The International Association for Ambulatory Surgery (IAAS) was founded in 1995 and is a registered charity in Belgium. Its main aim is to promote the worldwide development of high quality ambulatory surgery (aka: day surgery). In pursuit of this, the IAAS has had a number of achievements. Even before its formal inception, the founding member countries started the publication of the first international peer reviewed journal on ambulatory surgery. Entitled Ambulatory Surgery, the journal was first published in paper form in 1993 and is now freely available in electronic format at www.ambulatorysurgery.org. Our objectives To promote the development of high quality ambulatory surgery. To stimulate the formation of national associations for ambulatory surgery. To promote education and training in ambulatory surgery for surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses. To encourage multi-disciplinary working in ambulatory surgery. To stimulate research in ambulatory surgery. To form a database of ambulatory surgery and anaesthesia. To promote the international exchange of knowledge and experience in ambulatory surgery. To organise seminars and conferences on ambulatory surgery. To develop internationally agreed guidelines for the practice of ambulatory surgery. To publish the peer reviewed international journal, Ambulatory Surgery. To collaborate with International healthcare bodies.