As we prepare for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, we would like to take this opportunity to send you our warmest season’s greetings.
We are honoured to have been appointed Chair and CEO of the Guidelines International Network (GIN) and would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the Board, Committees, editors, partners, the office team, and the entire GIN community for the support you have shown as we both settle into our roles.
This year at GIN, we were delighted to welcome several new organisational members, including public health bodies in Scotland and England, the South African Medical Research Council, the West African Institute for Applied Health Research, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), and the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), among others. It has been wonderful to see our community continue to grow globally.
We also strengthened our relationship with the WHO through the hugely successful GIN2025 conference in Geneva, where we welcomed over 516 delegates from 48 countries. We awarded conference and travel grants to five members to attend GIN2025, published the second volume of Clinical and Public Health Guidelines with four issues and 38 papers, awarded five new GIN Fellowships, and our Working Groups and regional Communities organised 13 events and internally, we have been busy improving our operations and efficiencies. It truly has been a year full of progress and collaboration.
Refocusing on Members and the GIN Community
Over the past months, we have had the pleasure of meeting many members and partners across the GIN community. Through focus groups, conversations, and conference feedback, we have gathered thoughtful insights and reflections on how GIN can continue to grow.
These discussions have highlighted not only the passion and loyalty within our community but also the need to deepen our focus on our members—how we engage, how we support one another, and how we work together across regions and professional backgrounds.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Recognising the financial pressures many members are facing, the Board has agreed to hold membership fees for 2026/27 at their current rates.
Next year marks an exciting milestone as we host our first conference in Southeast Asia. GIN2026 – Guidelines for All: Bridging Tradition, Technology and High-Value Care will bring together our global community for an inspiring and forward-looking event. The call for submissions is now available, with registration and abstract submission opening on 8 January 2026.
Please save the date as the 2026 AGM will take place online on 21st October 2026, rather than alongside the annual conference. We hope that an online AGM will broaden accessibility.
A key priority for us in 2026 is to strengthen our support for members, particularly the next generation of guideline developers and we will develop new engagement and support formats. Watch this space!
Our journal, Clinical and Public Health Guidelines, will continue to publish high-quality research spanning guideline development and implementation—covering evidence-based clinical, public health, and health systems guidelines. We are deeply grateful to our publisher, Wiley, as well as to our editors and reviewers for their commitment and hard work.
Since 2020, GIN has partnered with McMaster University and INGUIDE to deliver an international guideline training and certification programme. This successful collaboration provides GIN members with a 15% discount on INGUIDE courses.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to our work this year—our Trustees, Committees, Regional Communities, Working Groups, the journal editors and referees, and our partners around the world.
Finally, we both want to warmly acknowledge our dedicated and professional staff team, whose commitment and enthusiasm make our work possible every day.
As we look ahead, we wish you a peaceful festive season and safe passage into 2026.
Season’s greetings,
Roberta James, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Daniela Carl, CEO, Guidelines International Network