Non-Voting Observer from Asia-Pacific Region to Attend IPA Board Meeting

The International Psychoanalytical Association is pleased to announce that a member of the Asia-Pacific Planning Committee (APPC) will attend its next Board meeting as a non-voting observer.

The APPC has nominated Julie Meadows (Australian Psychoanalytical Society) as the first member to take on this role, and the nomination process will follow a rotation system going forward. The decision is another positive development in the proliferation of psychoanalysis in the region.

Speaking of the decision, President of the IPA, Virginia Ungar commented: “The Board sees this as a significant step forward towards the realisation of a fourth region of the IPA.

“Psychoanalysis within the Asia-Pacific region has continued to flourish in recent years, with an ever-growing number of people taking an interest in psychoanalytic theory, technique and clinical perspectives, and the benefits of psychoanalytic treatment.
“The IPA has long recognised the importance of developing psychoanalysis in the Asia-Pacific region, in a grounded, systematic and sustainable way.”

The role of the Asia-Pacific non-voting observer is to establish a greater dialogue between the APPC and the IPA Board. They are able to speak freely, ask questions and make proposals on behalf of the APPC, but will not be eligible to vote on decisions by the Board.

Julie Meadows will attend the next Board meeting in Lisbon in January 2019, she says: “I am honoured to represent the region on behalf of all the groups in the Asia-Pacific, which include well-established societies and new groups taking root in cultures where psychoanalytic ideas are new.
I hope to foster an Asia-Pacific perspective on the international board and to convey the work of the Board to my colleagues in the Asia-Pacific.”

For further information about the APPC and its mandate, please click here.