Committee on International Veterinary Affairs

Established in April 2007, the purpose of the committee is to study issues of interest to the AVMA regarding international veterinary affairs and add structure to AVMA international activities.

Charge/Objective

The CIVA, in its advisory role to the AVMA Board of Directors and through engagement with AVMA liaisons to veterinary organizations outside the USA, will evaluate international trends and activities that enhance and sustain the AVMA's role in global veterinary medicine, and make recommendations based on such evaluations that support the AVMA's strategic initiatives.

Membership, method of appointment and representation

The committee will be composed of the following members: the AVMA director of international affairs; the U.S. councilor to the World Veterinary Association (WVA); the AVMA representatives to the Pan-American Association of Veterinary Sciences (PANVET), World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), and Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA); one member representing the Board of Directors; one representing the AVMA Council on Education® (AVMA COE®); one representing the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC); one representing recent graduates or emerging leaders; and one representing the Student AVMA (SAVMA). The AVMA director of international affairs, U.S. councilor to the WVA, and AVMA representatives to PANVET, WSAVA, and FAVA will serve on the basis of their positions. The SAVMA representative will be appointed by the SAVMA Executive Board. The AVMA Board of Directors will appoint all other representatives from nominees received.

Representatives appointed by the Board of Directors may serve a maximum of two, three-year terms. Other representatives' terms are limited by the term of service remaining with the entity being represented.

Chair

The AVMA director of international affairs will serve as chair.

Invited representatives

Representatives from the following organizations are invited to attend committee meetings, either in full or in part, as non-voting observers at the organization's expense to provide an update on the organization's activities of relevance to the committee and perspective on global veterinary issues: Department of Defense Veterinary Services (DOD-VS); One Health Commission Board of Directors (ideally, the AVMA representative or executive director); and International Veterinary Students' Association (IVSA). Invited representatives may choose to participate virtually in committee meetings that are held in person.

Meetings

Up to two meetings of two days/two nights duration will be held in the AVMA headquarters, Schaumburg, Illinois. The committee may also meet electronically.

Reports

The activities of the committee will be reported through CIVA minutes, recommendations to the AVMA Board of Directors, and written reports from the director of international affairs.

Life expectancy

The committee will be reviewed in compliance with AVMA governance policies.