HISTORIC

In 1920, after World War, Captain William S. BAINBRIDGE, MD (US NAVY) and Major General Jules VONCKEN, MD, Belgium suggested, at the 28th session of the US Military Officers Association (AMSUS), the creation of an international organization of the Armed Forces Medical Services.

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Historic

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The ICMM is an international and intergovernmental organization, constituted by more than 100 States.

Major General
Jules VONCKEN, MD
Secretary-
General
from 1921 till 1976

Captain William S. BAINBRIDGE,
(US NAVY)
Founder of International Committee
of Military Medicine

In 1920, after World War One had revealed the importance of a closer cooperation between the Armed Forces Medical Services worldwide, Captain William S. BAINBRIDGE, MD (US NAVY) and Major General Jules VONCKEN, MD, Belgium suggested, at the 28th session of the US Military Officers Association (AMSUS), the creation of an international organization of the Armed Forces Medical Services.

The first international congress of military medicine and pharmacy was held in July 1921, in Brussels, Belgium.

The Permanent Committee of the International Congresses of Military Medicine and Pharmacy was officially founded on July 21, 1921.

The founding countries were :

Belgium, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

International Assembly of the Health Services of the Armies, Navies and Air Forces.
Liège - BELGIUM
18-21 July 1930

On May 21, 1952, the World Health Organization recognized the Committee as an "international organization specialized in medico-military matters".

On April 28, 1990, the Committee changed its name and became the INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF MILITARY MEDICINE (ICMM).

Major General
Jules VONCKEN, MD
Secretary-
General
from 1921 till 1976

Colonel
Jules MATHIEU MD
Secretary-
General
from 1976 till 1982

Lt.-Colonel
Marcel COOLS, MD
Secretary-
General
from 1982 till 1998

Dr.
Jacques SANABRIA
Secretary-
General
from 1998 till
2011

Major General
Roger VAN HOOF, MD
Secretary-
General
from 2011 till 2019

Major General
Geert LAIRE, MD
Secretary-
General
from 2019 till 2022

Date of admission as Member of ICMM:

ICMM is an international and intergovernmental organization, constitued by members, observers and correspondents. All countries which are Members of the United Nations may become Members of the ICMM, by accepting its Statutes.

Admission is validated when the application is approved by the General Assembly.

By clicking this link, you can see the list of Member States and their dates of admission to the ICMM.

 

The World Congresses of ICMM:

To further the accomplishment of its missions, the ICMM shall organize periiodically, World Congresses of Military Medicine.
A Congress will be held in an ICMM Member State, normally on a biennial basis.

The objectives of the World Congresses are four-fold:
• Encourage official and personal relations between the Directors of the Military Medical Services, through an association (according to the desire of the organizing country) representatives of the Intergovernmental, International and Non-governmental Organizations the objects of which have the following points in common with the ICMM.
• Draw up a detailed study of contemporary knowledge or studies related to military medicine.
• Disseminate scientific information on the activities of the military medical services, and
• Supply a framework and the facilities to hold the statutory meetings of the ICMM (General Assembly, Working Group, etc.).

 
1921 - Brussels, Belgium
1923 - Rome, Italy
1925 - Paris, France
1927 - Warsaw, Poland
1929 - London, UK
1931 - The Hague, The Netherlands
1933 - Madrid, Spain
1935 - Brussels, Belgium
1937 - Bucharest, Romania
1939 - Washington, USA
1947 - Basel, Switzerland
1949 - Mexico, Mexico
1951 - Paris, France
1954 - Luxemburg, Luxemburg
1957 - Belgrade, Yugoslavia
1959 - Teheran, Iran
1963 - Caracas, Venezuela
1965 - Bangkok, Thailand
1969 - Dublin, Ireland
1971 - Brussels, Belgium
1973 - Bucharest, Romania
1976 - Lima, Peru
1980 - Santiago, Chile
1982 - Athens, Greece
1984 - Baghdad, Iraq
1986 - Marrakech, Morocco
1988 - Interlaken, Switzerland
1990 - Madrid, Spain

1993 - Istanbul, Turkey
1994 - Augsburg, Germany
1996 - Beijing, China
1998 - Vienna, Austria
2000 - Espoo, Finland
2002 - Sun City, South Africa
2004 - Washington, USA
2005 - St Petersburg, Russia
2007 - Tunis, Tunisia
2009 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2011 - Abuja, Nigeria
2013 - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
2015 - Bali, Indonesia
2017 - New Delhi, India
2019 - Basel, Switzerland
2022 - Brussels, Belgium

 

Interlaken, Switzerland 1988

Madrid, Spain 1990

Washington, USA 2004

Saint-Petersburg, Russia 2005

Tunis, Tunisia 2007

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2009

Abuja, Nigeria 2011

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 2013

Bali, Indonesia 2015

New Delhi, India 2017

Basel, Switzerland 2019

ICMM activities include:

  • Military medicine as a whole,
  • Survey of techniques for assessing aptitudes,
  • Survey medicine,
  • Mass medicine,
  • Dentistry,
  • Military pharmacy,
  • Veterinary sciences,
  • Administration, organization and logistics of medical care missions.

The present goals include:

  • To maintain and to strengthen the bonds between all medical services of Member States,
  • To promote medico-military scientific activities,
  • To participate in the development of the medical and medico-military setting of humanitarian operations.


ICMM Reference Centre for Education on International Humanitarian Law and Ethics:

An ICMM Reference Centre for Education on International Humanitarian Law and Ethics has been created in 2011.
Founded by Switzerland, headed by Swiss officers, it is working under the authority of the Secretary General of the ICMM, under the supervision of the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the ICMM.

For more detailed information on the history of the creation of the ICMM Reference Centre for Education on International Humanitarian Law and Ethics, please visit the following website, www.melac.ch
 

 

HISTORIC: OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

Letter 1920 - Invitation to the 1st Congress in 1921 (text in french)

Report of the 1st Congress in 1921 (text in french)

Foundation of the Permanent Committee 1921 (text in french)

General Assembly of the 3rd Congress in 1925 (text in french)

Copy of documents showing the origin of International Congresses (March 1938) (text in french)

WHO 1952 (text in english)

Agreement ICMMP-WHO 1952 (text in english)

ICMM recognition by the United Nations (text in english)

WHO: Approval - 5th World Health Assembly (text in french)

Memorandum of understanding ICMM-WHO 2001 (text in english)

Updated agreements between WHO and the ICMM 2004 ( text in french)

Agreement ICMM-OIE 2006 (text in english)

Memorandum of understanding ICMM-UNAIDS 2009 (text in english)

Memorandum of understanding ICMM-CISM 2014 (text in english)

Memorandum of understanding ICMM-ICRC 2016 (text in english)

Memorandum of understanding ICMM-WVA 2017 (text in english)

Memorandum of understanding ICMM-WMA 2017 (text in english)

Memorandum of understanding ICMM-FIP 2019 (text in english)