The International Veterinary Officers Council (IVOC) held its 5th meeting in Chicago on May 9 and 10, 2003. The United States, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand (as observer) were represented by the president and executive director of their respective veterinary associations. The purpose of the IVOC is to promote dialogue and collaboration among the chief elected and chief executive officers of a small number of national veterinary associations with a view to harmonizing policies and optimizing resources. The IVOC does this through the following means:
Exchanging information on an ongoing basis on policies and programs;
Complementing and/or sharing resources on cross-border issues;
When appropriate, taking common positions or action on international matters, including matters relating to the policies and operations of international veterinary organizations.
The extensive agenda of this past meeting included discussions on veterinary education, food safety, economics of the profession, animal welfare, membership development and retention, quality assurance programs managed by associations, and outcomes assessment of various association member programs. Holding the meeting in Chicago allowed the participants to be introduced to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) headquarters and its staff, in Schaumburg.
The size of the IVOC member organizations varies greatly (for example, New Zealand has less than 2000 members, while the United States has approximately 70 000 members and a staff of about 117). Many of the issues, however, are similar. This meeting provided a wealth of information and initiated many ideas for further pursuit.
(by Jost am Rhyn, Executive Director, CVMA)
From left, Dr. Bruce Little, American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA); Ms. Henrietta Alderman, British Veterinary Association (BVA); Dr. Murray Gibb, New Zealand Veterinary Association; Dr. Jo Toia, Australian Veterinary Association (AVA); Dr. Peter Jinman, BVA; Dr. Joe Howell, AVMA; Mr. Jost am Rhyn, CVMA; Dr. Jeanne Lofstedt, CVMA; Ms. Margaret Conley, AVA.