The International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) is an umbrella organization for many of the regional and national societies of immunology throughout the world. As articulated in its Constitution, the objectives of IUIS are:
- to organize international co-operation in immunology and to promote communication between the various branches of immunology and allied subjects
- to encourage within each scientifically independent territory co-operation between the Societies that represent the interests of immunology
- to contribute to the advancement of immunology in all its aspects.
There are currently 69 Member Societies of IUIS, many of which belong to one of four Regional Federations encompassing Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia-Oceania. Links with other international scientific bodies are promoted through the International Affiliate Members of IUIS, membership of the International Council for Science (ICSU) and formal liaison with the World Health Organization.
Activities of IUIS are overseen by the Officers and Council, who are elected at the triennial General Assembly and are broadly representative of the interests and geographical distribution of member societies. Several Committees have also been established to conduct activities of ongoing interest to IUIS, currently in the areas of clinical immunology, education, nomenclature, quality assessment and standardization, and veterinary immunology.
International Congresses of Immunology are held every three years under the auspices of IUIS. IUIS also contributes to the staging of regular congresses and conferences by each of the four Regional Federations and to various educational activities in immunology.