was made in late 2005, when ITSN secured a major “start-up” grant from the Isdell Foundation.

In 2006, ITSN made substantial progress, including the commencement of employment of ITSN’s first Executive Director and two Regional Coordinators; three Regional Meetings were convened, the scope of the Campaign Working Groups was increased, and ITSN generated greater income from membership fees and donations.

2007 saw the launch of the Olympics Campaign, a movement-wide consultation on future strategic priorities, an international members’ meeting and training.

The success continues.