IFOS Notes:
General Assembly and Council Meetings in São Paulo

Dear IFOS Members and Applicants,

We are looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming World Ophthalmology Congress and the General Assembly of the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS) in February in São Paulo, Brazil.

The World Ophthalmology Congress/XXX International Congress of Ophthalmology will be February 19 to 24. (For information on visa requirements, yellow fever vaccinations and formal invitations to the Congress, see the December issue of “IFOS Notes” at www.icoph.org/news/ifos0512.html.)

In this issue, I will report on plans for the IFOS General Assembly and meeting of the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO – the executive body of IFOS) that will precede it, along with a reminder that IFOS dues should be paid no later than January 25.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the plans for São Paulo.

1. IFOS General Assembly on February 21

The IFOS General Assembly will be from 11:00 to 14:00 on Tuesday, February 21 in Room 8 of the Transamérica Expo Center & Hotel in São Paulo, Brazil.

The official Representatives of IFOS members are asked to arrive at around 10:30 in order to register for the General Assembly before we start, which will be promptly at 11.

ICO Secretary General Bruce Spivey, MD, has compiled reports on the various ICO programs into an agenda book for the Assembly, which will be mailed to the official IFOS Representatives in two to three weeks. If you are the Representative and don’t receive the agenda book by February 1, please contact Bruce at mailto:spivey@icoph.org.

2. Focus on the Future of International Ophthalmology and the ICO/IFOS

As I mentioned in the last "IFOS Notes," we want to engage IFOS members at the General Assembly in a discussion of the challenges facing ophthalmology and future priorities and directions for the ICO.

To begin to stimulate your thinking, here are the questions we will ask IFOS Representatives to discuss:

• What are the most critical challenges and issues facing international ophthalmology in the next 10 years?
  
  
• What could international ophthalmology do to enhance ophthalmic education that will contribute most to improving eye care for the people of the world?
  
  
• Given the challenges we face, what should be the top priorities for action by the ICO/IFOS in the next four years?

3. IFOS Business

The formal IFOS business meeting will be at the end of the General Assembly. Among the agenda items that require a vote are:

• approval of proposed revised IFOS Statutes (the changes are mostly technical, see: www.icoph.org/ic/statifosprop.html)
  
  
• election of "ordinary members" of the Council (members who are not officers or ex-officio)
  
  
• approval of IFOS dues for 2006 and 2007 (recommended to remain the same: 3 Swiss francs per member of the society per year).

You can download the agenda for the General Assembly as a PDF file from www.icoph.org/pdf/ifosagenda06.pdf.

4. Committee and Council Meetings in São Paulo

The Advisory Committee to the ICO and other committees that report to the Council will meet on February 18, followed by the Council meeting on February 19.

The Advisory Committee will discuss reports from ad hoc committees on ethics, on countries with minimal ophthalmic presence and on subspecialty society membership in IFOS.

The Council will consider the applications for membership in IFOS of more than 20 organizations, most of them international subspecialty societies. Those that are approved will be eligible to have a Representative at the IFOS General Assembly on February 21.

The Council will hear reports from WHO and the IAPB/VISION 2020 initiative, from supranational ophthalmologic societies and from the individuals responsible for all ICO programs and initiatives.

Last May, the Council elected Bruce Spivey, MD, to be the next ICO President, starting at the end of the Congress. In Brazil, we will elect a new Secretary General, Vice President and Treasurer for 2006 – 2010, as well as standing committee chairs. We will also nominate "ordinary members" of the Council for consideration by IFOS and approve a budget for 2006.

5. Please Send In Your IFOS Dues

A reminder that IFOS dues for 2006 should be paid as soon as possible, no later than January 25. Dues must be paid for IFOS Representatives to vote during the IFOS General Assembly on February 21

ICO Treasurer Balder Gloor, MD, sent dues notices out in November to the treasurers and/or presidents of IFOS members and societies who have applied for membership. For questions, contact Dr. Gloor at mailto:bgloor@access.unizh.ch.

Looking forward to seeing you in São Paulo,