On August 7 – 9, 2009, the 2nd National Assembly of the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA) was held at Maharaja Hotel in Jakarta. Attending the Assembly were officers of the Central Office, officers of all Branch Offices throughout Indonesia, delegates from Non-Territorial Organizations, the Council of Veterinary Education (MP2KH), the Association’s Honorary Council, and other guests. Goals of this Assembly were to strengthen professional organizations related to Act No. 18 year 2009 on Animal Husbandry and Animal Health, to socialize results of MP2KH meetings, to prepare the implementation of the national veterinary registry system (STR-V), to consolidate the organization, to improve services for members, and to prepare materials for Congress XVI of 2010.

Agenda for the first day of the Assembly was opening ceremony and speech from the General Chairman. After that, the agenda was continued with discussion on organization strengthening. Several issues discussed were contents of Act No. 18 year 2009 on Animal Husbandry and Animal Health and the preparedness of veterinarians in facing the ASEAN Framework Agreement in Services (AFAS), which is an agreement on services, in this case veterinary/animal health, human health, tourism, architectural, and accounting services, since free trade for the ASEAN region has been signed in the meeting of ASEAN Economy Ministers (5th ASEAN Summit) on December 15, 1995, in Bangkok. Also related to organization strengthening was a discussion on increasing the role of branch offices of the Association in advocating the voices of members and veterinarians in their work region and to prepare for the implementation of the national animal health system (Siskeswanas).

On the evening of day one, the agenda was continued with socialization of the results of MP2KH meetings. The policy made by the MP2KH was that Veterinary Education in Indonesia is the achievement of the Indonesian Standards for Veterinary Competence based on the Veterinary Education Program Curriculum that is strengthened with a Veterinary Oath Ceremony and that National Certification for Veterinary Competence should be implemented by 2010.

Agenda of the second day was socialization of meeting results of the Honorary Council on ethic codes and basis reference of the profession. It was then continued with sharing and discussion on the success of strengthening the role of veterinarians in Lampung and East Java by branch offices in the region, and also sharing by Non-Territorial Organizations; the Indonesian Veterinary Pathology Association (APVI) and the Indonesian Small Animal Veterinary Association (ADHPHKI). The agenda was continued with the launching of a book titled “100 Years of Veterinary Medicine in Indonesia” and the IVMA website (www.pdhi-online.org dan www.ivma-pdhi.com) by the book publisher and Hemera Zoa foundation. After that there were recommendations regarding improvement of the Association’s statutes, aggregation of the Assembly meeting results, dissemination of information on the preparations of Congress 2010, and information on hosting for the Congress in 2014 (criteria for hosts).

On the last day there were presentations on Animal Welfare by Wiwiek Bagja, DVM and Influenza A H1N1 by Dr. Heru Setijanto, DVM from the National Committee for Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (Komnas FBPI). The National Assembly was finally closed by a closing ceremony.