IFAC Constitution and By-Laws
December 2025 the General Assembly of NMOs adopted by e-vote an amendment to the By-Laws which introduces Technical Committee Senior Membership.
Overview of IFAC
The International Federation of Automatic Control was founded in September 1957 as a multinational federation of National Member Organizations. Each one represents the engineering and scientific community involved in automatic control in its country.
45
National Member Organizations
9
Coordinating Committees
38
Technical Committees
7800+
Affiliates
The documents and articles below cover the federation’s foundation and operating principles. They include the IFAC Constitution and By-laws, and introductory brochures for new members and partner organizations.
IFAC at a glance
This slideshow provides a brief overview to the what, why, and how of IFAC.
The IFAC Brochure: 2023-2026 Edition
A comprehensive information brochure about IFAC.
Aims, Vision and Mission
Vision
For IFAC to be the worldwide federation for promoting automatic control for the benefit of humankind.
Mission
To promote the science and technology of automatic control through technical meetings, publications, and other means consistent with the goals and values of IFAC.
Values
Honesty and Integrity, Excellence and Relevance, Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusivity.
Goals
- Organize and sponsor high-quality technical meetings that are relevant to the automatic control community.
- Be a trusted source of publication material on automatic control renowned for its technical excellence.
- Help create an environment within which the automatic control community can prosper.
- Provide volunteers and staff with meaningful and rewarding opportunities for career-enhancing participation in the Federation.
- Help promote the benefits of automatic control among the public at large.
The Aims of IFAC
Learn about the aims of IFAC and its commitment to promoting the science and technology of automatic control worldwide.
Codes and Statements
IFAC recognizes its role as a worldwide federation for promoting automatic control for the benefit of humankind. Here are the codes and statements directing our conduct.
Code of Conduct
IFAC's ethical and professional standards.
Inclusion and Diversity Statement
IFAC's stance on diversity and inclusion.
Statement of the use of AI Tools
Our statement on the use of LLMs and publishing.
Copyright Conditions
The copyright conditions of publications submitted to IFAC-sponsored meetings.
IFAC Presidents
Messages and other news from the IFAC President.
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23rd IFAC World Congress in Busan
August 23-28, 2026 Busan, Republic of Korea
What is IFAC all about?
A short guide to all you need to know about IFAC.
Message from the President
A welcome message from Dan Cho, the IFAC President for 2023–2026.
Scammers/spammers purporting to be IFAC officials
Please do not reply to scam/spam emails!
IFAC Story & History
The federation has a proud and long history as a global professional society devoted to the field of control systems. Our story keeps on growing as we celebrate the past to embrace the future.
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IFAC Presidents over the years
Explore the history of IFAC Presidents and their contributions to the Federation over the years.
Historical Female Influencers in Automatic Control
We feature historical female influencers (retired or emeritus female professionals) who have served as role models in the field of automatic control.
60th Anniversary Celebration
IFAC celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2017 in France, the country where IFAC was founded in 1957.
Six Decades of Automatic Control
Created
1956
The first International Conference on Automatic Control was held in Heidelberg in 1956. Participants declared the need to create an international organization of automatic control.
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1956
First International Conference on Automatic Control
The first International Conference on Automatic Control was held at the University of Heidelberg from 25 to 29 September 1956. At that conference 30 participants signed a declaration in which the need to create an international organization of automatic control was clearly defined.
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1957
Founding in Paris
On September 12, 1957, the First General Assembly convened at the constituent meeting in Paris. Delegates from 18 countries representing their national organizations assembled at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers under the chairmanship of Victor Broida. They voted on the Constitution and By-Laws; they elected the first President, Harold Chestnut.
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1969
Automatica launched
IFAC's flagship journal becomes the leading publication for control research worldwide.
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2007
PapersOnLine introduced
Open-access digital archive of all IFAC conference proceedings.
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2017
60th Anniversary
Toulouse World Congress celebrates 60 years of IFAC achievements. The IFAC Story ebook is released.
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2026
22nd World Congress, Busan
Largest gathering yet, with new tracks on AI, energy systems and human-centric control.
Latest News About IFAC
Council meetings, presidential messages, nominations, and obituaries — the institutional life of the federation.
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New IFAC Website!
The old website is maintained temporarily at wwwold.ifac-control.org
About the IFAC bimonthly newsletter
What is the newsletter, who manages it, and how can I contribute?
Code of Conduct
IFAC's ethical and professional standards.
The IFAC Brochure: 2023-2026 Edition
A comprehensive information brochure about IFAC.