As usual most of the positive developments will be reported in detail under the appropriate Agenda items.The main points in this report deals with
IFIP Activities
In 1998 IFIP was involved in the organization of 71 events – compared to 1997 with
73 events this is an decrease of 2.7 %.
However, if we count the Congress ’98 as a federated event of 6 separate conferences
the actual number of organized events would be 76.
Much more important is probably the fact that IFIP was Full or Main sponsor of 45 or 61.6%
(if we count congress as 6 events this would be 65.8%) of the events in which it was
involved.
The TCs all perform well.
Pertti Järvinen has left TC 9 as chairman. Thanks to Pertti for his efforts during the last three years. The new chairman for TC 9 is Jacques Berleur. Professor Berleur is wellknown to us as former WG 9.2 chairman and as an active initiator of the "Ethics of Computing" – project.
Member Society Relations
We have observed an increasing interest in IFIP and its activities from IFIP Member
Societies.From 1st of January 99 two societies, ACM and IEEE-CS, have joined as
new Full Members of IFIP. They are heartly welcome.
I have visited the ACM headquarters in New York in connection with the last meeting held
by the former US-Member Society FOCUS. The Chief Executive Director of ACM, John White,
visited me in Copenhagen last month. We have a new society as Full Member from France. It
is with great pleasure that I welcome SEE (Societe des Electriciens et Electroniciens) as
successors of AFCET. We have new GA representatives from China, France, Germany, Korea,
South Africa, ACM and IEEE-CS.
Unfortunately the Computer Society of Zimbabwe has due to a financial crisis asked for downgrading to Corresponding Member. We hope that CSZ wll overcome the problems and return as Full Members very soon.
At least one member society has already shown interest in hosting the Congress 2004.
Congresses
Preparations for Congress 2000 in Beijing are proceeding well. The progress, programwise and organizational, will be reported as a separate item later in the Council meeting. I am confident that the organizers fully understand that this is an IFIP Congress and they will perform accordingly in the preparations. I will meet with the IPC chairman and the OC in Beijing next month.
The Congress 2002 in Montreal is also on good track. Plamen Nedkov and I visited the Congress-site in late October 98 and found everything in relation to the Congress to be perfect. Our Canadian GA-representative, George Boynton, has been appointed chairman of the Organizing Committee. The two merging societies in Canada, CIPS and FIQ, have both shown their enthusiastic engagement in the event.
Publications
The collaboration with the new IFIP Publisher has been the problem child since the GA in Budapest in September last year. An extensive report will be given later in the Council meeting.
It is my opinion that a meeting which was held at Kluwer Headquarters in Boston two weeks ago brought us forward in a positive direction. In the meeting participated from the IFIP side Roger Johnson, Plamen Nedkov and myself. Kluwer was represented by two vicepresidents, a product manager, a managing editor, and our personal contacts Scott Delman and Yana Lambert. We made the Kluwer senior management aware of our problems. We felt that the Kluwer representatives showed understanding and that they were committed to avoid a repetition of the shortcomings discovered through the transition period.
Management
I acknowledge with thanks the efforts of my colleagues in the Executive Board. They have worked hard as Board members and also as chairmen of Standing Committees. I also appreciate the efforts of the TC chairs. It has been said many times before but let me repeat, it is the contribution from the TCs lead by TC chairs which makes IFIP visible and asserts IFIP’s position as a leader in the ICT field.
Special thanks to our Newsletter editor, you have once again performed to perfection.
Finally, I can repeat what has been said many times before, the management from our Secretariat has been excellent. The Secretariat is supportive, effective and quick and performs with great friendliness.
As President I am happy to be able to report that IFIP due to excellent work by many individuals generally is in a very good shape.
I am proud of representing the organization.
Peter Bollerslev
IFIP President