IFIP was founded in 1960 under the auspices of UNESCO, following the First World
Computer Congress held in Paris the previous year. An umbrella organization for
societies working in information processing, IFIP's aim is two-fold: to support
information processing within its member countries and to encourage technology transfer
to developing nations. As its mission statement clearly states,
IFIP's mission is to be the leading, truly international, apolitical
organization which encourages and assists in the development,
exploitation and application of information technology for the benefit
of all people.
IFIP is a non-profitmaking organization, run almost solely by 2500 volunteers. It operates
through a number of technical committees, which organize events and publications.
IFIP's events range from an international congress to local seminars, but the most
important are:
• The IFIP World Computer Congress, held every second year;
• Open conferences;
• Working conferences.
The flagship event is the IFIP World Computer Congress, at which both invited and
contributed papers are presented. Contributed papers are rigorously refereed and the
rejection rate is high.
As with the Congress, participation in the open conferences is open to all and papers may
be invited or submitted. Again, submitted papers are stringently refereed.
The working conferences are structured differently. They are usually run by a working
group and attendance is small and by invitation only. Their purpose is to create an
atmosphere conducive to innovation and development. Refereeing is less rigorous and
papers are subjected to extensive group discussion.
Publications arising from IFIP events vary. The papers presented at the IFIP World
Computer Congress and at open conferences are published as conference proceedings,
while the results of the working conferences are often published as collections of selected
and edited papers.
Any national society whose primary activity is in information may apply to become a full
member of IFIP, although full membership is restricted to one society per country. Full
members are entitled to vote at the annual General Assembly, National societies
preferring a less committed involvement may apply for associate or corresponding
membership. Associate members enjoy the same benefits as full members, but without
voting rights. Corresponding members are not represented in IFIP bodies. Affiliated
membership is open to non-national societies, and individual and honorary membership
schemes are also offered