IFLA President's Bulletin

President’s bulletin Issue #01 – February 2013

Dear Delegates and Presidents of the IFLA-Member Associations, It is my great pleasure to introduce the first issue of my Bulletin, which will improve the flow of news from IFLA’s centre and keep you informed of what is happening in your Federation.

This Bulletin is to be issued monthly and will be sent to all IFLA member association Presidents and Delegates. As with our Newsletter and News Brief, I would be grateful if you would pass this on to all members of your associations.

Your feedback on any item in the Bulletin would be most welcome at any time.

IFLA ExCo (from left to right): Ilya Mochalov (Secretary General), Carlos Jankilevich (VP IFLA Americas), Desiree Martinez (IFLA President), John Easthope (Treasurer), Nigel Thorne (VP IFLA Europe) and Dato Ismail (VP IFLA Asia-Pacific)

Brussels ExCo Meeting I can sincerely report that IFLA is starting 2013 with a lot of work and excellent perspectives! This year, the 3-day annual ExCo meeting in Brussels was intense and very fruitful as well as special as we met with the co-chairs Diane Menzies and Bruno Marques and external facilitator, Mike Owen, of the Strategic Planning Working Group (SPWG).

As you may remember, the members of the SPWG were appointed during the last WC meeting in Cape Town.

Besides both co-chairs, there was representation from the four IFLA Regions. The group has been working hard ever since and, with the help of the facilitator, developed a questionnaire, which was sent to you all before Christmas. I really want to thank you for your participation, since 47 of the 69 IFLA member associations answered the call with priceless information to understand the current challenges and members’ expectations as well as to reach a functional new model of operations.

IFLA 50 – Shared Wisdom in a Age of Change More information here

Our new partner: International Green Roof Association About the IGRA

International Landscape Convention (ILC) The new ILC website Sign the petition here

(cont.)

At our meeting in Brussels, two days were dedicated to grasp the preliminary results of the SPWG, approaching a broad range of issues with which IFLA is facing at the moment such as structure, governance arrangements and funding as well as refreshing its vision and mission statements. During the process, we found that there was a lot of consensus regarding our ideas for the further development of IFLA and after some vigorous and searching discussion positions have been agreed on over a dozen topics which are: the appropriate corporate structure for IFLA’s future, the relationship between the IFLA centre and regions, the role and activities of regions, responsibilities of the centre, IFLA’s central committees, the composition and functioning of ExCo, the value of IFLA possibly having an executive director, IFLA’s funding model, business planning processes, meetings of IFLA’s annual World Council, and communication methods used by IFLA’s (with members and beyond). This gives a valuable and inspiring basis for the future of IFLA. We are now at a turning point but with a clear pathway ahead.

The proposals will be taken to the World Council in Auckland for all to consider. In Auckland I will give a short report and provide the opportunity for all delegates to consider the issues and the exciting plans for the future. The structure of the upcoming World Council will also be different since you will be part of workshops to fine-tune the work we have been doing and the best for IFLA’s future. Your presence at the World Council is crucial, since we really want you all to be part of IFLA’s evolution.

In my opinion the new Strategy is an answer to what is actually already happening. I personally commit to keep you informed on the progress of this process, therefore, will be touch again soon through this bulletin and IFLA-News.

IFLA archive and IFLA business registration The IFLA ExCo also met with the archivists from the René Pechère Library while we were in Brussels, reporting on the progress of digitalising all IFLA files and soundtracks with invaluable historic information. As well, an exciting Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the International Green Roof Association.

Sarah Verschaeve from CURIA-Lawyers reported on the alternatives to regularise IFLA business registration from France to Brussels, Belgium. This will allow us to clarify certain issues regarding tax payment, an unattended situation over the last decades.

I want to specially thank our dear General Secretary, Ilya Mochalov, for committing to lead the process to “order” IFLA’s past (archives) and future (law Status).

Desiree Martinez (IFLA President) and Wolfgang Ansel (Director of the International Green Roof Association) signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

As you may see, we had very active 3 days in Brussels! I deeply thank all participants, ExCo members, the SPWG and our facilitator Mike Owen for their time and excellent work!

I will keep in touch and I’m open for any questions or suggestions!

Big, big hug Desiree Martínez IFLA-President president.ifla@gmail.com

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