IOI | Annual Report 2019/2020 now available

The first half of the membership year (July 2019 – February 2020) was very busy with many events, seminars and opportunities for personal exchange with colleagues around the world. In the second half of this membership year, we had to deal with sudden changes when the COVID-19 pandemic confronted us all with unprecedented challenges.

The IOI was still active and kept communication channels open to its members. We adapted to the situation in the best way possible and continued our services and priorities in relation to membership matters, funding of regional projects within IOI’s regional subsidies programme, training initiatives, and support to colleagues, who have come under threat or operate under difficult circumstances.

We had hoped to take the opportunity of this report to look back at a successful 12^th IOI World Conference and General Assembly meeting, which was due to be held in Dublin. Unfortunately, we had to postpone this important event for one year and since the Covid-19 situation still has not improved, we even felt compelled to move our conference and General Assembly online.

The conference theme of “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” will remain the same and we are convinced, that it will be all the more topical when we hold our online conference and General Assembly from 25 – 27 May 2021, as we will have acquired more expertise in relation to the full impact of the pandemic and the ways in which our offices have adapted to meet these new challenges.