While the Spring of the year has generously appeared in spite of some small flakes of melting snow falling on Brussels, the statutory meetings of the three entities of IIAS are behind us since they took place at the Institute during the three first months of the year.

On 23-24 January 2009, the members of the EGPA Steering Committee convened at IIAS headquarters to discuss the implementation of the European Group’s strategy and the setting up of new projects. The EGPA Steering Committee also examined the progress of preparations for EGPA meetings in 2009-2010.

The meeting of the three Presidents (IIAS-IASIA-EGPA) took place on 28 January 2009. The following items were discussed: the 2009 Budget, the 2010 Provisional Budget, Governance Structures (IIAS-IASIA-EGPA), the Annual Conferences, Themes and Coordination of Dates of the Major Meetings, Participation of Executive Committee Members in Rival Organisations, Executive Committee Workshops; and Logos. The main purpose of the meeting was to coordinate activities but also to strengthen the ties among the Presidents of the three entities.

On 19 and 20 February 2009, the IIAS welcomed in Brussels 25 members of the Board of Management and guest observers at the Board meeting. The session was quite productive and Board members discussed a broad range of issues, including those relative to members, finances, the next steps of the definition of the Standards of Excellence in Public Administration Training and Education (UN/IASIA).

The afternoon of 20 February 2009 the Publications Committee convened at IIAS to discuss the Institute’s publication policy and in particular those questions related to contracts with its main publishers. The members of the Committee approved the planning of publications for the next few years.

The Programme and Research Advisory Committee (PRAC) and the Finance Committee opened their statutory meetings to prepare the submission of their reports to the Executive Committee which in turn held its 104th Session. You will find brief summaries of these meetings in this number of our newsletter and on our website.

Just as I sign this editorial, a delegation of the Directorate General is participating in meetings of our ASPA partners in Miami and the United Nations Experts Committee on Public Administration in New York while the permanent team in Brussels is pursuing efforts to prepare the Helsinki, Rio de Janeiro and Malta Conferences to which we invite you here and now in this issue of « International News ». Other activities are also covered, bearing witness to the multiple projects in progress within our Institute. New action plans have been outlined to implement the strategic orientations that were approved in Brussels during the statutory meetings. These projects call for the permanent mobilisation of all, from the IIAS team in Brussels but also from our committees, our Member States and our National Sections.